wine pairings

Post 390 is one of those places I keep meaning to visit. I had dinner there when they very first opened and have been in for drinks, but every time I try to go in for dinner, they are completely packed. It turns out, there’s a very good reason for that.

Wednesday night I had the delicious opportunity to attend the kickoff dinner for Post 390’s latest Farm to Post series, this time around featuring 5Spoke Creamery, raw milk cheese makers from Goshen, New York.

As I always do, I arrived early, which gave me time to photograph the beautifully set table. An upstairs private room was set up for our group, and the table featured floral arrangements mixed with cheese. One of the arrangements was inside of a basket made of baguettes.

While I took photos, I was offered a Provencal Gimlet, a refreshing cocktail made of fennel-infused vodka,thyme, basil, lime, and lavender syrup over ice. Wow.

The Post 390 cocktail menu is creative and exciting, and this Provencal Gimlet was absolutely delicious. I loved the hint of lavender along with the herbs.

Before we all sat down, introductions were made, and we snacked on some incredible appetizers made with 5Spoke cheeses. These included griddled Tumbleweed Cheese and Ham Salad “Tacos” and Redman Cheddar-Pecan Shortbread with Apple Butter. I definitely want to make a cheddar shortbread sometime soon; it was the perfect vehicle for apple butter!

The owners and cheese makers at 5Spoke, Alan and Barbara Glustoff are delightful, and they have quite the interesting backgrounds. Cheese has always been an interest and passion of Alan’s, but his background is in food science. Barbara has a background in advertising. Now that their children are in college, they’ve taken on this exciting new venture, renovating a farm outside of New York City for their 35 Holstein cows. The farm will include a farm museum along with their farmhouse, which is over 100 years old.

Once we were seated, we devoured several courses, all paired perfectly with wine.

{Cauliflower and 5Spoke Heritage Cheese Soup, Brambly Farm Pork and Apple Croquette – paired with Godello, Rafael Palacios, Louro, Valdeorras Spain, 2011}

The soup was velvety and warm with the perfect hint of cheese flavor. The pork and apple went very nicely with it and added a hearty element to the soup course.

{Roasted Monkfish, Foraged Mushroom-Talcott Gratin, Lobster Demi Glace – Paired with Chenin Blanc, Marc Bredif, Vouvray, Loire, France 2010}

I have been loving Vouvray since the Hooray for Vouvray panel I participated on, and Post 390 could not have chosen a better wine for the flaky yet meaty monkfish and rich gratin.

{Rabbit and Welsh Cheddar Tamale, Ensalada de Pimientos – Paired with Brut Rose Cava, Anna de Codorniu, Spain NV}

First of all, we were served bubbly in the middle of the meal. What’s not to love? The crisp, light bubbles paired deliciously with the tamale and even better with the citrusy pepper salad. It was so fresh and perfect for refreshing the palate before the main course.

{Herb Roasted Veal and Sweetbreads, Orecchiette with Broccoli and Crawford Cloth Bound Cheddar Cheese – Paired with Barbera d’Alba, Sottimano, Pairolero, Italy 2009}

Wow. There was so much going on in this dish, but it came together and was wrapped up with a nice little bow of Barbera. 🙂 Orecchiette with the 5Spoke Crawford Cloth Bound Cheddar should be the new macaroni and cheese everywhere. Between that and the meat and the juices on my plate, my palate was in pure heaven. Talk about a perfect dish for a day that started with snow.

{Welsh Cheddar Bavarian, Honey Apricots and Cinnamon Phyllo Crunch – Paired with Royal Tokaji, Mad Cuvee Late Harvest, Hungary, 2009}

I don’t know how we did it, but we even ate dessert. I adore desserts that incorporate cheese, and this one was simple and outstanding. I only wish I could have finished it. The team at Post 390 definitely deserved a round of applause for this meal.

This meal was definitely a treat, and I love what Post 390 is doing with its Farm to Post menus. The Post 390 team gets to see the highlighted ingredient/s right where they are produced and learn the stories of the producers, making a true farm-to-table relationship. The support for small farmers and producers is certainly evident in Post 390’s menu. In these times when, I think, small business can change our futures, it’s great to see a high-profile restaurant paying such attention to where their ingredients come from.