Wine Dinner - Palisades (Germany & Austria)

This Wednesday at the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston, Virginia, the "Wines Around The World" theme was Germany and Austria. The dinner included three white wines paired with an entree and two sides. 

Front View of the Palisades Restaurant

I went with two of my closest friends who are also taking the class. We were the first people there for the 4:30 seating and really enjoyed the setting and how beautiful the interior of the building was designed.

Interior View of the Palisades Restaurant

"Wines Around The World" Menu 

Meal Presentation

 The wines and dishes are as follows: (from left to right) Wines: Dr. Loosen Riesling 2014, Shine Gewurztraminer 2013, and Anton Bauer Gruner Veltliner 2013. (counter clockwise) Food: Kasespaetzel (Cheesy handmade spaetzle noodles with grated cheese & butter), Rohe Kartoffelknodel (Classic Potato dumplitngs), and Schnitzel (Thin fried pork cutlet topped with Lemon).

Dr. Loosen Riesling, 2014

The first wine was the Dr. Loosen Riesling. This wine smelled like pear and sweet grapefruit with a hint of lilac. It tasted exactly like a sweet apple juice or cider with the spring flowers mixed in. I love how it basically tasted how it smelled and was refreshingly sweet. After tasting the Kasespaetzel, I noticed the wine became more tangy, but the onion definitely helped to add to the sweetness on the finish. The cheese paired well with the sweetness as well. This was definitely my favorite wine of the night.

Shine Gewurztraminer 2013

The second wine was the Shine Gewurztraminer. This wine smelled like white grape juice, roses and orange peel. I thought it tasted like tangy grape juice with a hint of lemon zest. This wine was definitely thicker textured on the palate and had a more buttery, chardonnay feel. It definitely had citrus flavor hints. After tasting the Rohe Kartoffelknodel, I noticed they brought out the sweet flower flavors in the wine and not so much the citrus, it actually calmed down the citrus tones. I liked the balance the wine now has of citrus and sweet because of the food. The thickness of the potato dumplings also complimented the thickness of the wine. 

Anton Bauer Gruner Veltliner 2013

 The third and final wine was the Anton Bauer Gruner Veltliner. This wine smelled like sweet apples, peach and roasted almonds. It tasted somewhat like a pinot grigio. It was sort of bitter but didn't linger very long like I thought it would. I thought it was refreshing but also spicy. It had a slight bitterness that reminded me of biting into a lemon peel, but overall this wine did not have much flavor on the palate. After tasting the Schnitzel, I noticed that the saltiness of the pork toned down the spice and bite of the wine but the lemon flavor on the pork really complimented the tart lemon of the wine. Overall, this was my favorite pairing. 

Overall, this was a very cool experience. I loved the location, the atmosphere and definitely loved the wines. I now understand why German Rieslings are the best of the best!