Brother Fox’s 1st Wine Dinner
This article is a little longer than average, so get comfortable. I don’t know any lovers of wine who are not foodies. There is a scientific connection between the two: a love of tasting! Even though we all have slightly different tastes, the pursuit to pleasure the palate is universal. How we each go about this endeavor defines our journey, both in food and wine. And just like any journey some can be content with self experimentation and exploration while others enjoy guidance to aid their adventures. Whatever method you choose the pursuit of the “Wow” is the goal.
There are a lot of food and wine events locally. Pairing food and wine correctly is hard. I have been to more food and wine dinners where the pairings were barely compatible than not. In fact there was a wine dinner the following evening at a well know local establishment that was not worth anyone’s time or money. So how can you tell if a food and wine event is worth your time, and money?
Brother Fox (BF) is relatively new to the Pensacola Restaurant scene. The Restaurant Industry is one of the most unforgiving industries to be in so it was not surprising that there were some mixed reviews from folks who had dined at BF. Like many new restaurants there was very little middle ground; people either had an amazing time or they didn’t, for a myriad of reasons. I needed to meet the ones with the vision before committing to the event.
So the week before the wine dinner I had the great opportunity to spend some time with BF’s head Chef, Darian Hernandez, and some of his team. It was very apparent while speaking to him how excited he and his staff was about the dinner and the Orin Swift wines to be paired. Not only that, but it was apparent that the goal of their dinner was to have fun, and during the dinner they were having fun, while working very hard to make sure we did too!
Let’s contrast this to the wine dinner the very next evening. I am going to refrain from naming the location but it was obvious that the goal at this event was to push a product. The food pairing was a second thought, mainly relying on their name to bring people in. Their attitude could not have been more different. And I am sure people enjoyed it, but I guess ignorance is bliss. If you went to this other event and enjoyed it, great, I will NEVER tell anyone what they should like, with wine or anything else for that matter, but I am also not willing to eat and drink whatever is in front of me just because.
Back to BF. Most Orin Swift wines do not come out ready to drink. I often seriously joke that their popular “8 Years in the Desert” needs eight years in the bottle before it’s ready to drink! So I was a little concerned about the age of the reds to be served. The starter, a Rosé, followed by a Sauvignon Blanc, were hits with the crowd, both tasting great and pairing perfectly. The Pinot Noir started to miss its mark, not able to measure up to the amazing crusted salmon that it was served with. Next Palermo, their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. My first taste and my fears are mostly realized, too young. BUT, it paired great with the accompanied braised beef checks!
Would a few more years have enhanced this 2019 big red, absolutely! But it worked for dinner. Most tasters don’t know how to tell if a certain wine is too young. Definitely a skill that takes practice. Most amazing wines start out as “too young,” and just like any virtuoso, require some time to compose a masterpiece.
The most asked question of the evening was what I liked? Well, what if we don’t like the same wine? Then what I liked doesn’t do you any good. The better question is; do you know why you liked that wine? But, what I liked was the Port Style (not Port since it wasn’t from Portugal!) desert wine. And of course it was the only wine from the dinner not available to buy. That sums up a lot of my life!
So back to the beginning; why was this event worth your time and not the one the next day, and how can you tell??? Both venues needed to make money but it was how they went about it. BF had passion and the other didn’t. The other wanted to push something, BF wanted to showcase. The other solely relied on its name, BF actually put in the effort. And finally, BF is run by actual foodies, the other is definitely not!
So do a little research to find what will be worth your time and money, and when you find those passionate about what they’re doing you will probably be rewarded with your choice! I look forward to Brother Fox’s next experience.