For those of you
who were unable to attend the Sonoma-Cutrer Winemaker’s Dinner at Harvest Restaurant at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, you missed out on
one heck of a marvelous evening. Having never been to one of these before,
I didn’t know quite what to expect, but to say that the entire affair was an
exquisite and delightful experience would be an understatement.
We arrived at
Harvest at 6:00 pm for a reception where we were introduced to the Food and
Beverage Director of Pheasant Run, Joe Orichiella, and several
representatives from the prestigious Sonoma-Cutrer Winery, including Nancy
Minasola, who would be discussing the wines, food pairings and special
attributes of the winery. The reception was held in the lounge area of
Harvest and casual conversation there was interrupted only by occasional
wait staff offering some marvelous mouth-watering, hand-crafted hors
d’oeuvres and a refill on our first wine taste for the evening: a 2003
Russian
River
Chardonnay.
Promptly at
7:00,
we were escorted to a meticulously set table in the dining room. After
being seated, we were introduced to Executive Chef Josef Yurisich, who
briefly outlined the evening’s meal selections. The First Course: An
incredibly eye-appealing Pesto Shrimp nestled on a Seared Wild Mushroom
Polenta Cake drizzled with a Roasted Red Pepper Coulis. It was aptly
paired with a
Sonoma-Cutrer 2002 Les Pierres Chardonnay
.
The Second Course: A perfectly assembled Warm, Nut-Encrusted Goat
Cheese Salad with Grilled Fugi Apples, Pancetta Bacon and Warm
Orange
Dijon
Dressing
elegantly paired with a 2002 “The Cutrer”
Appellation
Russian
River
Chardonnay.
By now, I was
practically overwhelmed with some of the most incredible flavors that I had
ever been treated to… but there was much more to come! The Third Course:
A visually magnificent , flavorful and perfectly done Cumin-Crusted
Rotisserie Lamb Rack set on Roasted Fennel and White Beans, finished with a
Gremolata and Port Reduction. This masterpiece was accompanied by the
evening’s only red wine – a 2002 Pinot Noir. And, for the
exclamation point on a savory symphony of flavors, the Fourth Course:
Candied Bosc Pear set on a disc of Pumpkin and Mascarpone Cheesecake,
drizzled with a Cranberry Coulis and Lavender Honey, finely paired
with a Bonterra Muscat.
If the above
descriptions make your mouth water, imagine what it was like to actually be
there and be dining on them! I can only say that the meal was a sumptuous
feast fit for a king. Chef Josef Yurisich is a Master Chef indeed; his
talents are without bounds and his plate presentations were picture
perfect. He did make several appearances before each course to explain the
dish prior to serving; he also came out after dinner to a round of loud and
appreciative applause and spoke with all members of the dining party,
fielding questions when asked.
If you missed
this affair, I would urge you to do two things. First, make a reservation
to dine at Harvest and enjoy some of the Chef’s delectable dinner
creations. I can guarantee that you will thoroughly enjoy the experience.
Second, call Joe Oriciella at Pheasant Run and ask him to set up another
Winemaker Dinner. It is a treat you will remember for a very long time.
Richard C. Ross
Vice President & Director of Marketing
Northern Sky
Designs, LLC
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