Prego, A Taste of Italy!

A delicious celebrating the contributions of Silvio! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Prego, A Taste of Italy!

This was a night in Italy without taking a plane or having to go very far at all courtesy of Meramec Vineyards monthly wine pairing dinners in St. James, Mo. The October 11, 2018 wine-pairing meal was in honor of “Silvio,” a renown immigrant Meramec Vineyards worker for whom the starring bespoke wine was named.

What do you suppose Silvio named his vines? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Since this is a wine named after Silvio, we looked up the details on Silvio’s Red. According to Meramec Vineyards website, Silvio’s Red is an “authentic Italian red blended wine. Fruity with vinaigrette finish. Served room temperature or chilled. Pairs well with pasta or in red sauce to deepen the flavor.”

We had a chance to taste the wine during the dinner both at room temperature and chilled. I enjoyed Silvio’s Red both ways with a slight preference for chilled.

Good to their own description, this taste of Italy kicked off the night with homemade meatballs with Silvio’s Red in the delicious red sauce. The meatballs from Wildcat Creek Meats where a meal all in themselves!

Homemade meat balls in Silvio’s Red wine sauce from Wildcat Creek meats. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The appetizer was followed by a delicious antipasto salad made with a light spicy vinaigrette that included - you guessed it, Silvio’s Red wine!

I confess, I added a little more of the vinaigrette to get the full flavor of both the dressing and the salad!

Silvio’s Red wine was also featured in the light salad dressing. (Photo by David Draker)

I usually am the one taking the photos at these dinners but this particular evening I forgot my cell phone and had to borrow my beekeeping buddy David’s phone. Since we were coordinating the meal photos, David did a good job of making sure a photo was taken of every course before I tried it.

The main course featured braised Italian sausages with peppers and onions served with a crispy polenta cake. Polenta is a dish made out of a variety of ingredients, primarily traditionally coarsely-ground corn meal.

And a particular mention of that homemade roll with olive pieces - nice savory touch!

A roll, braised Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and polenta. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Desert was courtesy of Heavenly Divine Cupcakes, an enticing cream-filled, chocolate dipped cannoli that begged the question. Does one eat it with a fork or with one’s fingers?

Cannoli desert made by Heavenly Divine Cupcakes, Rolla. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Having spent several weeks in northern Italy a couple of years ago, I remembered how Italians ate their cannoli and I did the same.

The trick to eating a cannoli is trying to keep the cream in the middle, (Photo by David Draker)

The last treat of the evening, the drawing for a free meal for the next Meramec Vineyards wine-pairing dinner. And the winner was one of the members in our dinner party, Ginger Schneider!

Ginger Schneider after hearing she has won a free meal at the next wine pairing. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

It was a nice evening with a European flair. We left a couple more empty wine bottles for their next creative table decor.

A few more bottles of wine now available for table decor. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The next and last wine pairing dinner for 2018 was November 1 featuring Meramec Vineyards Chambourcin. No need to wait for the next wine-pairing dinner, Meramec Vineyards offers daily specials and family friendly Sunday brunches, no frequent flyer miles required!

Charlotte