Yesterday we went to Chez Panisse, the famed Americanized French restaurant on Shattuck, Berkeley. I had a duck leg with braised red cabbage and mashed yam (what a combination), which is exotic enough for me to feel refreshed. But what impressed me most is the wine!
I tried a cup of Bourgogne Vézelay to go with the duck leg. It tasted fantastic with a long elegant fragrant and fruity finish. The fragrance of the wine is so appealing that the restaurant chose a wide opening tulip shape drinking glass, which left enough room for the consumer to capture the bouquet in the upper bowl as it rises from the swirled wine.
What surprised me most was the dessert wine. I chose Moscato d'Asti with no idea of what it was. Then I was served a glass of sparkling white wine that had strong and pleasant flowery and fruity bouquet, like a combination of rose, apple, and rosebud. It is sweet, but because of the sparkling, it has a sharp refreshing flavor that offset the sweetness in a good way, and brings enormous balance to the flavor.
I never thought that I would be so impressed by wine. I never realized that a good wine can be so delicate and beautiful that, like a good movie, I would never forget and would like to go back to it. I guess the experience of tonight is like a new expedition with full reward.
To my hubby -- I would deeply thank you for your wonderful spirit of exploration and for your loving generous companion in my journey to the new world.
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