For a special and intimate experience where the chefs behind a special meal come out of the kitchen to be a part of the evening, check out a newly created series of wine dinners at Pinzimini Restaurant at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage.
I recently attended the second wine dinner. With each bite, I could appreciate the care and time that was put into making each course and the expertise involved in picking the perfect wine pairing. What is also unique is the opportunity for restaurant chefs who work under Executive Resort Chef Joel Delmond to be offered the opportunity to exercise their own brand of culinary creativity and take the reigns for an evening to create a signature menu.
On the evening I attended, Chef Antwon Brinson, Executive Sous Chef, introduced and explained the courses he curated to pair with wines from Grgich Hills Estates in Napa. A representative of the winery was also there to educate about each of the four wines.
The third and final dinner of the “Le Serate De Vino” series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 30, featuring a menu created by Delmond to pair with “Super Tuscan” wines from Antinori Vinyards of Tuscany.
Photo courtesy of Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
The Le Serate Di Vino Wine Dinner Series at Pinzimini offers a rotation of chefs the creative freedom to curate specialty menus to pair with wines from around the globe.
One of the menu highlights of the March dinner included Date and Apple Stuffed Quail with Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto, Crispy Elephant Garlic Chips and Blood Orange Gastrique, paired with 2012 Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay.
photo by lori cohen-sanford
The Date and Apple Stuffed Quail was a classic example of Modern preparations meet traditional Italian ingredients and techniques at Pinzimini.
With six courses prepared to pair with four wines from Grgich Hills Estate, the evening was decadent and fit for the finest of palates. The capper to the evening was a beautifully presented dessert course that struck just the right balance of savory and sweet, with a Trio of Artisan Cheeses, Lemon Olive Oil Torta, Fig Cake and Cherry Compote.
photo by Lori cohen-sanford
Comte Fritter, Brie and a Goat Cheese Truffle played savory counterpoint to the richness Fig Cake and Cherry Compote. This creative dessert paired beautifully with the honey-fruit notes present in the 2012 Grgich Hills Violetta Late Harvest desert wine.
The wine dinners carry over the philosophy of the restaurant, featuring locally sourced produce with the traditional ingredients found in the Tuscan region of Italy. The focus on local ingredients extends to the grounds at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa, where they grow fresh herbs, olives, Meyer lemons, and even keep multiple bee apiaries to harvest local honey.
The wine dinner series has proved popular with full-time and seasonal residents, and Pinzimini strives to offer reasons for locals to visit that go beyond the seasonally-changing menu. With a Concert Jazz Series, Mother’s Day Brunch, and Memorial and Labor Day BBQ’s, there are plenty of reasons to visit.
If getting hands-on cooking instruction from a seasoned and celebrated chef is more your speed, Chef Delmond offers small-group “Craft Your Crust” classes. Attendees can learn hand-crafted pizza making techniques and enjoy their creations cooked in the wood-burning pizza oven, along with craft beers from local brewery, La Quinta Brewing Company.
All events at Pinzimini have the added benefit of complimentary valet parking while you dine.
Reservations are required for the Le Sarate De Vini Wine Dinner Series, with pricing at $85 per person – 760-770-2150 or [email protected].
Visit www.westinmissionhills.com/WineDinnerSeries to view the menu for the April 30 dinner.
Pinzimini Restaurant at Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, 71333 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage, 760-770-2150; www.pinziminipalmsprings.com
Lori Cohen-Sanford is a private/personal chef, cooking class instructor and owner of Nourishfoods Organic Meal Services www.nourishfoods.biz. Her food column, Tastes Around Town, will appear weekly on Wednesdays. Have a story idea? You can contact Lori at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @nourishfoodsps.
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