Spina - Rose Wine Tasting Dinner

J and I never had a wine tasting dinner before and this was a first that definitely didn't disappoint. Spina was one of the places we loved and when I got an e-mail from them about a tasting menu with wine, I immediately made the reservations.

We came a bit earlier than our reservation, but the manager of Spina was extremely nice and had us seated right away. He also asked us if we would like to start and we eagerly said yes.

Starting off...

Each dish was paired with a delicately selected rose wine to match the taste of the dish. I wasn't able to take a photo of each glass but know that it was paired perfectly. Rose wine is one of the more difficult wines to pair because it's a mix of white and red.

Delicious foccaccia that was made in-house along with the ricotta cheese. I never love cheese this much and this is on the top of my list. Creamy and light, I can eat this every day.

First up was the Fluke Crudo. Simple but extremely well done. Thinly sliced fluke with olive oil drizzled over, the sea salt really brought out the freshness of the fluke and the chives added a great crunch. Love anything crudo.

Second was the Heirloom BLT Salad. Pretty much what it is is what it sounds, fried tomatoes, bacon and some arugula. Tomatoes were really fresh, there was two kinds - heirloom and regular.

Third, the Goat Cheese Gnocchi got me a little worried because it was gnocchi and it had goat cheese. I had a bad experience with gnocchi and I'm not a big fan of cheese in general, mix them together and I start to get a bit skeptical and panic a bit. But, surprisingly the dish was really good. I can find myself really liking goat cheese gnocchi...haha

Fourthly, the main entree was the Scottish Salmon. Got some mushy peas there and more bacon! I can really learn to love these kind of tasting menu if majority of the dishes got bacon in it. Salmon was a bit bland but it was good, since the bacon totally offsets that with its saltiness.

Ending the rose wine tasting dinner was the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Absolutely perfect to end the meal with. Had a nice melon puree around the panna cotta and it was paired with a sparking rose, one of the hardest to pair.

It was a great evening and a superb meal. Spina can definitely host a fantastic wine tasting dinner. The manager was extremely knowledgeable about his wines and the staff was attentive and friendly. They know exactly when to bring out clean glasses and help us move onto the next dish.

J and I came to Spina the first time with no high hopes, but Spina seems to surpass our expectations each time. I can see myself really loving this restaurant.

Spina
175 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 253-2250