Due to the Covid-19 virus restaurant closings we recently had the opportunity to participate in a virtual wine dinner and it was simply fantastic!!! The event was hosted by the Undercurrent Restaurant1 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The dinner was sold as a four course wine dinner (ready to just heat and eat) for two that included three bottles of wine all for $130.
When we picked up our food and wine we were met at the curb and our packages were set in the car without us even having to get out of the seat. Each course was packaged together, food, sauces and dressings along with easy to follow printed instructions to heat the food. Chef Harkenreader also had made a video guide for step by step heating and plating the dinner that really made the whole process easy and fun. The dinner began at seven p.m. when all the participants signed on to a “Zoom” discussion and presentation by Chef Harkenreader, Wes Wheeler, Undercurrent host and Laurence Vuelta, Regional Manager with Trinchero Family estates. This continued as we ate and drank and diners asked questions about the food and wines.
FIRST COURSE
Poached Scallops and Shrimp, Local Greens, Radish, Pickled Carrots, Pine Nuts, Lemon Poppy-seed Dressing
Napa Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay
SECOND COURSE
Smoked Duck Breast, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Beets, Raspberry-Sorghum Gastrique, Pink Peppercorn-Cocoa Nib Charmoula
Joel Gott Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
THIRD COURSE
Country Ham wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Tomato-Lindale stuffed Twice Baked Potato, Blackened French Beans, Balsamic-Blackberry Reduction, Marinated Fennel
Folie a Deux Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
FOURTH COURSE
Strawberry-Ruby Chocolate Cheesecake, Graham Cracker-Macadamia Nut Crust, Fresh Strawberries
Folie a Deux Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The whole wine dinner experience was OUTSTANDING. We dressed up, ate in the dinning room and made a real party out of the event. The food was elegantly packaged and easily reheated…and, we both commented that Chef Harkenreader’s smoked duck breast was the best we’ve ever had. The wines were excellent paired with the food and because there was an abundance of wine for each course we thought it was more like a traditional dinner with wine than a wine tasting with food. In addition, we became more involved with the plating of the food and really liked being able to pace the dinner ourselves. Would we do a virtual wine diner again? YES, the Undercurrent Restaurant is having a Dominican Dinner Party with a similar format next week and we’ve already signed up!!!
Watch for a TastedOnline review of each wine in the near future.
See also: Wine Pairing Dinner: Undercurrent Restaurant; Greensboro, North Carolina, and
Undercurrent Restaurant, Greensboro, North Carolina, A Tasted Online Lunch-Time Review
1. Undercurrent Restaurant
327 Battleground Ave.
Greensboro, North Carolina
336 370-1266
undercurrentrestaurant.com