On Thursday, I had an awesome birthday, despite COVID restrictions and the predicted Snow Bomb hanging over our heads. The formula for making it special is simple. Start by sharing it with your beloved spouse. Add good food, celebratory libations, phone calls and texts from family and friends, and enjoying a British detective show on Prime. My wife and I have long been fans of British TV shows (especially the “Who Done it?” variety). Most American shows in this genre are about as predictable and suspenseful as trying to guess how a limerick about Nantucket will end…
I decided to make my lunch more interesting by enjoying a Brown Ale with my sandwich. I purchased a four pack of these (named Through Being Cool Brown Ale) and a six pack of Coffee Porter at the new Tonewood Brewery in Barrington. I’ll have more to say about Tonewood Brewery next week.
While we decided to dine at home, my birthday dinner was no typical take-out dinner. I chose Bistro di Marino and my wife was kind enough to pick it up (it was on Thursday, so it wasn’t in the blizzard). While it was tempting to start with dessert and the Blanc de Noirs (pictured above), we enjoyed each course of this birthday dinner in traditional fashion, starting with the appetizer.
Appetizer
We ordered an appetizer for two called Antipasto Marino Caldo. It consisted of fried calamari, shrimp pancetta, eggplant Romano, and broccoli rabe saute. It was wonderful! So was the Turdo Nebbiolo!
Entrees
For my entree I chose the Seafood Risotto. It was scallops, jumbo shrimp, crab meat, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, creamy parmigiana and goat cheese. It was amazing and the Unionville Chardonnay was the perfect pairing!
My wife chose the Apple Saffron Salmon. I do not have a photo of that, but it consisted of pan seared salmon with mussels and shrimp, apple saffron butter sauce over garlic mash and spinach.
Dessert
My wife created the dessert-a favorite of mine over the years (see photo above). It is called a Whiskey Cake and has a small amount of whiskey in the cake and the glaze on top. To seal the deal in celebratory fashion, we had a glass (actually I had two) of the William Heritage Winery 2018 Blanc de Noirs. Fortunately, we did not need to drive anywhere after that feast of the senses.
Wines
We enjoyed the following excellent New Jersey Wines
- Turdo Turis Etichetta D’Oro 2014 Nebbiolo-I know I often highlight this wine and the Etichetta Sangiovese, but that’s because they are amazing. The Nebbiolo is a lovely full-bodied red with caramel aroma, luscious dried fruit on the palate, and silky smooth tannins.
- Unionville Vineyards 2019 Home Chardonnay-From the vineyards adjacent to their tasting room, it is an excellent Chardonnay with lively acidity and delicious citrusy fruit. It garnered a score of 90 from the Wine Enthusiast.
- William Heritage Winery 2019 Blanc de Noirs-Probably the best sparkling wine I have had from New Jersey. It received a score of 92 in the NJ Wine Competition. It is fruity, but dry, with notes of honey and toasted brioche.
Cheers!
More on Shipping and Getting Good Wine Deals
Wine Spectator highlighted their ten best wine values of 2021 in their most recent edition. I was able to snag five of the ten via wine.com (and have them delivered along with some others) and a recent trip to Total Wine. I utilized the Total Wine service of ordering and paying in advance online. They offer curbside pickup or picking up your cart inside once you show your ID.
From left to right above, 2019 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma (#5); Castello Banfi Chianti Classico 2019 (#2); Allan Scott 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (#1); Cambria 2019 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley Katherine’s Vineyard (#10); and Frei Brothers 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Sonoma Reserve (#9).
Get your ebook copy of New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine at Apple’s iBook app for ONLY $8.99 today. Just use the coupon code Winter21.
Coming Attractions
- Tonewood Brewing in Barrington
- Cape May Brewing Company
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