Tastings Around Town: 28 Springs

A little over a week ago, Jason and I finally (after many months of drooling looking at the tasting menus) got to go to a Bar Tasting at 28 Springs in Siloam Springs.

Now, I've already sang 28 Springs' praises here on the blog and after many wonderful dinners out and a beyond-comparison Valentine's meal there, this place has quickly become one of our absolute faves in the area.

We don't even blink an eye about driving 45 minutes to get there. So worth it!

And a few times a month, they do a Bar Tasting that features a type of drink (cocktails, wine, scotch, etc.) perfectly paired with a 4-course menu.

When I saw that they were doing a tasting of wines from states other than California, I was so in! And I invited Jason, too, obviously.

The tasting was fun, informative and relaxed. The bartenders took turns on the microphone to tell us about each wine and why it was picked. Then, the chef would come out and explain the food pairing.

The wine was all very unique and tasty, but I'm not going to lie, I was 90% in it for the food.

At two different times in the evening, I wanted to lick my plate of jalapeno pepper jam and creme anglaise (different courses, of course). But I was very impressed with the uniqueness of the wines chosen and they all formed a perfect marriage with the food.

Here were the courses and pairings:

• Stuffed Squash Blossom (stuffed with cheese and fire-roasted peppers on a prickly pear and jalapeno jam) paired with a Gruet Blanc de Noir from New Mexico

• Buckwheat Crepes (with mushrooms, bacon and thyme beurre blanc) paired with a 2010 Mercer Estates Chardonnay from Washington

• Thai Basil-Cured Sockeye Salmon (on a potato crisp layered with creme fraiche and blueberries) paired with a 2011 Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir

• Black Velvet Apricot Tarte Tatin (with vanilla creme anglaise) paired with a 2010 Red Tail Ridge Semi-Dry Riesling  

I loved how we all sat around the bar and got to watch the bartenders make drinks for the rest of the restaurant while they simultaneously served us with ease. This was the 10th bar tasting and you can tell, they've got all the details down pat!

Don't we look like we're having fun?!

At $35 per person, this was a great price for all of the wine and food that we got to sample/lick off of the plate. You can get updates on the upcoming tastings on their Facebook page.

Cheers!