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 Wine dinners for The Edge used
to be planned with a sense of urgency — you know, back when I was in the
Corporate World, a sense of urgency was a positive management trait. For prior
issues, we’d plan our menus weeks in advance, and dole them out to local
restaurateurs and wine reps to make wine and music selections; we’d
arrange to procure floral arrangements and huge coolers full of herbs and fresh
produce; we’d wheedle our way into unbelievable oceanfront homes in which
we’d prepare amazingly fresh seafood, aged meats and delectable desserts;
we’d buy the coolest props, and what we didn’t buy we’d
appropriate from each other’s houses; and we’d actually call
professional photographers in advance to record our progress.
This year, we simply ran out of time. This is
seat-of-your-pants, shakedown-cruise dining.
 Everything we prepared for this meal
can go from recipe to table in less than half an hour. Honest. We sent Winged
Horse Extravaganza Project Director Tricia Ibelli (who incidentally, also holds
a culinary degree) out to buy any wine she could find with a horse on the
label. We thought it befitting: she rewarded us by being up to the challenge
— the list of 10 readily available wines follows. Sales Director Greg
Bailey offered to host our dinner AND to take photos of the ensuing degustatory
event. Tricia and I concocted the menu a day in advance and prepared the food;
pilot/entrepreneur/fabulous babe Betty Shotton provided us with
aviation-related props from TWA, Southeast Air and her own private plane;
 and Company Attorney John Gaw offered
to supervise by way of ensuring quality control of each course and its
accompanying wine(s). Of the 10 wines on the list, we made it through seven.
The tasting notes are nonexistent, but believe me, they were all good. Very
good. In fact, there wasn’t a dog in the bunch — especially
surprising, since the only criterion for selection was label art! All of us
agreed that of the wines listed, you can’t go wrong by pairing any of the
whites with your appetizer salad or fish course, and all of the reds are
suitable with the lamb. Personally, my favorites were the Clos Pegase
Chardonnay and the Querceto Chianti Classico.
 Our first course began with a
seared-scallop martini salad, and was followed by grilled grouper with roasted
corn-cucumber salsa and a basmati rice/roasted beet timbale. Moving from white
wines to reds, our next entrée became more lusty as well, with
pan-seared lamb chops and Cabernet demi-glaze, caramelized fennel and parsnips,
and local May peas. To end the evening, we reverted to childhood cravings for
cookies and ice cream, made somewhat grown-up with the addition of
wine-macerated strawberries and a side of Iron Horse Champagne. For seat-of-the
pants dining, we’re ready for take-off.
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