Wines with dinner

[Andre]

It may have been the Beaujolais or our Muslim friends may call it "Ramadan Kareem" or Ramadan the generous, but I had two weeks of constant pressure 16 hours a day that came to an end Friday evening.

Falling asleep for a single hour may prove a mistake when you lack so many hours of sleep. I woke-up Friday night feeling as if hit by a train. My earlier promises to my wife of dining-out had to be fulfilled. I called a pastoral restaurant in Tivon, a nearby village to my city, Haifa, and the young voice on the other side of the line was kind enough to find us a table for two and authorized the wine I intended to bring.

Nine Thirty gave me enough time for choosing some wine and a quick shower.

A beautiful winding road between green-black trees lead to the secluded restaurant. The wooden house in the woods seemed a classic if it was not for the artificial grass at the entry.

The 18 year old voice lead us to a table near the fire-place. My wife was thoughtful enough to choose a table at the end of the universe.

A fan of Willie Smith and Tommy what’s his face addressed us:

“ Can I open the wine for you”

“We will choose the dishes and then choose the wine, thank you”

Mr. Black smiled and and glanced at my back pack as he left us to choose.

We decided on Lamb Soniyi and Raviloli of blue cheese and dried tomatoes.

I opened my bag and took out a Bourgogne Domaine de Montille 2000. The wine proved a superb match to the excellent lamb dish and the fairly made ravioli. A glass of the Bourgone inspired the staff to come-up with two excellent dishes. A fillet of lamb in a thin crusted dough and slices of Mussar [meager] fish on a bed of vegetables that proved heavenly. Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 joined the party and an inspiration proceeded to the kitchen for the creation of the desserts. The wine had a deceiving first impression. Full bodied with an excellent balance and at its peak, yet unlike the Bourgogne, proved one dimensional and fairly boring.

Dessert came in the shape of a white chocolate pyramid and a seasonal fruit salad with tapioca.

A very enjoyable experience.