The Capital Grille has brought back The Generous Pour Wine Event, since the words “generous” and “wine” worked together like gangbusters last year! The idea is guests can add on unlimited pours of their favorite featured wines and are guided through their meal by a Sommelier for $25 per person. I’ll mention the favorite wines of the night!
David Fields, our Sommelier for the night, started Mr. Forkful and I with a palette cleansing Watermelon Salad in a Light Vinaigrette with Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil, and Feta. Thin slices of celery balance the sweetness and lent the salad a nice crunch. The accompanying sparkling wine was a delicate Italian rosé, Cavit Lunetta Rosé Spumante. Slight berry finish but mostly a refreshing start to a fabulous meal.
A 2009 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Carneros Selection and the new 2008 Edi Simčič Rebula accompanied our Fresh Oysters on a Half Shell and Caprese Salad of Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil with 12-Year Aged Balsamic. The difference between the robust Chardonnay and Slovenian “Orange Wine” was a fun shock. Using a 1,000-year-old method and equally old grape variety, this oddball barrel-fermented wine was not sweet but sported hints of apple and citrus. The Edi Simčič Rebula’s acidity paired better with the fresh oysters than the salad and was one of the highlights of the night. Another highlight of the night was the fresh, 48-hour pulled mozzarella! Let’s just say a few pounds of Capital Grille mozzarella to-go would be epic.
David asked for our wine preferences — we went with red wines — so he could prepare pairings for the entrées. Mr. Forkful had the 24-ounce Dry Aged Porterhouse Steak with Kona Crust in a Courvoisier Cream, and I chose the 22-ounce Delmonico Steak with the Portobello Rub. (Note: Most cuts on the menu are available with different rubs and sauces. Just ask your sommelier!) Both steaks were unforgettably tender and layered with flavor from the dry-aging process to the house-made rubs, but the fillet side of the Porterhouse melted upon first bite like no other steak we had savored before. A smooth Italian Falesco Assisi Rosso Pinot Noir and a 2009 Chateau du Pin Bordeaux, which was a medium-bodied dark berry Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend — I happily kept waltzing between the French blend and the Delmonico Steak.
Our sides-to-share were the Roasted Cremini, Portobello, Shiitake, and Oyster Mushrooms and Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Mosto. The novelty of the mushroom dish outweighed the actual flavor, but the asparagus was juicy with a nice crust made even better by a spritz of the grilled lemon. The Con Creek Anthology Cabernet 2007 was also a highlight of the night with good reason; David mentioned that odd years for California red wines are very good years based on the weather patterns that ripen this blend of Bordeaux grapes. For this Cab, think creamy mouthful of berries interlaced with a little spice.
The night came to a close with a pour of Kanu Kia Ora 2006 — a smooth South African Chenin Blanc aged for 19 months in French oak — paired with a silky Classic Crème Brûlée with Seasonal Berries and Cheese Cake with Seasonal Berries. The Kanu is a Riesling style of wine and takes into account of, David elaborated, five different levels of grape fermentation for the right blend. As we appreciated the layers of honey and pear in the Kanu, Mr. Forkful and I savored every fluffy bite of the cheesecake and marveled at the size of the berries on both desserts. The cheesecake was a stand-out blend of ricotta and cream cheese on a graham cracker crust. Any short list of special occasion restaurants in Orlando worth its salt should have The Capital Grille on it for good reason. The Capital Grille’s Generous Wine Pour Event runs through September 2.
The Capital Grille • The Generous Pour Wine Event 2012 • Google Maps • Yelp
T: (407) 370-4392
Disclosure: The food and entertainment mentioned in this post was paid for by The Capital Grille, although the views and opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. This post was not reviewed by The Capital Grille in any way.
