DINO Wine Wednesday: Dry Fizzy Reds!

While mid-week splurges on tasty meals cannot be the norm (I have to save some room for the weekends!), a little bit of wine and foods that make me swoon-ey were much-needed after a rough 1/2 week back at work. In the past 3 days I've logged 41 hours . While I wish I had more to show [my bosses] for the effort, instead I now have a new experience to share! (A more delicious one, at that.)

After my first experience with a sparkling red this past weekend at Domasoteca, I was very excited to hear about this week's Wine Wednesday event at Dino: a sampling of 3 'local' Italian sparkling reds, each with a small antipasto pairing - for $25. (Dino hosts a different wine-themed event every Wednesday.) The little event menu that my waitress offered me to keep explains: "Italians have a totally different outlook towards wine than Americans. They drink what's local. And in several great growing regions, the local wines include dry fizzy reds. [...] These are uncomplicated wines designated to go with simple rustic starters and cured meats. You quaff them: they are not serious wines for contemplative drinking. And they are just plain fun!" Hah ... "quaff". Excuse the immaturity, but the meal has left me in a better mood.

Let me start with the restaurant itself. Beautifully Tuscan in color, the walls were perfectly warm and orange after a day of sleet and rain. On the corner opposite the Cleveland Park Metro, the building seems square from the exterior, but the inside leads you around bends from hidden area to area. Some are ceilinged with stone, like a rustic hearth, others have large windows, but the hidden upstairs (visible past the small bar through a wrought iron railing in the upper back corner) was so cozy - I wished, later, that I had chosen to sit up there. When I go back with a friend, we'll have to find ourselves a corner upstairs to enjoy some small rustic plates and a handpicked wine. (If you check out Dino's website, you'll find that the owner has spent a lot of time visiting small wineries in Italy.)

I ordered the wine special and was brought out three small glasses filled with wines that not only varied in color (from watermelon-hued to a glossy burgundy) but in "fizziness" (is that the correct wine-verbage?). The bearded, casually dressed owner, Dean, came over and told me a bit about the wines and said I should definitely drink the last one with the prosciutto. This Lambrusco can be found all over Modena, a region located between Parma and the region that produces parmigiana reggiano. Let me tell you, the tart and dry wine tasted almost watered-down on it's own ... but the meaty-ness of the prosciutto, and the sweetness of the aged balsamic combined with the light dryness left the most delicious taste lingering.

The second wine was the "flattest" of the three. On its own, the fruit wasn't at all balanced by a necessary depth. Thank you again, chef, for such a wonderful pairing. The smaller bubbles were enhanced by the most delicious crunch on the outside of the potato/prosciutto/cheese croquette. I'm not a big fan of fried foods, but this 2"-long golden log of goodness has the taste and crunch of well-toasted French fry bits, but absolutely no hint of excess oil. You could taste the fresh potato, and the shreds of prosciutto gave the filling a slight chewiness - amazing!

It was the last pairing that I decided was my favorite of the three. A braised veal and pork meatball (Saltimboca, a traditional Venetian snack) with one of the purist marinara sauces dolloped on top. Not soft enough to cut with my fork, the texture was perfect - for me, at least. I'm a fan of a firmer meatball but don't get me wrong, it wasn't at all dry. The veal gave it a wonderfully meaty flavor. The word "umami" came to mind. As for the wine, it was my favorite of the three. Not as bubbly as the first, and a bit fruitier, the "Gragnano" 2006 Campania held up on its own. It brought out the rich (but light) tomato taste of the sauce, the fresh basil and helped the meatiness last and last - subtly.

Once my plate was cleared, I decided I wanted to enjoy a bit more and asked for a dessert menu and a coffee. I quickly decided that the scoop of homemade vanilla gelato with a 25yr aged balsamic poured over the top. And why not add a $5 glass of Moscato di' Asti?? I thought I'd try some Prosecco or something a little outside my [very] comfortable box that is the lovely, crisp, sweet goodness of Moscato di' Asti, so I asked my waitress. She actually recommended the Moscato with the Gelato Balsamico. While I wasn't so sure that the wine and balsamic wouldn't clash, I went with her recommendation.

Gloriousness. I almost wept. The balsamic over the creamy, yellow, speckled gelato produced a tart/sweet/creamy heaven. H-E-A-V-E-N. (Yes, I am that girl who will sip aged balsamic from the bottle (don't yell, Dad) ... but, still. Heaven. Trust me.) Ok, it was time to possibly ruin the heaven with a sip of Moscato. Instead? I wept some more. Glorious Moscato! Sweet and crisp even over the balsamic! And when I tasted the gelato again? The rich balsamic was transformed into a buttery caramel or butterscotch! It was like a completely different taste, not acidic like I had anticipated - and just as wonderful! As a side note, the coffee was very very good - the dessert was just better.

Overall? A fantastic experience. A little pricey for the small amount of food, but I did appreciate that the servings were the size they should be and the quality definitely compensated. I would have been more willing to spend the money on a weekend dinner.

SIDE NOTE: Italian sparkling reds are different than the Australian variety that is gaining exposure in America (according to Dean.) I agree. The Italian reds are more subtle and much lighter in taste and body. The sparkling Shiraz I bought at Domasoteca is very bold and - unlike the three I tasted tonight - should be served well chilled. It also was noticeably more "sparkling".