A few weeks ago, I was kindly invited by Zonin wines to attend a winemaker's dinner for Chicago food and wine bloggers. Zonin was hosting these dinners in several cities across the country including Chicago, Miami and Denver in order to showcase several of their wines and bring bloggers together to learn more about the winery's origins.
I joined about 15 fellow foodies and winos at Lincoln Park's
Basil Leaf Cafe, where we were seated in a beautiful private dining room. It was an added bonus that the dinner was at Basil Leaf Cafe as I had always walked by the Italian eatery but never had the chance to try it.
The dinner began with an introduction to the winery's history by president of Zonin USA, Francesco Zonin and continued with five courses beautifully paired with several different Zonin wines. My personal favorite was the first course paired with Zonin's prosecco.
It was a fabulous night filled with new friends, gourmet food and fine wine. Not only do I recommend a meal at Basil Leaf Cafe, I would also recommend Zonin wines, particularly their Prosecco. I hope you enjoy the photos from this wonderful and unique evening!
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| Winemaker Francesco Zonin speaking about the history of Zonin wines |
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| Five-Course Menu |
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| Baked fresh figs with gorgonzola and mascarpone cheese topped with balsamic redux |
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| Porcini-dusted sea scallop with sweet pea puree and micro-green salad |
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| Poached pear over baby arugula topped with gorgonzola cheese, glazed pecans and honey balsamic |
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| My fellow-foodies and winos for the evening |
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| Wild mushroom risotto with fennel-dusted shrimp |
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| Shrimp and risotto paired with Tenuta Ca'Bolani Refosco |
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| Tenuta Ca'Bolani Refosco |
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| Grilled salmon, balsamic and berry reduction with fingerling potatoes and brussels sprouts |
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| Pouring the Castello del Poggio Brachetto |
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| Crispy gnocchi with vanilla bean ice cream topped with chocolate & pistachio |
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| Post-dinner photo with winemaker Francesco Zonin |
Casa Vinicola Zonin Wines
www.ZoninProsecco.com
Basil Leaf Cafe
www.BasilLeaf.com
2465 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Honestly, the food almost outshone the wine. Then again, who would expect anything less from both grub and wine at a one off like this?
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