Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe

 Friday, March 26, 2021

Almost a full house tonight. Not sure about the six feet apart table rule being adhered to . The tables themselves were but by time you o\put a chair and a person it left a lot to interpretation.  But not nearly as jam packed as the dining room normally is. We opted to sit outside on the patio.  Said hello to eight people I knew that were attending also.

Started out with Pan Seared Diver Scallops with a caper beurre blanc sauce and baby bok choy. As usual Richard had cooked the scallops to perfection.   Served with a 2019 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc. Wine was a good pairing. The wine was not overly acidic and had a nice slight creamy texture to it.

Second course is a shaved pear and goat cheese salad with a chardonnay and Dijon vinaigrette. My salad was prefect. Had at least 10 slices of cherry tomato. and was dressed well. My two dining companions had no tomatoes and no dressing. They did bring out bowls of dressing I did notice that a few other tables had the same issue. Apparently a big  screw up in the kitchen. Salad was very good. But the wine, Oh My. A 2019 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Chardonnay.  So oaky and buttery. A typical California style Chardonnay which I really dislike.  Sherry and I both gave Douglas our wine. We were able to get another pour of the Sau Blanc but it really did not pair well with the salad. 

Next was a Duck Breast with cherries and Port sauce over a round of crispy polenta and roasted turnips. My duck was cooked a tad to much for me but had great flavor. I prefer my meats to be more red than dark pink.  Paired with a 2018 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Merlot. Good pairing. Wine was good. Not a big Merlot fan but this wine held its own. Was told that it received a 94 rating. 

Fourth course is a double herb crusted lamb chop with spring root vegetable mash and Chinese broccoli.  Again I felt my lamb was a bit over cooked for my palate. But flavors were spot on. A 2017 Duckhorn, Napa valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine choice. A very nice cab, It was about 80% Cabernet grapes and balance were at least 3 other reds among them Cab Franc. 

Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake with icing and raspberry coulis. Rich and decadent.

A few glitches tonight but I will attribute that to the fact that inside dining rooms are now open and the kitchen and wait staff may be a bit rusty due to the long shut down. I am sure by the Whispering Angel Rose wine dinner on the 6th things will be working smoother.