courtesy of bogle website
You all know I love wine, so it just makes sense for me to sign up for any kind of wine event I can find. So, imagine how elated I was to get an email about a wine event at Terrapin. Terrapin is an excellent restaurant in Rhinebeck, but they have recently acquired another space at the Dinsmore Golf Course in Staatsburg, more so for catering events.
This particular event was a wine dinner featuring Bogle wines. Since I am familiar with their Petit Sirah….without hesitation, I reserved 4 spots, hoping that we would track down some friends to join us.I have never been to one of those fancy-schmancy wine dinners that offer a wine pairing at every course. They are normally way too out of my price range. But when this one dropped in my lap at a mere $49 a person, I had to pounce.We dragged our fellow libation lovers Karen and Steve (they didn’t exactly go kicking and screaming) with us.
Cocktail hour was in full swing when we arrived. The first wine was a Bogle Sauvignon Blanc.
Now let me just state for the record that typically, I am not a white wine fan, unless it is a sweet dessert wine. However, this knocked my socks off! It was chilled perfectly, and I immediately tasted lemon, lime and pineapple. It had a clean, fresh taste (no oak as it is fermented in stainless steel) and it complemented the hors d’oeuvre that were served throughout the cocktail hour. Trays of red bell pepper-goat cheese rollatini; blue cheese, walnut and apple canapé; proscuitto, fig and herb butter crostini and finally roast duck breast l’orange canapé were passed around the crowd. The appetizers were plentiful and generous as was the wine. Glasses were full and refills were welcomed…we were off to a great start. The decor was classic; white table cloths on round tables that seated 8, candles and fresh flowers graced the tables. Glass windows surround the outside walls and the views of the golf course and the Hudson River are spectacular. I had a chance to speak with chef/owner Josh Kroner.
Throughout conversation I found out that his wife is French, straight from Paris. Ah, ‘mais naturellement’, (but of course)!
Next came the salad course, paired with the Chardonnay. The chef made sure to highlight the fact that the mesclun blend was local, organic produce… the first batch of the season. Simply dressed in a roasted vidalia onion vinaigrette it was crunchy, flavorful and delicious. The wine was the perfect accompaniment, with tropical flavors,a bit of apple and some oak. More complex than the first.
The entrée was a choice of grilled Alaskan salmon with petite sirah – peach glaze or red wine braised short ribs with crispy onions. The pairing was of course, the Petit Sirah…my favorite, incidentally. It was a torturous decision, but we decided to get one of each per couple, and share. The salmon, cooked perfectly and the glaze both sweet and spicy was served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The short ribs were hands down the best I have ever eaten in my lifetime, the meat was so tender it just fell onto your fork. It was served with potatoes and sautéed spinach. The wine, was thick, jammy, full of ripe berry flavor anda little spice. What can I say, I love this wine and have been drinking it for years. It has always been an excellent value at about $11.99 at your local wine shop.
At this point, Robbie LaBlanc, the Sales Manager for Bogle, entertained the crowd by singing and playing a few tunes on his guitar. We had met him earlier as he made his way around the tables chatting about the wines. Turns out, he had played with the group Toto in the past (yes, we are getting old) and currently plays with the LaBlanc Brothers Band and is involved with Paul Shaffer of David Letterman fame. When Chris heard all of this (he is a drummer and had been in several bands) I think he started drooling all over himself! Robbie must have noticed and was gracious enough to have him come up and check out his guitar. This was most assuredly the highlight of Chris’ evening (other than the wine of course)!!
Satiated and feeling pretty good (it has been 4 full glasses so far) it was time for dessert. Out came an absolutely delicious goat cheese torte with almonds, apples and berries. The presentation was simple and perfect, with the apple draped down the side, the purple berry coulis dotted in just the right spots and the almonds tossed around on the plates, we couldn’t wait to eat it. The wine pairing was the Zinfandel. The thing I liked so much about this pair was that the dessert was not sweet at all, the sweetness was left to the wine. The creamy goat cheese and the tartness from the berries married so well with the wine. The torte was not overwhelming sweet and the wine was loaded with blackberry flavor. It was a fabulous note to end the evening on.
We had an absolutely fantastic time and we met some really great people a tour table… and thanks to Bogle, I now have some great white wines to add to my collection. We were all thoroughly impressed with the food, the wine, the atmosphere and most of all the value. I still can’t believe that this event was priced at an affordable $49 a person and my hope is that these events will be more frequent and that Chef Josh will keep them affordable. I think the catering is a welcome addition to the Terrapin family. We will continue to frequent Terrapin and I will continue to rush home and check my email everyday… hoping there is a message in my inbox, announcing their next wine event!
Terrapin Restaurant
Terrapin Catering Events
6426 Montgomery Street
Rhinebeck, NY 12571
845.876.3330
www.terrapinrestaurant.com