Hello my dear friends! A wine pairing experience took place last week at Merrick Park's popular restaurant, Villagio. The event was attended by customers and invitees of The Wine Chaser, also by Master Sommelier Yamir Pellegrino and the owner of the award-winning Spanish winery Avelino Vegas, Fernando Vegas, as well as by the representatives for North American and European regions, Gema and María, respectively.
During the paring experience, Avelino wines shone through their distinguished profile and finish. Lunch began with a fresh mixed salad paired with the elegant Nicte, a pale rosé that stands out for its pale pink color with salmon tones, clean and bright. On the nose Nicte has aromas of good intensity reminiscent of white fruit and citrus. On the palate it is very fresh, ideal for all the elements of this dish.
Aureo, a wine with prominent aromas of garnet cherry and black berries, with notes of dried fruit and a soft and toasted finish, was tasted with a four-cheese tortellini. Aureo is intense, powerful, elegantly spicy, flavorful, of a very pleasant long finish. It paired very well with the thick sauce of the tortellini, leaving a well-balanced aftertaste. This was a truly inviting combination.
Avelino Vegas 100 Anniversary was then served with the main course, a Monte Carlo scaloppini. Needless to say that this is simply an exceptional wine, with an intense garnet cherry color and a ruby rim. 100 Anniversary has black fruit and toasted nut notes. Such concentrated hence powerful wine is, at the same time, very friendly. The elegant and firm tannins were the perfect complement for the mushroom medley found in the scaloppini.
The dessert, a New York cheesecake, featured an exceptionally elegant wine, F de Fuentespina. F is made with a selection of grapes from the oldest vineyards of the Ribera del Duero and aged without hurry, in the soul of the French oak barrels from Allier and Nevers. It is then dressed up with a replica of the original Burgundy bottle blown in 1859. This wine is only made when the vintage is excellent and it is reserved for palates who are looking for something special, for those who take their time to enjoy and delight themselves.
We want to thank all the attendees, to Fernando, Maria and Gema. Thank you to our loyal customers... you make all the difference to us! Also thanks to the incredible team that led by Fabrizio Buono, general manager at Villagio, served all the event guests. Not only was the food a real delight, the service was simply impeccable. Achieving this in such rigorous circumstances, where the temperature of the food and the wines are elements of unequivocal precision, is truly difficult. However Villagio's team flawlessly stood out. For those who are not so familiar with the restaurant, Villagio's origin is linked to the sun-drenched hills of Sicily, by the Mediterranean Sea. There, many years ago a young lady named Rosalia delighted all who were fortunate to dine at her table and enjoy her food. Rosalia married Nunzio Billante and throughout the years, she passed down the mouthwatering secrets of her cuisine to their children. Her son, Tom, learned those secrets. Determined to share these wonderful flavors, Tom founded the first Villagio in the luxurious Shops at Merrick Park in Coral Gables over 15 years ago, serving elegant, traditional, and exquisite Italian food. The success of this endeavor was based on an uncompromising commitment to quality and to careful attention to the smallest details.
And that's a wrap for today, scroll down and see some photos of the event!
And remember, see you here next Wednesday!
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