Dinner: 622 North

Wine blog

Dinner: 622 North

Tiffany and I were under the impression that a pairing of food would be prepared for us when we initially called 622 for the low low price of $20. Clearly the old adage of "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" applied here because the flights of wine were $20, and three appetizers and two drunchie meals later we rang up a $100 tab that I am unashamed to say was well worth it.

The 622 Wine guy came out and asked if we preferred whites or reds, we asked for some of both but to stay away from sweeter reds, I'm not totally sure he abided by this request but the wines we tasted were still good.

 The first wine we tasted was the MAN Chenin Blanc from South Africa. On the nose it was citrusy with hints of green apple, I'd almost go as far to say it was crab apple due to the tart and sour consistency that came through the wine. The Chenin Blanc had a tart aftertaste, creamy, high acidity, not complex, green apple taste.

The next wine we tried was the Rio Madre Rioja from Spain. On the nose it smelled syrupy, more fruity than floral, with hints of black cherry and rasberry. It posessed a weird aftertaste, fruity, it had a bit of bite due to the alcohol and very abrupt aftertaste.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina could be likened to a sharpie marker on the nose, with strong hints of blackberry, oak, licorice and cherry. On the palate it gave tastes of tobacco, strong, full- bodied, the alcohol provided a bite here as well, and oak at the end.

The 2013 Honoro Vera Merlot from Spain had hints of chocolate, smelled much lighter than the cab, cherry, and blackberry on the nose. It tasted as it smelled with a taste of cherry, bit of oak, tart blackberry, overall it went down easy.

Now on to the food!

Cheese, Fruit, and Nut plate:

The official description of this dish is "chef’s trio of gourmet cheeses served with sesame flatbread, balsamic honey, and seasonal fruit and nuts".The Chenin Blanc brought out the creamy texture of the cheese to where it was almost silky, it also overpowered the taste of cheese, cuts through it possibly due to the acidity of the Chenin Blanc. The Merlot with the cheese hid the cheese taste as well but also brought out a peppery tobacco property in the wine. The fruit, nuts, and sauce brought out a strawberry taste with the Rio Madre. With all the wines, the fruit made the alcohol in the wine more prominent.

Ravioli:

The official description of the fried Ravioli is "mushroom ravioli with hazelnut cream, butternut squash puree, toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh sage". We felt this would be best paired with the Merlot. The mushrooms and the creaminess of the ravioli brought out more spice and pepper in the wine which enhanced the ravioli which was otherwise rather muted.

Brussels sprouts:

The official description for the brussel sprouts is "pan fried brussels sprouts, ancho-berry bbq sauce, garlic aioli, and toasted almonds". The garlic aoli spread muted the effects of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Interestingly enough, the dark barbeque sauce enhanced the wine and brought out a peppery tobacco taste to it. The brussel sprouts alone without the sauce or aoli brought out the pepper taste even stronger.