Dive into a glass of sauvignon blanc paired with octopus | Phil Your Glass
The octopus carpaccio on the menu at Lock 15 Brewing Company in Akron has been pulling at my taste buds with all eight of its arms. So, I met up on a recent Saturday with a few other octopus enthusiasts, Chef Beau Schmidt and Edson Pinheiro, to give it a try.
The three of us share a wonderful friendship as well as a love for all things octopus. Last year, we went to check out the tasty eight-legged wonder on the menu at Pitchfork in Bath. We also dove into Chef Dave Russo’s octopus creation when it popped up on his appetizer menu last summer at Russo's in Cuyahoga Falls. Love those succulent suction cups!
We've even sipped on a few glasses of Pulpo beer, which is served at Beau’s on the River in Cuyahoga Falls. Pulpo means octopus in Spanish.
Carpaccio, by the way, simply means thinly sliced meat or fish. It was invented in the 1950s by Chef Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy.
Naturally, I needed to pick out a glass of wine for all of this conviviality. You can’t go wrong with the wine list at Lock 15 Brewing Company. I consider it a place where wine lovers can go to have great food and craft beer with their beer-drinking friends.
When I spotted the $10 glass of Lapis Luna California sauvignon blanc on the wine list, I knew it would be perfect.
Chef Jessica Starr’s $18 octopus carpaccio creation was simply amazing. The thin slices of octopus were served on a bed of arugula with a bit of red onion and paper-thin slices of seedless cucumber, topped with a few deep-fried caper berries.
In my eyes, it was a thing of beauty. A fork full of the salad and a sliver of the octopus was pure gastronomical joy. I loved how the lemon caper vinaigrette complemented the citrus flavors of the wine.
Swirl the wine in your glass and let the lemon zest aromas take you far away from all of the crazy Ohio weather.
Way to go Ohio!
Congratulations to Michael Angelo's Winery in Richfield and their winemaker Randy Roberts for capturing 10 medals in the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition last weekend, including a Best of Class award for their $29 2022 Ohio Rosé. Over 50 judges evaluated more than 5,500 wines from 1,000 wineries in North America. The Buckeye State came home with 50 total awards.
Nick Ferrante and his family winery in Geneva had another strong showing this year, winning nine medals. And the Grand River Valley Winery in Geneva won a Best of Class award for its $18.99 Grand River Valley Star Seeker Bubbly Blanc.
Other Northeast Ohio winners include:
The Vineyards at Pine Lake in Columbiana (six awards)
North Coast Wine Club in Solon (three awards)
Debonne Vineyards in Madison (three awards)
Silver Crest Cellars in Madison (two awards)
Weymouth Winery in Hinkley (one award)
You can reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Octopus pairs perfectly with this sauvignon blanc | Phil Your Glass
