A hidden gem hosts a memorable wine dinner

 My wife and I were looking to have lunch in Branford and found Nellie Green's Restaurant tucked away in the middle of a boat yard and directly on the water. You can't see it from the road but thankfully there were signs to guide us. We were warmly greeted by Mike Savinelli, the owner, and noticed a sign announcing a wine dinner featuring Gundlach Bundshu wines. The menu looked interesting and I have not had any of the Gundlach Bundshu wines in quite a long time.  I figured I would see how lunch went before deciding about attending. 

We had oysters on the half shell, a shrimp wrap, and the lobster roll. The meal was excellent and as we sat at the window looking out at the water we both felt we should return for another meal.  

The Gewurz was a big hit  at our table. Dry, spicy and with enough acidity to make it work nicely with the calamari.

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Grilled Calamari

The wine dinner was exceptional. It is rare that you get a combination of fine wines, delicious food and great service. Often these types of dinners drag on with long lulls between courses or wine brought out well after the dish it is to be paired with has been served. Not so this night. The staff worked hard and brought out Chef Jason Truscio's dishes right after each wine had been served. 

 Scott Gayman of Plymouth Wine Company presented each wine and was quite knowledgeable about the wines and the winery. Gundlach Bundshu has a long history of making wines in California and is now concentrating on only estate grown wines. Production levels are kept low and it shows in the wines. The Chard was rich and juicy but not over oaked. The Pinot Noir was not a blend but 100% Pinot. A nice match with the sea bass since it was not fruit bomb. 

Mountain Cuvée is a Merlot/Cab/Malbec blend. Easy to drink but not sweet like many of the red blends on the market. Just right for the Allen Brothers tenderloin with purple sweet potatoes. Check out the little tear drop peppers on the right.

Sadly this Zin is not available here in CT. Big and ripe, text book Zinfandel. Dessert was as good as it looks.  

The moon on April 21, 2016. A few hours away from being full.

Owner Mike Savinelli has developed Nellie Green's into a casual restaurant with some serious food. Chef Jason put together a really memorable meal that complemented the wines. I'm looking forward to having another meal there soon. It was good to get a chance to taste the Gundlach Bundschu wines again. They are putting out some nice wines.