Wine was poured during five course meal at Steak 954
Elegance and a healthy dose of fun is the perfect way to describe the Plumpjack Wine Dinner I had the pleasure of experiencing at Steak 954 in the W Fort Lauderdale.
The W is already one of my favorite hotels and the beautiful Steak 954 is as pretty as the waterfront view from the hotel. The ambiance that evening was elevated thanks to the candlelit glow. The representatives from California's Plumpjack Wine made the evening unforgettable as did the five delectable courses that accompanied their pours.
A light Sauvignon Blanc was served first and that made me happy because it's what I love, along with some delicious bread (yes, it was that good so it gets mentioned). Then came the first course, lovely oysters dressed simply with caviar and lemon and paired with the 2017 Plumpjack Chardonnay. The briny, fishy, beautifully presented bites played well with the notes of lemon zest, green apple and Bosc pear of the wine.
Next came the miso cured duck, a rich gamey bite served with earthy foie gras and crunchy pistachio. The 2016 Plumpjack Merlot, with its cherry, plum and raspberry aromatics was rich enough to stand up to this hearty second course. We were told they only produce 2,000 cases of this special red.
A dreamy, melt in your mouth braised short rib with a perfectly seared tuna served atop a soy bean puree came next, paired with the 2016 Cade Cabernet produced with fruit from the 82-acre Howell Mountain estate. The complexity of this wine is mind boggling, in a good way.
There had to be a steak course with a wine dinner and it came at the fourth course, a dry aged NY strip with butter braised shallot in a truffled red wine sauce. The hefty 2015 Plumpjack Cabernet stood up well to this meaty dish, described as a "voluptuous, racy and textured wine."
Then it was time for dessert, oh the dessert, a sakanti chocolate mousse with macerated blackberries and coffee meringues. Just going to leave that there and let the photo do the talking.
It's obvious that a visit to Steak 954 is a must but I strongly encourage you to also visit the Plumjack Wine website and see the abundance of wines they offer. Perhaps it will inspire you to try your own pairing dinner at home, after you've paid a visit to the restaurant of course.
Steak 954 in the W Fort Lauderdale, 401 N. Fort Lauderale Beach Blvd., 954.414.8333 and Plumpjack Winery
