Palisades Dinner!

This past Wednesday was my very first visit to the Palisades and it is definitely one of many because I really enjoyed this place!! First of all, why did it take me four years to discover this place??

On the menu were New Zealand wines.  I was accompanied by my two roommates and we set out to the Palisades with a completely empty stomach so of course we had to begin with an appetizer, Focaccia and olive oil #yum.

Wine #1 - Waimea Edel (2010)
Food #1 - Shrimp Pizza 
This wine looked like dehydrated pee (seriously).  The aromas I got from it were orange, citrus, and definitely alcohol.  No surprise because after I tried it I could definitely taste the alcohol. A lot of heat was coming from this wine along with an acidic component.  After trying the AMAZING pizza then some wine, I didn't feel like the alcohol was as strong.  I thought the pizza and wine complimented each other nicely (more so the pizza complimenting the wine though).

Wine #2 - Pinot Noir Vinterra (2011)
Food #2 - New Zealand Lamb
So, I'm not a huge fan of lamb but I finally came around to trying this dish with the wine and really, really enjoyed it.  This wine smelled like Sweet Surrender, a wine I had tried at Beliveau Estate Winery and fell in love with it, mainly because it tasted like Welches grape juice.  Anyways, the taste was not what I was expecting.  It was very tart and the tannins stood out, it wasn't very dry though and went down surprisingly smooth.  I thought it mixed very well with the lamb and after pairing them I could taste more of the fruity flavors of the wine.  This was my favorite pairing of the night... (maybe because I'm starting to love a great red wine)!!

Wine #3 - Sauvignon Blanc Wither (2013)
Food #3 -  Bacon Tart
I think for this pairing I liked the tart a whole lot more than the wine.  This wine smelled like a mojito, it was minty and smelled sweet so I was excited to try it, obviously!  After taking a sip though, it gave me the chills.  It was extremely tart and tasted somewhat sour.  I did like how there was an acidic component though.  Overall, this wine wasn't very memorable and the food is really what I remembered the most.  I don't think this pairing really complimented each other, I just wanted to eat more and drink less of this white wine.