Wine Tasting at iFratelli--Blanc Out

I have now decided that, since our travels also always include wine tasting somewhere along the line, I would also blog about our travels.  And, we are also starting to talking about moving to the Hill Country (the area in Texas roughly between and around San Antonio and Austin, I will add to this stories about the codgers moving.

Since I have no followers at the moment, I don't know how important it is to mention by "codgers," I am talking about TR and I--he being 73 (nearly) and me being 68.  We met only six year ago (when I was 62 and he nearly 67), but already our relationship has lasted longer than either of my other two relationships.  We haven't lasted as long as three of his four, however.  They all lasted about ten years each.

We will be going down to the hill country in a couple weeks to look at houses and see if there is anything down there we like in our price range.  An initial glance at the Internet tells me there is, but all my friends say, "Oh, it is soooo expensive down there."  So, we will see.

We went to "Blanc Out" at iFratelli on July 25 (Thursday) and met our friend Maureen (from swimming) there.  They served Las Perdices Fume Blanc from Argentina with their usual cheese and fruit plate--their cheeses are really nice high quality cheeses that include at least one soft white (muenster or Havarti), a smoky (Gouda or Gorgonzola), and always a blue and a brie.

Second they served Domaine de Couron Village Blanc (Ronin) from France.  I am not remembering all the appetizers and in what order, but I think this was with a shrimp and pineapple glaze--surprising and good.

Next we had a Domaine Grand Roche Bourgongne-Saint Bris (Ronin) also from France.  With it they served what they called a ceviche, but the salmon in it was cooked.  I don't usually like cooked salmon, but, with the wine, it was excellent.

Then there was a Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc from California.  I'm not sure when there were served, but there were two chicken crustina, one a kind of marinated chicken and the other a chicken Alfredo.  The Alfredo won my vote and was very nice.  The bread under the marinated chicken was not toasted (how is that a crustina?) and Maureen complained that it was soggy.

The last wine was a Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc and was from Sonoma, California (where TR's family lives, but we have not been to this winery.)  This was served with a small square of veal (overcooked and too salty for my taste and served too late--kind of as an afterthought--to be coupled with the wine.)

I learned two things this evening--"Fume" is another name for the Sauvingon grape, and that this grape tends to be very minerally.  The wines varied from a light mineral flavor to a heavy one.

We had a very good time comparing notes about the wine and the food and the pairing.  I love sharing these evenings with new people, because I get to hear their experience.