Vino Cappuccino - The Four Food Groups in one place !

On a recent Friday I was fortunate to try a restaurant I had never been to before with Diana.  She had read about it and sounded like a place that was right in our world of food. 

Wine - Pizza - Chocolate - Coffee.     The Four Horsemen of Dining for me, as I could eat myself to death in a place like this.

A short drive to Brookfield Road north of Gephart landed us at Vino Cappuccino.  The restaurant has been open for about one year and it was doing a brisk business on this Friday evening.    

We were told that the wait would be about 1/2 of an hour and we opted for an area at the bar to wait.  I noticed two different walls of wine, one for red and one for white to peruse.   We looked over the red selections and decided on a bottle of EOS Zinfandel.    You can find the entire wine list here.

We were just starting to enjoy the first glass when our table was ready and we were seated in the more casual bar area.  There is also a regular dining area that may offer a little more privacy, but this was fine for us.  A choice would have been nice, but not really an issue.

Our server was very helpful in helping us with out selections and identified the pizza specials of the evening.    Oh the choices... my mouth watered and I was giddy like a child on Christmas morning as I looked at the menu of gastromonical pleasures that awaited me.  I almost went head first for the Espresso Encrusted Beef Tenderloin, but I really wanted pizza, and I now I have an excuse to come back to try it at a later date.

We opted for two appetisers and a smaller pizza.

Bruschetta
Fresh tomatoes, onion and basil, served atop crostini with a drizzle of balsamic syrup ($4.99)

Calamari
Tossed in our signature breading and fried until golden brown, served with garlic aioli and marinara $7.49

We chose one of the pizza specials of the evening and it was a first for me... to try a pizza without a traditonal red sauce. 

A thin crust pesto sauce with fresh garlic, peppers and cheese was our selection and it paired perfect with the Zin.

We were in food utopia for the evening.  Our server checked in on us quite often, making sure were pleased with our selection, and we were.


I rounded out the evening with some sort of chocolate tart that I really did not need, but it looked so good in the glass case and I can never pass up chocolate with red wine.

I am looking forward to another visit.  You can visit their website here.    Get there if you like pizza, wine, chocolate and coffee.

Enjoy!

Schild Estate "Barossa Shiraz" and Two Hands "Bellas Garden" in the WS Top 10 for 2010.

Thanks to a security breach at Wine Spectator, the Top 10 for 2010 was released early this year.  I was happy to see two wines that I really enjoy make the top 10.

Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz - 2008

From the website-
The Schild name has a long history in the Barossa, dating back to 1952
when Ben Schild purchased the Three Springs Farm property in
Rowland Flat and settled with his family. Today, second and third
generation vigneron’s work side by side to solidify Schild Estate’s
reputation, built on its commitment to translating the unique rapestry
of its vineyards into wines that speak of honesty and drinkability.
 
 

I have had this wine on several occasions and found it to be exactly what I have come to expect from an Aussie from the Barossa.     It is complex with layers and layers like any red.    Ripe with cherry, plum and a fond memory of blackberries comes to mind.   

Soft tannins, good structure and a price of around $20.00.  If  you like Shiraz, you should try this.

 

 

Two Hands "Bellas Garden" - 2008

 

This is more along the lines of a special occasion wine for me.  The last bottle I drank was a 2004 in the spring of this year.  It was a massive wine, with blueberry and dark cherry syrup and a nose that will grab your attention like the sound made from a pair of high heel shoes walking beihind you on a wood floor....you just have to look.   The legs matched the nose, and for me, this wine is the total package. 

Strong.   Ripe.   Firm.    Balanced.  Most important - Drama Free !

 I had it with a Delmanico Rib Eye, and it was a memorable dining event.  I have a 2007 at home and I will look to add a 2008 to my cellar very soon.

Priced in the $50 plus range, watch for a sale or indulge yourself soon. 

Friend them on Facebook for a chance at winning wine through the promotions they run on occasion.

You can find out more about  Two Hands Wines or Schild Estate by following the hyperlink in their name.

Enjoy!!

Silver Oak Cabernet & Chateau Lynch Bages - MKE Wine Craze

I will be giving MKE Wine Craze another try this evening.  Looking forward to the following wines.

Silver Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley, 2003.

The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and concentrated wine that deftly balances intensity and finesse. The wine has a dark garnet color with a deep purple edge, and displays aromas of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, rose petal, black pepper and cedar. In the mouth, the attack is quite rich, expressing notes of brown sugar and nutmeg, and the flavors proceed seamlessly to a long finish of fruit and ripe tannins. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
 
Chateau Lynch Bages
Pauillac, 2004.


Pure and stony fruit on the nose of this wine, with classic blackcurrant tones and a polished stone-pebble character mingling with notes of exotic fruits and toasty oak. The same style is found on the palate; elegantly polished forest fruits, nicely covered structure, good ripe tannins and a creamy, broad, mouth-filling finish.