The Fireplace (Fireside Chats & Chef's Tasting), 1634 Beacon St Brookline, MA 02445

The Fireplace hosts twice monthly events entitled "Fireside Chats" where spirits, beer, or wine experts educate attendees during a tasting session.  I recently (December 2011) attended a sparkling wine tasting that was both educational and lots of fun!




Get there early to get a table near the beautiful fireplace.  (Call to reserve, though if people back out, you may be able to participate.)


On this particular day, our sommelier for the day was enthusiastic and full of historical facts and anecdotes.  Our tastings were paired with light appetizer dishes.
 
We began with Barefoot Moscato in an attempt to present a product that can be inexpensive and enjoyable.  Personally, I enjoy dry bubbly, but I did appreciate honeysuckle/gardenia floral notes with hints of green apple...sweet and lacked acidity.

© 2011 by Jennifer M. Karn 

 http://jennifermkarn.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

We then moved on to Northern Napa (Schramsberg Vineyards):
I enjoyed the Mirabelle Brut Rose which was paired with a baby crab cake served over arugula.  The gluten-free option (for my companion) was a fresh arugula salad with green apple and pomegranate. The Brut Rose was light and fruity with beautiful color from the fermented Pinot Noir skins and perfectly balanced with acidity from the Chardonnay.

http://www.schramsberg.com/wines/mirabellebrutrose.html

  

More Bruts...

Blanc de Blancs

http://www.schramsberg.com/wines/blancdeblancs.html

Paired with a hake topped with black lentil and mixed berry salsa.
The wine had hints of pear with some acidity.  The mild white fish was a nice pairing.

Blanc de Noir

http://www.schramsberg.com/wines/blancdenoirs.html

The Blanc de Blancs was drier, likely due to more tannin with the increased Pinot noir content, when compared to the Blanc de Blancs.

J. Vineyards Cuvée 20 Year Anniversary

http://www.jwine.com/Wines/Sparkling/Cuv%C3%A9e%2020/J%20Cuv%C3%A9e%2020%20Brut%20NV%20-%2025th%20Anniversary/32_2010/

The sommelier informed the group that Judy Jordan of Sonoma is known for Cabernet and Chardonnay...the daughter of Jordan has the 20 year anniversary Cuvee, was recently released, aged a minimum of 3 years and 1 year in the bottle per Judy.
The blend is almost 50/50: 49 Chard/49 Pinot Noir/2 Menoit Cuvee Blend


We finished the tasting with a Vintage ('02) Brut with green apple notes and was paired with an amaretto custard topped with toasted almond and shortbread cookie.

Chef's Tasting Menu:

Note:  I was able to review more than one dish for a few courses as my dining companion is gluten-free.  This is also a fantastic feature of Chef Jim Solomon's menu...many dishes are (or can be prepared as) gluten-free!

 

 First Course:
*Rich butternut squash soup topped with toasted pumpkin seed and sweet cream.


*The lobster bisque was lovely with a perfect balance of cream and sherry.  The Old Bay seasoning added a nice touch.

Second Course:
*Fresh spinach salad with a flavorful vinaigrette highlighted by purple onion which gave it a spicy kick.

Third Course:
*Butternut squash risotto topped with shredded red cabbage.  This dish was both smoky and sweet.  I prefer my risotto cooked a tad bit longer, but I didn't complain...the flavors were awesome!


*Perfect gnocchi served with a tomato-based sauce, sauteed spinach and topped with shredded mozzarella.  This was a very nice and simple dish.

Fourth Course:
*The hanger steak and broccolini dish was my friend's gluten-free alternative.  Unfortunately, it left much to be desired on flavor.
The non-gluten-free pan-fried hake was nice, served over risotto and crisp green beans.

Dessert:
*Peanut butter and chocolate cookie with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, toasted almond, and gooey chocolate sauce.  I am usually not a fan of the peanut butter and chocolate combo, but this was the perfect culmination to a lovely palate-pleasing Saturday afternoon/evening.


www.fireplacerest.com