Scenes from Il Fornaio Palo Alto Wine Dinner Featuring Orin Swift Cellars
Il Fornaio in Palo Alto hosted another stellar pairing event.
The recent dinner, held last month, featured offerings from Orin Swift Cellars.
Upon arrival, guests enjoyed a glass of Blank Stare 2016 Sauvignon Blanc.
The five-course dinner menu crafted by Executive Chef Michele Godina.
Chef Michele and Andrea.
Blank Stare 2016 Sauvignon Blanc – a bright, tropical offering with notes of peach and pear. Paired with Tuscan pecorino cheese and fava beans…
and figs stuffed with Gorgonzola blue cheese…
as well as oysters.
Josh of Orin Swift making the rounds. He provided insightful information and spot-on observations about each dish and, of course, the paired wines.
Server extraordinaire Gil deftly pouring the next wine:
Slander 2015 Pinot Noir with its notes of cherry, raspberry and jam.
Paired with breaded smoked fresh buffalo mozzarella served with a porcini mushroom caper sauce.
Mannequin 2015 Chardonnay – bright, expressive floral notes with additional notes of honeydew, ripe peach and orange blossom.
Paired with fresh house-made black squid ink spaghettini with Dungeness crab, seared sea urchin, cherry tomato and white wine sauce – an absolutely delicious dish as well as my favorite pairing of the evening.
Tuscan seafood stew with prawn, black cod, calamari, clams and mussels in a light tomato broth. Paired with the previously mentioned Blank Stare Sauvignon Blanc.
Palermo 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon – ripe cherry, raspberry, hint of spice. Paired with house-made wild boar sausage over a bed of potato and sautéed rapini.
Cheers to great tablemates Greg and Josh…
and Raguel and Terry!
Manager Giancarlo DiTullio and general manager Antonio Monetti with Chef Michele.
The last pairing: Chocolate and Frangelico liqueur infused sponge cake with layered chocolate mousse, a truffle hazelnut praline center and crème anglaise.
Paired with Abstract 2016 California Red Wine (Grenache, Petit Syrah and Syrah) – raspberry, cranberry, plum.
The Orin Swift wines lived up to the brand’s reputation – big, bold and delicious.
The complementary and contrasting flavors and components elevated each dish and respective wine pairing throughout the dinner, reflecting the masterful decision-making skills of a chef at the top of his game.
This special evening was all about expert pairings and outstanding wine, food, service, vibe, hosts and company, all meshing together to create an unforgettable experience.
Cheers! Prost! Gunbae! Salute!
~Andy