Although there is no known method for preventing the “Polar Vortex Blues”, a wine dinner is an effective remedy. A group of nearly forty food and wine lovers discovered this at “The Riesling Experience” wine dinner that was recently held at Villa Bellangelo.
The evening featured a seven-course dinner of wonderfully prepared dishes that had been created by Chef Mike Colvin (Beef and Brew in Geneva) along with rieslings from Villa Bellangelo’s 2011, 2012 and 2013 vintages. Featured among the wines was the limited release 2012 Villa Bellangelo 1866 Reserve Riesling. The 2012 vintage is a blend of two rieslings that were produced from grapes grown at Gibson Vineyards on the western side of Seneca Lake. With a limited production of 99 cases in the 2012 vintage, each bottle is individually numbered and features a brief history of the 1866 vineyard and their original owner, Dr. Byron Spence.
At the beginning of the evening, Christopher Missick explained the inspiration for the event and “the Riesling Experience” tasting that will be offered at the winery: “We want to highlight the various rieslings that Villa Bellangelo produces. We want to show the variety of flavors and vintage variations that Riesling can ofer. And we want to take people deeper and help them to educate themselves as part of ‘the Riesling Experience.’”
Following dinner, guests were invited to participate in a tour of the winery’s cellars. A highlight of the tour was the opportunity to do barrel tastings of several wines from upcoming vintages, including the winery’s best-selling moscato, a soon-to-be-released rose and a new port-style white wine.
Customers who are interested in participating in “The Riesling Experience” can visit the winery’s tasting room in Dundee, NY.