Wine 101 – My Kind of Education

posted on September 1, 2009 by Beth // 1 Comment »

Remember that 6 week wine series at Fido I told you about a few weeks ago? Well, I cannot quit gushing about it to everyone I know. Originally I had scheduling conflicts with Classes 2 and 3, but ended up completely rearranging my calendar after Class 1 because I so thoroughly enjoyed it. There was no way I was going to miss even one class in this series!

There’s no doubt that they will offer this again in the future, so I’ll keep you abreast of the details and dates. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in wine- I mean even the slightest– you should not let this unique opportunity pass you by. Even if you can only do one or two classes, it’s worth it.

For only $25 each week, you get some amazing wines and phenomenal food. Oh, the food. I’m pretty sure that to the average Nashvillian, the mention of Fido brings to mind coffee, not food. But Chef John Stephenson is definitely doing more than blurring the line between coffeehouse and restaurant. Here are what I consider some of the standouts from the first 3 weeks:

Green Goddess Chicken Salad Croute with Avocado, Bacon and Fennel Mustard

Green Chile-Coconut Tamales with Black Beans and Mole Espresso

Medjool Dates with Chorizo and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Handmade Pizzas with Local Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Organic Peaches, and Gremolata

Green Chile Empanada with Chorizo and Yellow Gingered Salsa

Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato, and Mint Salad with Feta

Local Casserole of Yellow Squash, Shitake Mushrooms, and Red Onion

Fresh Linguine with Lemon Cream, Benton’s Country Ham, Rainbow Chard, and Roasted Carrots

Local Blueberry and Hazelnut Cobbler with Whipped Cream

This is just a small sampling of the dishes we’ve had so far, and I have no doubt that Chef John will continue to outdo himself with our weekly menu.

And of course, I can’t not mention the wine! Vinea Wine Shop is responsible for bringing in our 7-8 wine selections each week, and as a class member they give us 10% off our orders. I’m making my list as the weeks progress and plan to reward myself with a graduation present by stocking my wine rack with all of my new finds. Being more of a red wine kind of girl, white or sparkling wines don’t often touch my lips, but surprisingly, I’ve found more than a few that tickle my fancy:

Whites/Sparkling/Rose
Castellari “Rovereto” Gavi (Piedmont, Italy)
Astoria Prosecco (Veneto, Italy)
Broadside Chardonnay
Rivetto Nebbiolo d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)
Chateau Le Gay ‘Festival’ Rose (Bordeaux, France)

Reds
Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Lancatay Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza, Argentina)
Villiera Pinotage (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Syan Shiraz (Pyrenees, Australia)

As we hit the halfway point of the series tonight, I’m a little sad that we only have 3 classes left to go, but I’m also excited because we’re finally to the topic I’ve been most looking forward to – “The Fruit”. Wine speak can be intimidating, and my friend Melissa and I have struggled each week to come up with the right words to communicate our thoughts on the various wines. Damian, our instructor from Omni Beverages, has promised that it will all come in time– that by the end of the series, words will be flowing as freely as the wine. This evening he’ll be laying out a variety of fruits and teaching us how to use them as descriptors, so the next time any of you drink wine with me, be prepared to watch me show off my new-found language skills. I’ll be waxing poetic about the aroma, bouquet, body and flavor profiles!

If you’re reading this and so fired up that you can’t wait until the next series rolls around, send an inquiry to events@cafefido.com to see if there are any open spots in the remaining classes (Sept 1st (tonight), 8th, or 15th). I promise you will not be disappointed!

Fido
1812 21st Ave S
Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 777-3436

Hosted by Omni Beverage, Vinea, and Fido

Photo Credit: Wine Glass by mhaithaca