Lobster Mac and Cheese!!!

Wine dinners are one of my favorite activities. I love food, I love wine, and when paired well with a good theme it makes a great night out. Last Wednesday I went to Old Hickory Golf Club for their American themed wine dinner. This was one of the more uniquely themed wine dinners I've been to. It was a play on classic American food made upscale for a wine dinner.

Pass Around: "Pizza"
Shrimp Flatbread
Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and feta cheese

This was paired with Stellina di Notte Prosecco. This light, crisp sparkling went great with the pizza and paired with sitting out on the patio with a gorgeous view of the golf course was absolutely amazing.

First Course: "Fried Chicken"
Crispy pan fried chicken
Stewed tomatoes and artichokes, with lemon caper butter and micro greens

Paired with Rosenblum 'Kathy's Cuvee' Viognier. This wine tastes almost sweet at first then finishes dry. It wasn't my favorite pairing, but it had a nice acid to cut into the butter sauce, and the chicken dish was delicious. I would've preferred a semi-rich chardonnay, but saving that for the next course was worth it because that was my favorite pairing of the night!

Second Course: "Mac and Cheese"
Lobster Macaroni Gratin
Rich cheddar cheese sauce with fresh lobster meat and bread crumbs

This amazing dish was paired with Sterling Napa Valley Chardonnay which has been aged in oak barrels giving it a toasty finish. Rich mac and cheese with a creamy chardonnay was a buttery genius on my palate….yum. When you taste a pairing like that, you'll never forget it.

Third Course: "Burger"
Bison Duo
Bison burger, caramelized onions, and cheese
Bison sausage, roasted corn, red onion, smoked tomato vinaigrette

These dishes were paired with two wines; both zinfandels. The first was Rosenblum 'Vintner's Cuvee' and the second was Rosenblum 'Planchon Single Vineyard'. The first was made of a blend "cuvee" of vintages and was more smooth. Some vintners do this to create a "house blend" that makes a more consistent tasting wine. You'll see this a lot in Champagne. The second had a deeper flavor with more body. It was made from a single vineyard so there was no blending with other grapes. A lot of vineyards will use grapes from multiple locations to get a higher yield. Depending on the laws of the region, (which would be covered on way more than one blog) those locations and practices may or may not be disclosed on the bottle.

Fourth Course: "Beef Stew"
Kobe short ribs, carrots, onions, celery

By this point I was so stuffed, as I am at most wine dinners, but I had to at least taste this dish. It was so tender and delicious, I just had to ask to have it boxed up so I could enjoy it later, because I had to save room for the last, most creative dish. This stew was paired with Sterling Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Note: Cabernet Sauvignon and red meat are almost always a successful pairing!

Dessert "PB&J"
Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Grape Sorbet, Toasted Brioche

I wish I had a camera to have taken a picture of this. This is by far one of the most creative desserts I have ever tasted. There was a scoop of each ice cream with a triangle of toasted brioche standing in the middle… No kidding, this tasted like I was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… absolutely amazing. They paired this dessert with Rosenblum 'Desiree' Chocolate Port. If you've ever tasted Port with a chocolate dessert, you know that it is a beautiful pairing; So why not just infuse the chocolate in the Port… delicious!


Overall, I had a wonderful evening with great food, wine and company. Wine dinners may not be affordable for a weekly event, but so many places do them so often, you can almost always find a place to go when you're ready. In Saint Louis, they usually run around $ 45-$75 per person, I'm not sure about other cities, but they are a great way to taste a variety of wines at one sitting and enjoy delicious food. Cheers!