"Zinsanity" Reigned at Norwalk Wine Dinner

The wine loving restaurateurs behind Fat Cat Pie Co. have created a new trend for wine enthusiasts. Saturday, Mar. 3, they hosted a cleverly named “Zinsanity” event, highlighting the talent and taste behind the Peterson Winery, located in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, CA. Jamie Peterson, son of Fred Peterson, the winery’s founder, was on hand to talk grapes with the guests.

“Peterson wines are really near and dear to our hearts, so we’re thrilled to have Jamie here,” said Fat Cat Pie Co. and sister wine shop, Fountainhead Wines, co-owner Mark Ancona. “When I first encountered their wines a few years ago, I don’t think Jamie was involved yet.”

“No, I was still in high school,” joked the young wine maker.

“I was really struck by how their wines were some of the most European tasting wines I’d ever encountered in the U.S.,” said Ancona.

And so a love affair was born.

Fat Cat serves several Peterson wines by the glass and by the bottle at the hip Norwalk eatery. Likewise, Fountainhead Wines regularly stocks Peterson wines, and they’re not afraid to tell you that you really need to give the wines a try.

Which was part of the impetus for hosting the dinner at the Fat Cat annex, the Wine Room. Guests included both longtime fans and the uninitiated.

“This is my first trip out here,” Peterson said. “Back home, Fat Cat is like a legend, so it’s a lot of fun to meet everyone and see who is enjoying our wines.”

The three course dinner menu, prepared by Chef Robert Herlihy, was preceded by hors d’oeuvres that included chevre wrapped in grape leaves and grilled and some tasty green pea samosas. The hors d’oeuvres were paired first with the wonderfully mellow 2010 Peterson Bianco Sauvignon Blanc and Peterson’s signature “Old School” Zinfandel from 2009.

“We really like the restraint and complexity of the ‘Old School,’” explained Peterson.

Next up was a spicy stuffed poblano pepper topped with walnut sauce and paired with another “zinsanely” delicious 2009 Peterson Zinfandel, simply entitled “Dry Creek.” A Moroccan eggplant salad followed, paired with the 2009 “Bernier Zinyard” Zinfandel, which is highly unique among Zinfandels.

“This is one of the most elegant Zins you’ll ever taste,” said Fountainhead co-owner Mike Pelletier. “It’s a Zin that’s under 14 percent alcohol, which never happens with Zins. It’s unbelievably smooth.” Indeed, that glass of wine made a real “zinpression” on most guests, who happily took seconds as they were offered.

The main course was a chicken and chorizo gumbo paired with the Peterson “Gravity Flow” 2007 Syrah. The Syrah was the most intense wine of the evening, robust, with an almost inky constitution.

The hosts ended things on a sweet note, serving up slices of coconut custard pie and the promise of more thoughtfully conceived wine dinners to come.

Want to make sure you’re on the list for next time? Email fatcatpie@yahoo.com and let them know. You’d be “zinsane” not to.

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