Friday, August 12, 2011
Wine Wandering Wino: Mad as a Platter Edition
Posted by Chris Chamberlain on Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Recently, Mad Platter received their official "Green" certification from the Green Restaurant Association, making them the second restaurant in the state to receive that designation after Jeremy Barlow was a pioneer with his efforts at tayst. While tayst still has one more star than The Mad Platter, with three instead of two, it's still worth celebrating the fact that The Mad Platter has scooted up to the green table.
So they're throwing themselves a party and you're all invited. On Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 6:30, Mad Platter will be having a Tennessee Products Wine Dinner, featuring the wines of the local heroes at Château Ross. Ross Proctor, the Boss Ross of Château Ross will be the guest speaker of the evening. The menu represents the best of Tennessee ingredients sourced by Chef Steven Stuart, who stated "The only thing I couldn't buy from within the state was the salt and pepper." So at least Chef Stuart is doing the next best thing by using Carolina sea salt from our neighbors to the east. The chef and Mad Platter owner Craig Jervis have even grown a number of the produce items used in the menu in the restaurant's three gardens.
And what a menu it is:
The Mad Platter's Tennessee Products Wine DinnerAmusé
Kelly's Katch Paddlefish caviar with red potato, garlic chives, red pepper
Paired with Château Ross: Big Bitch Red
Appetizer
Shrimp and grits: Tennessee prawns, Falls Mill grits, Benton country ham, sweet onion, Pepper mélange, elephant garlic
Paired with Château Ross: Creason
Soup
Wedge Oak chicken and smoked corn chowder, basil, pear and lemongrass oil
Paired with Château Ross: Maison Rouge
Salad
Heirloom tomatoes, Noble Springs goat cheese, raider cucumbers and beets with peach vinaigrette
Paired with Château Ross: Gu-Vurtz-Tra-Weener
Entrée
Wedge Oak Pork Duo: Grilled loin and braised belly, sweet potatoes, sorghum, coriander, dried chilies, fig, fried apples
Paired with Château Ross: Z+
Sweet Ending
The Tennessee Waltz: Mosaic consisting of Sweetwater Valley Hickory Smoked Cheddar, Sequatchie Cove Cumberland Tomme, Kira's Kids Garlic Dill Chévre and Olive & Sinclair Cinn-Chili Chocolate
The six-course dinner and accompanying wines is a steal at $65 per person, so get thee to Germantown! For more info or to make reservations, call (615) 242-2563.
On Church Street this weekend, Midtown Wine and Spirits celebrates the wines of France before the nation goes into default. They'll have four extraordinary wines open for tasting from 2 to 7 p.m. this Saturday, so grab one of these on the way to the Titans' first preseason game of the Munchak era. Here's what they'll be pouring:
Pierre de la Grange Muscadet 2009"Sweetly-perfumed nose of orange zest, winter pear, almond extract, and lily-of-the-valley leads to a soft, caressing palate, but one underlain by telltale evidence of chalk and stone. A gorgeous mingling of these mineral notes with nut oils informs the wine's long finish." — 90 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
$14.99 / 750 mlVilla des Anges Rose 2010
"A juicy, fruity style, featuring flavors of cherry, berry, melon and even some hot spice, with a lush, rich finish." — The Wine Spectator
$11.99 / 750 mlThe Seeker Pinot Noir 2008
"A wine that has backbone, sweet cherry flavors and aromas, while also offering balanced acidity and length. Full of red fruit and spice." — Winery Notes
$11.99 / 750 mlTerre de Mistral Cotes du Rhone 2007
"The 2007 Terre de Mistral possesses more sweetness as well as loads of pepper, lavender, garrigue, kirsch, and licorice. A terrific Cotes du Rhone that sells for a song, it can be enjoyed over the next several years." — The Wine Advocate
$10.99 / 750 ml
Finally, Grace's Plaza Wine and Spirits will be tasting a selection of Spanish wines at their tasting bar this Saturday, Aug. 13, from 3 to 6 p.m. Drop by for some Iberian pleasures, including:
Can Feixes Blanc Seleccio 2009
$16.99 - 750mlCreated in the Penedes area of Spain, this refreshing white strolls across the palate with an intriguing hint of lemon peel, spice and smokiness.
Las Colinas del Ebro Syrah-Garnacha (60/40) 2010
$12.99 - 750ml
This red blend from Terra Alta is more reserved than varietal stereotypes would have you assume. Medium bodied, spicy, with the perfect balance of fruit, this wine is perfect with BBQ!Boraso Tres Picos Garnacha 2009
$16.99 - 750ml
This incredibly intense wine from the Borja region is full of black and bing cherry, and offset by a spicy fringe that lingers on the palate. It is a sexy fruit bomb that overwhelms the senses.
Old Hands Monastrell 2006
$11.99 - 750ml
Old Hands is lovingly created in the hot Yecla region to provide its dedicated drinkers with a full-bodied, smokey wine that packs dried figs, plums and blackberries into a gorgeous, porteresque masterpiece. A true escape.
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