Stag's Leap wine dinner

Every year, the High Museum holds the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction. I have to admit that I don't know that much about it, except that it's the top charity wine auction in the country, it's pretty damn expensive to get into the auction itself, and since wineries from all over participate, they flock to Atlanta. The week that leads up to the auction has dinners at great restaurants all over the city paired with wines from one or two wineries.

This year, we went to the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' dinner at Paces 88. I took one look at the menu and decreed, I'm in!

The dinner took place in a small room near the bar in the St. Regis. We were so excited when winemaker Nicki Pruss sat down next to us! It was such a thrill to meet and talk with her about wine and the history of Stag's Leap!

I haven't gushed about the wines here, but they were all so good!

Course one: slow-cooked then seared pork belly, sauteed fava beans and morels, parmesan emulsion, green peas in 2 states: a silk and foam. Served with: 2008 KARIA Napa Valley Chardonnay.
This was a really luscious dish. I love pork belly. This may have been one of the best preparations of it that I have had. It was all crispy and yet luscious at the same time. I keep saying luscious, but that is what I keep thinking about. The parmesan foam was very good and the pea puree, excuse me, silk, was delicious. By the way, is that a nice looking table setup, or what? We had the pleasure of some of the hotel staff joining us for dinner (director of wine, director of food and beverage) and they were all great to talk with.

Course two: oven roasted lobster, light salad of young fennel, avocado and grapefruit, blood orange and ginger emulsion, micro arugula. Served with: 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
What a beautiful and delicious salad! I loved each component of it. It was just so generous with the lobster, the balance was great, oh, it was so good.

Course three: house smoked beef tenderloin, blue cheese polenta, artemis reduction and slow cooked veal cheeks, romaine hearts, braising essence. Served with: 2007 ARTEMIS Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mmmm, Artemis. So good. The tenderloin in this dish was incredibly well cooked, but I didn't care much for the smokiness of it. And it was incredibly surprising, but the blue cheese was too blue cheesy for me. Now the veal cheeks, wow! So tender and delicious. Also luscious. The word unctous comes to mind. And that artemis reduction! Yum.

Course four: gorgonzola with quince jam, comte with honey and truffle pecan, aged asiago with apricot chutney. Served with: 2006 Napa Valley Merlot.
Mmm, cheesy. I especially loved the gorgonzola, the apricot chutney, and that pecan. Woo!

Course five: chocolate mudslide bombe, red fruit consommé, hippen tuile. Served with: 2007 FAY Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
What a beautiful and delicious dessert. The red fruit consomme was so richly flavored. Calling this a bombe is right but it was great and went so well with the consomme! Cheers to the pastry chef!

Here is us with Nicki Pruss! She is awesome! Stag's Leap is definitely on our list for our next Napa trip.

We were very pleased with Paces 88 also. We forget about them when going out, but we need to keep it on the radar, for sure.