Dinner in Venice

Our time in Venice was whirlwind - we had a mere 17 hours to experience the city before rushing off to our next wine destination. After wandering around the Piazza San Marco, ooh-ing and aah-ing at the waterfilled streets, and sighing with contentment watching the gondolas float by, we took someone's recommendation and settled in at the Taverna la Fenice for dinner.

We were completely stuffed from having been wined and dined for three days straight, so all we wanted to do was share a leisurely bottle of wine and a pasta dish. A bottle of the Ornella Molon 2007 Sauvignon provided us with exactly the fruit and minerality that we were looking for to sip, enjoy, and jump-start our appetites. After nibbling on vegetable crudites and sipping our wine for a while, we settled on sharing a risotto. Rich and creamy, with lots of homemade sausage dotted throughout, the risotto was spooned onto our plates from a hollowed out bread bowl. The unique presentation wowed us, and we were enchanted by the whole place and experience. Despite our protests about dessert (we were hoping to grab some gelato on the walk back to the hotel), one of our waiters loaded us up with a plate full of unique petit fours - mini canollis, chocolate covered candided orange peel, and crumbly buttery cookies.

The dinner was simple and perfect. Needless to say, we will carry with us fond memories of our wine meal in the most romantic city in the world.