In the kitchen at Della Femina, Michael Rozzi continues year after year as one of the most skillful and inventive chefs in the Hamptons, and never more so than when he prepares ambitious wine dinners. There must be something in the challenge of creating dishes matched to specific wines that motivates a chef, and Rozzi was at his best on Friday night with a terrific menu paired with some superb Paumanok Vineyards wines. Kareem Massoud, the winemaker, was in the dining room to explain and discuss.
After the amuse bouche, we went on to grape wood smoked striped bass, drinking Paumanok’s crisp and subtle 2009 sauvignon blanc. Their 2007 cabernet franc, one of Long Island’s friendliest grapes, accompanied a roasted duck breast with a cranberry-juniper compote.
Braised veal cheeks with Burgundy truffles was matched to a 2005 Assemblage, the exceptional blend that is one of Paumanok’s signature wines. Dessert was a pear flambé with roasted orange caramel, paired with a lush 2009 last harvest riesling
Wine dinners at local restaurants are at the top of the list of our most wanted fall and winter indulgences.