Last night Bar Cento hosted a special wine dinner for Slow Food Northern Ohio.
M. F. Richter Riesling Dinner
Dr. Dirk Richter was on hand to introduce wines from his family’s vineyard in the Mosel.
Back in the day, they supplied wines to the Zeppelins crossing the Atlantic. 
Chef Jonathan Sawyer prepared a menu to accompany the wines.
1st Course & Pairings
Salo rye pizza w/ assorted charcuterie
Speck, Mettwurst, Mortadella & horseradish
Richter Riesling Brut Sparkling Mulheimer Sonnenlay 2000
Richter Riesling classic (dry style) 2006
The pizza was topped with (I think) rendered house-made lardo. I beautiful nutty-tasting crust, accented by porky goodness. 
The house-made charcuterie was awesome. There was, of course, a platter of delicious pickled vegetables along side.
2nd Course & Pairings
Crispy Spiced Hake Fish
Curry, Jerk, Chili, and house garum
Richter Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling 2006
M. F. Richter Zeppelin Riesling 2006
The hake was flaky and moist, with a perfect crisp crust. The three seasonings (curry, jerk, chili) were subtle. The house-made garum dipping sauce was a hit! (more on that in a bit).
3rd Course & Pairings
Boudin noir w/ challenging cheeses
St. Agar blue cheese, petit Muenster, Goose Liver & grilled bread
Richter Braunberger Juffer Spatlese Riesling 2005
Richter Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Auslese 2003
The sweetest (and most premium) Rieslings were accompanied by more charcuterie and some wonderful cheeses. In addition to the cheeses listed on the menu, there was also a gorgeous taleggio.
At the end of the evening Chef jonathan came ’round to say hello. I had to ask about the house-made garum. 
He brought over a bottle of the stuff:
Awesome!
