Tonight’s event was a little more publicized, although a little less organized. The theme was “Italian Wine for Sushi”, a seemingly oddball combination for sure. This time the Italian Trade Commission took over InQuattro on Hazelton Avenue in Yorkville, a clothing store housed in an architecturally interesting building; surrounded by plenty of Versace we sipped on wine and nibbled on fresh Sushi made by the staff from Sushi Inn (120 Cumberland).
The folks from Sushi Inn were already there when I arrived, just after 6:30pm (the time the event was called for), hard at work filling large wooden boats with freshly made and hand rolled sushi – a few of these boats were already completed and on tables. The wine was chilling on ice and resting in various little alcoves throughout the gallery, but there were no glasses, nothing could be poured, so people stood around gabbing to each other and gawking at the sushi. 20 minutes later the glasses arrived, corks were popped and the wines started flowing. People also began digging into the food and an already buzzing room began to heat up with the noises of the busy eating throng.
Four wines were once again on display – all from Italy of course: a rosé, a white called “Crabilis” (a wine named after the Roman God of premenstrual women – sorry honey, couldn’t resist), a pretty non-descript Robert Anselme white and then there was the wine of the night – Fondo Antico 2005 Grillo Parlante ($14.85 - #52407). This wine had an interesting smoky flavour, although no oak was used in the making of it … other flavours were tropical dried fruit like papaya and pineapple along with a minerally seam and some good acidic bite all combined in this full bodied, full flavoured, mouthfilling wine. Turns out the wine is made with the Grillo grape – a grape once used in the making of Marsala (still is I assume), but because Marsala has fallen out of fashion (no pun intended), the grape is now used to make some pretty robust table wines. My brother, who accompanied me to the event, was quite taken with the wine. “Tell them I approve,” he said, “and that’s coming from a devout red drinker, I usually don’t drink white at all – they really won me over with this one.” (The next morning I got an email asking me for the name of that wine). We were there for 45 minutes and then it was off to the Raptors/Heat game – Raptors 91 – Heat 75 … Grillo, very good.
All-in-all it was a good event … once the party got rolling.
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