Dinner - Palisades (Germany, Austria)

After the twenty minute winding road trip into Eggleston county, I was expecting a traditional, old restaurant. However, when I walked into the Palisades I was impressed by the quaint, rustic design.

A photo of the Palisades interior

Every Wednesday the Palisades wine tastings and pairings are based on countries around the world. This weeks dinner was inspired by the wine and food from Germany and Austria. We got to the restaurant right when it opened at 430. The uncrowded restaurant was quiet allowing us to really get the full experience of the wine, food and environment. We were given three glasses of wine before the food was prepared. The wines were Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Gruner Veltliner. 
A photo of the menu

While we were waiting for the food, we smelled and tasted a small sip of each of the wines. I jotted down that the Riesling smelled of flowers and peaches and initially tasted like a sweet, white grape juice. The Gewurztraminer smelled of citrus flavors and a strong aroma of oranges. The initial taste had hints of lemon and tangy citrus flavors. The Gruner Veltliner had a faint smell of apple juice with a more bitter taste than the other wines.

A photo of the wines as they were first served.

Once we were given the food, each of the wines flavors changed slightly. The Riesling tasted sweeter when pairing it with a bit of onion in the Kasespaetzal. The cheese flavors complimented the sweetness of the wine, toning down the sweetness of the wine. The Gewurztraminer became much sweeter when paired with the Rohe Kartoffelknodel. The taste of the potatoes was complimented by the crisp taste of the wine. Lastly, the lemon flavors really came out in the Gruner Veltliner when pairing it with the Schnitzel. At first, this wine did not really have much of a taste, but after pairing it with the pork, the flavors were heightened dramatically.


A photo of the food and wine pairing.

Before we left our waiter brought us out a lovely desert of grapefruit with a spicy chocolate drizzle on it. This was a very interesting taste, but something that I would definitely have again! I really enjoyed my experience at the Palisades and definitely saw how when wine is paired with food it can enhance the flavors in your meal.