Amazing Wine...Amazing Food

Some of you may not know this...but I love wine. :)  I love good wine.  I love going to Wine Country...everything about it...  I also appreciate really good food, clean food, prepared so that you taste the real essence of what you've started with.  It's been a long time since I've been able to escape to Wine Country, but last night I was in heaven as Wine Country came to Castroville!  Don Hartford of Hartford Family Winery (facebook page)and Republic Dist. worked with Chef Lynn Oefinger at Le Chat Noir (facebook page)to bring us an amazing evening that we just don't get to experience too often.  Lynn & Monte started off by tasting the Harford Wines last week and along with Don Hartford they chose 5 to highlight with a food pairing in a 5 course meal that we experienced last night.  Lynn did an amazing job pairing the foods with the wines and Don Hartford praised  her for the great job that she did.  Mr. Hartford was amazing to listen to...how he described his wines, how he described the food with the wines and how they complemented each other.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved listening to him!  He was also a truly nice gentleman.  Now I didn't sit down and enjoy the meal with everyone, but I had the priviledge to help serve it.  And it really was a priviledge.  I forget how much I enjoy enabling people to have a good time...funny...I know, but I really enjoyed pouring, serving, removing dishes.  I got a taste here and there of the wonderful food, learned a little bit about how to get that wonderful panacotta out of those darn little cups!  I had my own wine glass around the corner and every one of the 5 wines was superb!  Only down side was that my feet were killing me by the end of the night...but it was worth it.  Thank you to everyone that came out...and I so wish that everyone has a chance to enjoy that kind of quality food and wine some time in their lives...even if you don't think you like wine, or that weird looking food, or whatever your preconceptions are.  Try something new in life and start off with the best...you may learn of a new kind of heaven...