My hubby surprised me for my 32nd birthday this January and took me to upstate NY where we enjoyed a romantic weekend away in a little cabin! Saugerties, NY is close to Woodstock, NY where we go every year for my husbands birthday. This is a special place to us, so I was excited to experience winter, where it was slightly snowing and a whole 2 degrees!

Luckily the house was pet friendly and also had a fire pit as well as a fun pellet stove, and a hot tub. The house, called Hartwood House is so great for a couple or two close couples who want a weekend away. I loved this house for its charm and decided to bring in a Private Chef for a birthday dinner one night! Scott Barber of Galo Kitchen is an awesome Chef who I found while researching, and he did an amazing menu for us. I like to go all out, so I chose a 5 course dinner to pair with 5 wines of my choosing. Scott was super excited and I had so much fun reading his menu, which consists of seasonal farm to table dishes and so much more.

Hartwood House has an open kitchen living room concept so we watched a movie while also chatting with our Chef. Scott is engaging and knowledgeable about all things food, and wine! I of course paired the wines for this meal, but if you were to work with him and you wanted him to pair wines for a dinner, he knows his wine (trust me). He is charming and told us some great history behind the ingredients in our dishes as well as regional specialties. I also received a great recommendation on where to buy duck and other great meats to bring back to the city with me. The wines I mentioned a few already inside my holiday gift guides and more but wanted to show you my 5 course menu with my 5 wines, because it was truly a one of a kind dinner!

Course 1: Sea Scallop Ceviche Verde

with tomatillo, poblano, fennel, scallion & plantain chips

This dish was amazing! So refreshing and the scallops were so fresh, the plantain chips were a great touch and fun and the fennel brought in this herbaceous note that really paired nicely with the 2012 Möet & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage Rosé! This rosé first off is just stunning. It’s full of red berries, some black fruits, and is the 43rd Grand Vintage! It’s delicate yet complex, its mature and so elegant and with the ceviche it was a match made in heaven.

 

Course 2: Ricotta Gnocchi

with Smoked Crab, Cauliflower, and Zaatar 

I became obsessed with the gnocchi from the first bite! It’s homemade and so incredibly creamy and yet light at the same time. The smoked crab was fun and I especially loved it with the 2019 Nana Estate Chenin Blanc that I paired with this course. The Nana Chenin is full of green apple, citrus, some tropical fruit, and is simply one of my favorite wines from Israel. It has great minerality and I think the smoked crab really brought out some playful sweeter notes ninth wine, while the gnocchi added great balance to the pairing.

 

Course 3: Grilled Swordfish 

With White Beans, Cerignola Olive, Pepperonata, Cocoa, and Mint

This dish was my husbands favorite from the night he said! I really enjoyed the white beans and creative flare of this dish and the swordfish was a nice touch after the gnocchi dish. Paired alongside was a wine from one of our favorite wineries: Peñafalcón! This winery is in Ribera del Duero, Spain and the 2009 Peñafalcón Silo XI is aged five years in oak and has such long standing tradition. This wine is deep in color and still boasts an amazing freshness and youth for a 2009. This is due to their special aging of their wines, and it’s something you won’t taste anywhere else! This wine is gorgeous with deep purple fruit, spice, and elegance. The finish is long and alluring and the tannins so incredibly smooth; it’s honestly one of a kind!

Casimiro’s and Maria are the most amazing people and have become friends over the years. I first met them in 2015 on a trip to Spain to learn about the food and wine in the region. We went to lunch, I tasted their wines, and it was a great relationship from there on out! I have even visited with Casi and Maria when I went back in 2019, and loved seeing their wines and winery progression. Their ancestors owned the winery and they can trace winemaking all the way back to the Roman Era! The winery is fascinating with a ton of rich history and wines that you won’t find anywhere in the world. I say this because they don’t make wine like most, and age their wines much longer in barrel than most winemakers. This is costly, however their wines are truly some of the best and most elegant reds from Spain I have ever had in my life! If you’d like some, message me so I can connect you with these wonderful people. 

Course 4: Breast of Hudson Valley Moularde Duck

With Baked Stuffed Fuji Apple, Pimenton ‘kraut, Natural Jus, Cracklin’

This dish was my favorite of the evening, but then again I haven’t told you about dessert yet! However I will always choose duck over pretty much anything so this dish was my top savory contender of the evening. The duck was so perfect and paired beautifully with the 2018 Stags Leap, “The Leap” Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was huge, so big that I decanted it after this photo, and it opened beautifully. Luckily I opened it before dinner started, so by the time we got here it was almost fully open. It became a sipper during this course and after dessert we continued to sip it throughout the evening. This wine even the next day we had about 2 glasses left, and it was still going; I was wildly impressed. The black plum in this wine with fine tannins was ideal with the duck and Chef Scott’s amazing kraut! This wine is elegant yet complex, and is absolutely worth every sip once it opens up. I’d also love to see how this wine would do in a few years, so if you have a Coravin, thats great if not just buy two bottles and let one age!

Course 5: Sake Poached Pear

With Blue Cheese Ice Cream and Pistachio Shortbread

I was excited for this dish before even tasting it, however upon first bite it won me over completely! The sake poached pear is mild and really nice. The sake adds some freshness and complexity to the pear without being too sake forward. The blue cheese ice cream was sinful and delicious! It was the perfect blend of fresh vanilla ice cream combined with delicious chunks of real, quality, blue cheese. Chef Scott wowed us with each course, and this one was I would say was the perfect ending to an incredible meal. Paired alongside was a 2015 Chareau du Cros, Sauternes from Loupiac. This wine with its crushed oyster shell minerality and playful sweet fruit was ideal with this pairing. The blue cheese complimented the sauternes as it usually does, while the poached pear really brought out some of that beautiful minerality more in the wine, and the shortbread added great balance and a crunch. Sauternes from Loupiac are some of my favorite because I love the balance of fruit, acid, and minerality from this region, and this was a perfect pairing!

Honestly life is way too short, so treat yourself when you can and enjoy living every moment! Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!