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Remember your first food epiphany?
The moment when you placed a morsel of food in your mouth - it might even have been something that you have eaten before - and when it made contact with your tongue and you began to savor it, you let out an audible "mmmm..." Or, the time when you were sipping a familiar varietal and just happened to do so while the taste of your last bite was still lingering and just then, the term "pairing" took on new meaning?
It was one of those "ah-ha" moments, on a slightly grander scale, that was and continues to be the inspiration for Three Tomatoes Trattorias and their new sister restaurant, Nika.
The year was 1992. Robert Meyers and Jim Reiman were established restaurateurs. Their first Three Tomatoes Trattoria was attracting crowds in Lebanon, NH when they were approached about the opportunity to attend the Slow Food Convivium in Florence.
Founded in 1989 by Carlo Petrini's desire to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat and where it comes from, the mantra of Slow Food expressed what Robert and Jim wanted to create in their restaurants - an environment where good food and good wine are sourced from producer's they know and can be enjoyed by everyone.
Slow Food's organizers created the conviviums as a place for innovative and passionate restaurateurs, wine-makers, chefs, farmers, and food artisans to meet and discuss how to integrate the Slow Food philosophy into each community's food culture.
It was also during this time that Italy's winemakers had identified the United States as a major marketing opportunity. The entire spectrum of wines being exported was rapidly increasing and who better to showcase how their food friendly wines enhanced the enjoyment of food than America's restaurateurs. During their first visit to Italy, Robert and Jim had many experiences that made lasting impressions. Among them, dining at the vineyards with the producers and being exposed to conversations and presentations focusing on the history of their wines (in many cases, several generations deep), their philosophy of growing and their details of production.
One of the strongest impressions was made during their attendance at a convivium in Piedmonte when they were selected to dine, with a very intimate group, at the home of legendary wine maker Angelo Gaja. Considered one of the finest producers of Barolo and Barbaresco, the Gaja Winery began over 150 years ago when Giovanni Gaja opened a small restaurant in Barbaresco, making wine to complement the food that he served. Gaja wines were among the first to be bottled and sold outside of the region and under Angelo's direction, the native Nebbiolo grape has been elevated to world-class esteem. The singular founding purpose of Gaja Winery - to produce original wines with a sense of place that reflect the tradition and culture of those who made it - has not only inspired five generations of impeccable family winemaking, it inspired Robert and Jim to pursue their own wine education as well as to bring similar opportunities and experiences to Three Tomatoes diners.
Dinners celebrating wines from a variety of countries and regions have been a tradition at Three Tomatoes, and now Nika, since the restaurants' founding. Robert and Jim strive to create a dining experience reminiscent of what they enjoyed around many hosts' tables in Italy. And, to provide the opportunity to pair wine and food from similar regions, creating a taste sensation where the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.
At Nika, the tasting and pairing opportunities are enhanced by the restaurant's new wine system. Over 20 wines are now available by the glass, offering Nika diners the unique opportunity to taste wines from a variety of countries and regions in the Mediterranean -and to pair each course with a selected vintage - making every meal at Nika a wine tasting and pairing opportunity.
Robert and Jim have built lasting relationships with many winemakers since their visits to Italy and many of them are invited to host wine dinners at all of the restaurants. Two exciting evenings are on the calendar for July and August.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 6:30pm
wines from southern France and northern Spain
Kristin Butke of Eric Solomon's European cellars
Tuesday, August 13, 2013 6:30pm
wines from Italian coastal regions
Michael Burke of Vias Imports
Plan to join us for one of these evenings, or to create your own pairing of some of our exceptional wines with Chef Dennis Vieira's Mediterranean inspired creations.
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