Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Big Fat Greek Wine Dinner event held at the fabulous Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen in West Hartford. I was incredibly excited and thankful to be invited to this event since Mediterranean cuisine is one I truly love and enjoy. I knew I was in for a treat because Zohara always goes all out with their menus. However, a treat was an understatement!
wine and hors d‘oeuvrs reception…
We began our evening with SANTO ASSYRTIKO wine from Santorini, Greece followed by a wonderful spread of hor d’oeuvres. STUFFED SQUID (black rice & loukaniko sausage), SWISS CHARD SPANAKOPITA (preserved lemon & dill), SOUVLAKI ARNISIO (marinated lamb & port wine), FETA MOUSSE (beet chips, pistachio & orange).
mezze…
The second course presented a wonderful fresh selection of Greek appetizers paired with SIGALAS ASSYRTIKO, another refreshing white from Santorini, Greece. CITRUS & FENNEL SALAD (pomegranate, red onion, kalamata olive, feta & mint), LEMON POTATOES, (wild oregano & olive oil) this was simply amazing and perhaps my most favorite dish of the entire evening! TARAMASALATA, (smoked fish roe & pickled shallot), HORIATIKI, another favorite of mine, (tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper onion, oregano & feta) this was clearly a superb salad that can easily be recreated at home.
from the sea…
ST. GEORGE NEMEA, Domain Skouras, Peloponnese, Greece paired with the GRILLED SARDINES & OUZO FLAMED MUSSELS (fennel & chilis). A fantastic way to introduce seafood!
over coals…
HALLOUMI CHEESE (Sesame, fig, olives & green walnut) was an intense way to combine some of the basic Mediterranean ingredients. Paired with XINOMAVRO HEDGEHOG VINEYARD, Alpha Estate, Amyndeon, Greece.
entree…
By the time the entree rolled out I was suffering from a serious case of food coma! The SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER OVER PERSIMMON & POTATO STEW was amazing! I love lamb and make it at home a couple times a year. I usually roast it and serve it in slices. I loved the pulled/shredded way this flavorful piece of meat was presented here. It was paired with MEGAS OENOS, Domain Skouras, Peloponnese, Greece. The flavors danced in my mouth!
dessert…
We finally made it to our dessert. DARK CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT BAVLAVA. Made of layers of phyllo filled with nuts and spices and drenched in a syrup this dessert was a nice choice. Ours was paired with CHILLED OUZO, Piraeus, Greece, which is an anise-flavoured liquor, and I originally thought was Sambuca which is basically the Italian version. Normally we pour some in our espresso at the end of a big meal. The Ouzo complimented this dessert very well and was a nice way to end the evening.
I had an incredibly satisfying evening tasting and drinking and learning about all the different wines featured from Greece. I literally felt like I was in Greece because of way in which Andrew Mulligan was able to narrate our evening. As a Greek portfolio expert from Skurnik Wine & Spirits out of NYC, he was fantastic guiding us and giving us a tasteful visual of all the beautiful vineyards from Greece. It was indeed a Big Fat Greek Wine dinner! 
Special thanks to ZOHARA Mediterranean Kitchen for inviting me and hosting this fun event. All views expressed are my own.
