Wine Tasting Dinner with Friends

I  decided to have some friends over tonight for a wine tasting dinner.  My friend, Tamie, has just started discovering wines and was asking my opinion so I invited her over to try some different wines.  I then asked our friends, Linda and Greg Benda, to join us.  Linda and Greg are a wonderful, welcoming couple who love food and wine as much as we do and will be able to answer a lot of Tamie's questions.  So, needless to say, the shrimp pad thai is off the menu and a new menu is created for this special night

Wine Tasting Menu

Featuring Kendall-Jackson Winery

Spicy Citrus Shrimp-Sauvignon Blanc

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup-Chardonnay

Arugula and Pears with Shaved Parmesan-Chardonnay

Orichiette with Spiced Chicken Ragu-Merlot

Cranberry Sorbet

Individual Beef Wellington with Glazed Carrots-Cabernet Sauvignon

Apple Crumb Pie-Coffee

 

 

The Shrimp and Beef Wellington Recipes came from Cuisine at Home, Issue 42.  I make some changes to the original recipes to please the palates of my household.  The Soup recipe is linked to allrecipes.com and the Pasta recipe is from epicurious.com using chicken thighs instead of duck. The Sorbet is from a fun cookbook called Louisiana Entertains and the Carrots, Salad and Pie are my recipes. 

 

I enjoy having wine tasting parties.  Tonight we are trying several varietals from the same winery.  Sometimes we will have the same type of wine but from several different wineries.  And sometimes I will have different wineries and different varietals depending on my mood and the guests invited. I always try to make these dinners special for my guests.  I try to find neat little keepsakes for them to help them remember their experience.

 

 I found these cute little pumpkins on sale and used them as place cards.

 

 My table all set and ready to go.

 

I place a menu at each place setting so that everyone knows what they are being served and which wine is being poured to go with the dish.

Butternut Squash Soup

 

Orichiette with Spiced Chicken Ragu.

 

 

Individual Beef Wellington with Glazed Carrots.

 

Dinner was wonderful but all that wine tasting about did me in and I have to get up early tomorrow to get ready for Frank's CPL class so it is bedtime for me.  Good Night All, Sweet Dreams.