Willie’s Wine Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa is the ultimate place to pair delish small plates with wine.  Sitting at the bar one rainy afternoon, I invited Darren, the server behind the bar, to design a three course meal for me.

Course 1 was rich (French), course 2 was a palette cleanser (salad) and course 3 was rich (European).

Course 1 Foie Gras “Poppers” with Sea Salt & Grape Chutney served with a Grande Maison dessert wine. The earthy flavor of Foie Gras is strong and the wine calmed my palate.  I liked the salt in the recipe too.

Course 2 Arugula, radicchio salad with white truffle Meyer lemon vinaigrette, avocado, Manchego cheese and toasted almonds served with  a MacMurray Pinot Gris. A perfect pairing! The hint of fruit at the front was a surprise; it took the edge off the strong earthiness of the salad.  Also the simplicity of the Pinot Gris (acidic and minerally) created a wonderful balance of flavors.

Course 3 This was so good I didn’t even take notes!  It was a Filet Mignon slider with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I served a take-off of the dish at home, which I’ll blog about later.

I learned so much in one afternoon!

Tags: California, dinner, northern california, pairing, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Tips & Travel, Wineries & Wine Bars