The advert caught my eye, it read, “Dine Like Royalty… Five Courses of Food & Seven Wines”. Sounds like something that you have to get dressed up in uncomfortable clothes for… and then spend the evening worrying about whether you’ve picked up the right fork.
Still it intrigued. Champagne to start… when I was 12 my Father told me to buy low and sell high. At the same age my Mother told me that pearls went with everything. Champagne must be the liquid eqivilent of pearls… A Gavi from Italy follows, paired with Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp with fresh dill, shallots, mascarpone & American Caviar… I love dill… then an Alsatian Gewurztraminer served with the Chili Marinated Pork Tenderloin… hmmm Gewurztraminer, the misunderstood white wine… A Spanish Red from Montsant to accompany the Roasted Loin of Venison… I would be in Heaven… 2 Aussie Cabernets with the Cheese course… this is the best way to showcase wine… and finally a unique Spanish Desert wine — Monastrell served with a Warm Almond Tart on Chocolate & Raspberry Sauces… yeah, just like eating at home… if you live in Buckingham Palace.
OK… so that’s how the Aristocracy dines. Pretty good, nice to think about. I guess I am from the “Loaf of Bread, Jug of Wine and Thou” School… a bit simpler; but just as sensual.
I think I discovered “French Ploughman’s Lunch” when we first went to the Napa some 30+ years ago. We would hit a couple of Wineries in the morning, buying a bottle from one as the lunching hour neared… then we would stop at some Deli and provision out… crusty French Bread, 2 or 3 cheeses, some sausage and fruit. Next, find a grassy spot that offered some shade. And then a lazy lunch, dining on our rustic fare and enjoying a great bottle of wine.
Today, I get dressed up every now and then. I get to eat fancy, too. But I think there is nothing that satisfies me more than the ease of ploughman’s lunch, of sharing it with someone special, of simply celebrating the joy of living.
My latest excursion took me to the Hills of Connecticut. I would be responsible for the Wine and she would take care of the rest. I chose a bottle of Samur Champaigny from the Loire. It’s 100% Cabernet Franc, a perfect Red for the warm weather, it begs for sunshine and never fails to produce a smile. Our destination was a shady spot by the banks of Lake Waramaug that we favored. At the last minute we stopped into Hopkins Winery to add a bottle of their chilled Estate Chardonnay to our feast.
We make our way to a grassy spot nestled between a few stately trees and spread the blanket. I open the Chard and pour us glasses… discreetly. We were violating the prohibition of drinking alcohol in the Park. I decided that the prohibition was directed to beer drinking teenagers, or perhaps adults who drive around with shotguns in their pick-ups, not for responsible folks over 40. Anyway, I adhered to the European concept that wine was food and not alcohol. Enjoy the Chard!
The sacks and bags of food are unwrapped and put out the paper bags they came in (sorry, those wicker baskets with plates and cloth napkins are too premeditated)… a perfect baguette, French Port Salut, Havarti with Dill (she knows that I adore it), some hard cheese (I forget which one), proscuitto, country pate, mozzerella & sundried tomatoes in olive oil (perfect for baguette dunking), large strawberries and red flame grapes (the kind that crunch when you bit into them).
I marvel… “Well Miss Green Eyes, you’ve outdone yourself this time. This is better than the picnic the Water Rat prepared for the Mole in Wind in the Willows!” I give compliments in strange ways.
I couldn’t be happier. Shoes off, feet being tickled by the grass, blue sky, a slight chop to the Lake, a canopy of leaves above us, and, with apologies to Billy Joel, a bottle of red, a bottle of white. The afternoon drifts by, not too hurried, the wines have never been better, nor the Harvarti more enjoyble, nor her eyes more beautiful.
Dine Like Royalty. I did… in Litchfield County, Connecticut. And the Queen of England couldn’t have had a finer repast.