Dinner for Two: A Home-Cooked Food and Wine Experience featuring Whitehall Lane Winery of Napa Valley
What better way to create a special evening at home than to build a menu around a pair of remarkable wines?
I’m crafting an elevated at-home dining experience and sharing the details here so you can recreate the experience for yourself!
The evening begins and ends with a bottle of Whitehall Lane Blanc de Noirs Brut 2021. During the entrée course, we’ll experience the Whitehall Lane Leonardini Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 for a rich, layered tasting immersion that won’t soon be forgotten.
Whether you’re a seasoned home chef or just getting started on your culinary journey and still learning the principles of pairing food and wine, you’ll be set up for success with this step-by-step guide to executing the perfect dining experience for yourself and that special someone.
About Whitehall Lane Winery
The wines I’m building this program around come from the iconic Whitehall Lane Winery located in the famed Rutherford appellation of California’s Napa Valley.
Whitehall Lane is a small, Napa Green Certified winery that grows 157,411 grape vines in eight estate vineyards including the pristine Leonardini Vineyard in St. Helena.
The winery is dedicated to growing and producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Estate wines all with a commitment to the highest quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
The Leondardini Family, Proprietors of Whitehall Lane. Image courtesy of Whitehall Lane.
Owned and operated by the Leonardini family, Whitehall Lane is truly a family business. Proprietor Tom Leonardini purchased the property in 1993. This month (March 2023), the family is celebrating 30 years of bringing their exceptional expression of Napa Valley to the world stage. Tom’s children, Tom Jr. and Katie continue the family tradition today as each plays a critical role in production, operations, distribution, and other business duties.
At the helm of Whitehall Lane production is esteemed winemaker, Jason Moulton. Moulton and the family’s shared commitment to sustainability and environmental sensitivity brought them together back in 2016. His journey in winemaking began right there in Rutherford, starting as a cellar worker and climbing the ranks to his current position.
As he evolved, he also took many opportunities to travel the world, visiting wine regions near and far and learning as much as possible about enology and viticulture. When Jason returned to Rutherford to join the team at Whitehall Lane, he brought with him the knowledge and experience he gained abroad in New Zealand, South Africa, Bordeaux, Canada, and California’s Russian River Valley.
““It is wonderful to have a winemaker with a wealth of worldly wine experience,” said owner Katie Leonardini. “He brought new ideas and processes and has embraced our focus on environmental sustainability from the soil to the bottle. And the wines are fantastic!””
The Wines
I chose these two remarkable wines for the complexity and diversity the duo offers to our menu. We’ll begin with a glass of the sparkling rosé of Pinot Noir. This bright, fruit-forward wine realizes all the potential the cool-climate Petaluma Gap A.V.A vineyards have to offer and provides celebratory energy at the start of the feast.
When the cork pops on this gorgeous sparkler, I’ll be pouring the Cabernet Sauvignon in one of my favorite decanters to breathe and open up as we enjoy our bubbles and appetizer course. We’ll savor the bold red wine with the entrée course. As the evening winds down, we’ll return to enjoy the second half of the bottle of sparkling rosé with a simple cheese course.
The Menu
Appetizer Course
The appetizer course for this feast consists of an easy-to-make and oh-so-delicious mushroom crostini with Gournay cheese and butter-fried sage. This, combined with the vibrant fruit flavors and texture of the Whitehall Lane Blanc de Noirs 2021, is the perfect entry to the evening ahead.
Entrée Course
For our entrée, I’m serving up a roasted Australian rack of lamb with fresh garlic and rosemary to complement the opulent Whitehall Lane Leonardini Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. The rich flavors of the lamb paired with the wine are out of this world. Best of all, this recipe is easy to prepare and looks and tastes incredibly decadent. Just be sure you have a trustworthy meat thermometer on hand and you’ll nail it every time!
Cheese Course
Rather than serving a traditional dessert course following this meal, I opted for a simple cheese course of aged sharp cheddar, baked Camembert, and fresh fruit.
These two bottles are both incredibly special and this evening is about savoring every drop and allowing the wines to transform and evolve as they breathe. Enjoying the pair slowly and intentionally with an outstanding spread like this means we can enjoy the creation of new memories, just as the Leonardini family intended.
Visit Whitehall Lane Winery
Visit www.whitehalllane.com to purchase these wines and learn about the amazing tastings and events they offer.
Have you been to visit Whitehall Lane Winery yet? Tell me about your experience in the comments below. I’ll absolutely be visiting next time I get out to Napa Valley!
This iconic sparkling wine is crafted by Whitehall Lane Winery in Napa Valley using fruit from the Petaluma Gap A.V.A. of Sonoma. Made of 100% Pinot Noir and made in the same method as Champagne, this bubbly offers fine a mousse and creamy texture on the palate. You’ll taste notes of melon, nectarine, Rainier cherry, and pomegranate with a long, mouthwatering finish.