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Menu
Main Dish: Italian Fondue
Dessert: Raspberry Rum Trifle
Wine Cellar: Beaulier
Vineyard® Merlot
Stags Leap® 2000 Napa Chardonnay
Robert Mondavi® Fumé Blanc
Centerpiece: Terrific Topiary
Music: Grover Washington, Jr.,
Soulful Strut
Wine, Cheese
&
Fruit
Good wine and good friends are all about fun, so up the tempo with Grover
Washington, Jr.'s Soulful Strut. Take the color scheme from the
food and drink – rich burgundies, golds and greens, accentuated
by a simple backdrop of white tablecloths and clear glass stemware. The
scent of flowers interferes with the wine’s bouquet, so opt for
ivy topiaries placed throughout the room. 
Choose food that doubles as table décor – large glass bowls overflowing with grapes, wine goblets filled with bread sticks and a variety of cheeses and crackers arranged on gold plastic trays, garnished with green apple slices and red grapes. Whip up a cheesy Italian Fondue (see recipe below) to dunk everything in and tempt palates with Raspberry Rum Trifle for dessert.
Italian Fondue
Serves 6
| INGREDIENTS: | |
| 2 | tablespoons butter, Land O’Lakes® |
| 2 | tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped |
| 2 | tablespoons all-purpose flour, Pillsbury® |
| 1 1/4 | dry white wine, Vendage® |
| 1 | jar (16-ounce) Alfredo sauce, Classico® |
| 1 | package (8-ounce) shredded Six-Cheese Italian Blend
(mozzarella, smoked provolone, Parmesan, Romano, Fontina, and Asiago cheeses), Sargento® |
| Dippers: crusty Italian bread, cubed; quartered figs; and cooked, cubed potatoes | |
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
PREPARATION:
- Melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add sage and cook until butter is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Whisk in wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in Alfredo sauce.
- Gradually add cheese, whisking until cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a fondue pot, chafing dish, or ceramic bowl.
- Serve with bread, figs, and potatoes.
