#622north

Photo © Todd Sutton

This is from an Iminagary Sons PinkMoon7 showcase at 622North in Blacksburg, VA

Last Sunday, my boyfriend Cooper and I headed over to 622 North for some amazing food and even better wine! We started with our favorite appetizer: the Salmon Croquettes (lightly breaded salmon cakes served with a hopped chow chow relish, bacon cracklings, and garlic aioli). We asked our waiter for his suggestion for a glass of wine to pair with them and he suggested the 2012 Jekel Chardonnay for $11/glass. 

(Salmon Croquettes + Jekel Chardonnay)

I found the aroma of this Chardonnay to be very rich, and I got the very typical butter smell of Chardonnays. I also want to say I smelled an oakyness, but I'm not sure if that is just because I know Chardonnays are oaky. The taste starts with a very crisp apple flavor and ends with notes of butter. Once we brought the salmon croquettes into the mix, we realized the greatness of this pairing; they go absolutely fabulously together! The crisp start of the Chardonnay compliments the richness of the garlic aoli, but doesn't kill it completely somehow! The spices and saltiness of the crispy bacon bits are complimented by the richness in the Chardonnay's buttery flavor. The appetizer itself has a rich butteryness that matches well. The saltiness of the bacon is also matched well by the wine.

For our main course, we shared the Risotto Cakes with Steak (two roasted red pepper and basil risotto cakes, over bacon-onion jam, topped with mushroom-fennel cream sauce, lemon zest, balsamic reduction and fresh basil). For this dish, our waiter suggested the 2010 Chateau de Fontenille Bordeaux for $8/glass. 

(Half-Eaten Risotto Cake + Chateau de Fontenille Bordeaux)

The aroma of the Bordeaux gave a very rich cherry vibe. The taste lingered on the tongue and was definitely on the dry side. I could not pinpoint any other flavors besides the cherry. The risotto cakes were fairly sweet because of the onion jam and balsamic--which was sweet for a balsamic--contrasting the acidity of the wine very well. While eating the steak pieces from the risotto cakes and drinking a red wine, all I could think about was Michael Scott dipping his steak into his wine in the Dinner Party episode of The Office. I loved this pairing, but not quite as much as the first pairing.

(Cooper finishing his Bordeaux before dessert)

For dessert, Cooper and I shared a Blueberry Cheesecake with chocolate crust. I was very excited to this with a 2011 Broadbent Vintage Port for $14/glass because I have yet to find a port that I dislike.

(Blueberry Cheesecake + Broadbent Vintage Port)

While serving us, our waiter explained that all vintage ports are rubies but not all rubies are vintage ports. The port's aroma had a slight cherry flavor with obvious fortification.  The taste hit my tongue with sugar and followed with a clean raspberry finish. I appreciated that it was acidic enough to clear the richness of cheesecake, so I found this pairing perfect! The blueberries richness worked excellently with the crisp raspberry flavor of the port. However, this flavor didn't linger so that we we left with a mixed berry flavor on the tongue that complimented the chocolate in the cheesecake.