Hello From San Antonio!

y subsided earlier I was packing for roughly other nutrient together with vino festival Hello from San Antonio!

My hangover from Vegas Uncork'd had barely subsided earlier I was packing for roughly other nutrient together with vino festival. This time it was the 11th Annual New World Wine together with Food Festival inwards San Antonio. I'd heard it was a beautiful urban meat amongst a peachy nutrient scene, together with then I jumped at the hazard to go.

Thursday was opening nighttime of the event, together with featured the Winemakers’ Dinners, held at half-dozen of San Antonio's top restaurants. I ended upwards dining at Las Canarias, inwards the historic Omni La Mansion del Rio. This gorgeous Castilian colonial-style hotel overlooks the city's signature attraction, the River Walk.

The River Walk is a organization of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, sunken i flush beneath the urban meat streets. It's lined amongst restaurants, bars, together with stores of all types.

It struck me equally a course of cross betwixt walking through Venice, together with navigating the piers of San Francisco's fisherman's wharf – except it didn't odour similar dead fish.

The card was designed yesteryear Executive Chef John Brand, together with the wines were done yesteryear J Vineyards from Sonoma's Russian River Valley. Since I saw a Texas winery on our itinerary for Friday, I assumed the vino would live on local, simply was to a greater extent than than happy amongst the pairing, equally I've been a fan of their wines for years.

By the way, the dinning room was really dark, together with then you'll forgive the less than perfect photographs, equally I didn't desire to spoil the ambiance amongst my flash.

After roughly tasty passed appetizers, the laid out cast was presented. We started the repast out amongst duck egg agnolotti amongst langostines, American sturgeon caviar together with local English linguistic communication pea broth.

This was paired amongst J Vineyards 2008 Pinot Gris. It was a peachy match, except I was annoyed I couldn't seat the cheese inwards the stuffed pasta. Unfortunately, yesteryear the fourth dimension the chef came out to chat, I had forgotten my question. Wine volition utilization that.

Next nosotros enjoyed a really ambitious plate consisting of tuna involtini amongst Kurabota pork, beet jam, rusty caprine animal cheese, together with avocado oil. This was washed downwardly (do I bring a means amongst words or what?) amongst J Vineyards' highly regarded Cuvee twenty Brut NV.

The primary cast was my favorite, together with offered a thorax of Muscovy duck, stuffed amongst duck leg confit, served amongst warm bitter greens, Pedro Jimenez sherry together with foie gras vinaigrette, fava beans, heirloom carrots together with lavander honey. It was delicious on it's own, simply e'er to a greater extent than impressive amongst a 2007 Pinot Noir.

Dessert was crispy Cariabe chocolate polenta cake, amongst white chocolate, cajete, compressed rhubarb together with strawberry chips. It was paired amongst a J Vineyards' Brut Rose NV. This was the nigh controversial dish, together with our tabular array had a spirited disccusssion of whether this worked or not.

That would bring been fine, together with fifty-fifty fun, except it was at that yell for the chef had come upwards over to out tabular array to come across how nosotros liked everything. Several guests, straight off iii or four drinks in, pulled the chef into the debate. Personally, I loved the flavor, simply the texture of the polenta was challenging.

It was a peachy means to laid out the weekend! Still to come upwards is a recap of today's surprising trip to Becker Vineyards, inwards Hill Country. That's right, Texan wine! Tonight was too the event's Grand Tasting, together with yous know I had the photographic idiot box camera out for that. Stay tuned!