Does anyone else love wine but stick to the same few varieties because of familiarity? Well, welcome to my life! I love a chill glass of wine after a long day or to pair with dinner, but I rarely know what kind to choose outside of my usual Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. So of course, I was super excited to join Cava Wine Importers for an intimate wine tasting and dinner at Ammos, with wines from Wine Art Estate.
The night started with a tasting of Wine Art Estate’s Plano Malagousia, a floral/fruity white wine that was light and clean on the palette. I’m a huge fan of white wines that are easy on the palette and carry a fruit like taste. This was my favorite wine of the night, due to its light and refreshing taste, making it a wine that I could have with a meal or just as a glass for pleasure. This wine was paired with the “Risi Thalasinon”, a mushroom risotto dish topped with shrimp, calamari, and fresh fish fillet. I usually don’t go for risotto’s when I am out, but this one was packed with flavor, and the seafood gave it an added touch.
The next white wine was the Idisma Drios Assyrtiko. This one was less fruity than the Plano, but I did taste some buts of citrus and maybe peach. I found this wine to be a bit more acidic and oak like, and I could see myself having this with a meal, but not necessarily on its own. This was paired with a small piece of Scottish salmon on top of chopped beets in a yogurt dressing. There was also some red tobiko caviar. The salmon was made perfectly, seared on top with the right amount of crunch. I felt like the salmon was a great pair with this wine.
Did somebody say Rosé All Day? The 3rd wine was a Rosé by the name of Pink Bang, and this was very fitting. This was a very dry Rosé compared to the ones I am used to, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It still carried the fruity taste of other rosés, with a longer after taste. This was paired with a filet of lavraki fish, which was served wrapped in parchment paper with zucchini, tomatoes, and potatoes. The fish was cooked well and I felt this meal did the best job of bringing out the flavors of the wine it was paired with.
Then it was time for the red wines, and we started with the Touriga Nacional. This was a dark red wine that was surprisingly light in flavor and aroma. This red had a lasting after taste, but was also a red wine that I could drink casually when in the mood to channel my inner Olivia Pope. This red was paired with a dish called Saganaki, which was a fried piece of graviera cheese served in a skillet, which they poured brandy over and set on fire right in front of you. I’m not a huge fan of brandy so that flavor on the cheese through me off, however the actual fried cheese was love.
The last wine of the night was Nebbio, made from Nebbiolo grapes. This red was also a light and airy red wine, which is my favorite kind of red. This was a full-bodied wine, and I tasted bits of plum while I drank. It was paired with slow roasted whole piglet, on top of oregano fries. The oregano fried was delicious and crispy, and the perfect food to end the night on. The piglet was super flavorful but the oil from the piglet made some of the fries underneath a bit soggy, so I would’ve preferred the roasted pork to be on the side of the fries, as opposed to on top.
Nevertheless, this was a great selection of wine, paired wonderfully with some amazing Greek fare. My favorite wine of the night would have to be the Plano, although the Rosé and Nebbio were both close seconds. Check out CavaOinos.com for more information on these great wines.
