HoDo Restaurant: Coppola Wine Dinner

By Nikki Berglund
Staff Writer

Last week the Hotel Donaldson hosted a wine dinner featuring selections from the Francis Ford Coppola wine portfolio. Suzie Olson, the North Central Regional Sales Manager of Coppola who resides in Minneapolis, was there to tell everyone the Coppola story and also to answer any questions the guests might have.

The four-course dinner (technically it advertised five courses, but one was a sorbet which had no wine pairing so I don’t count it) created by the HoDo’s Chef Timothy Fisher was $70 per person.

For the amuse-bouche course, a delicate and delicious “Apple Rutabaga Soup” was served with the Coppola Diamond Series Sauvignon Blanc. I never knew I even liked rutabaga until I had this soup. The wine was light and grapefruity with just the perfect amount of acidity to compliment the soup. I believe this soup has been featured on the lunch menu as well, so if you get a chance, definitely give it a try.

The Diamond Series is considered a middle-tier (there are a couple) Coppola wine that hails from the Napa Valley. The Diamond Sauvignon Blanc normally retails for around $14.99.

The starter course was a “Diver Scallop with Celery Root Puree and a Bordeaux Truffle Demi” sauce. When you put the words Bordeaux and truffle into a sauce I don’t know if it’s even possible to fail and Chef Tim certainly did not. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the celery puree added an intriguing component to the dish.

This course was served with a last-minute surprise selection from Coppola’s newest series of wines, the Director’s series. This label is geared towards showcasing four classic varietals- Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. It too would be considered a middle tier of wines from the Coppola family (yes it does start to get rather confusing!) yet these come from Sonoma. This 100% Chardonnay was smooth and creamy with just the right amount of oak without being overpowering. You can find the Director’s Chardonnay for around $16.99.

The main course consisted of “Waygu (pronounced wha-gue) Short Ribs with Spaghetti Squash and a Huckleberry Rouge Sauce.” Apparently Waygu beef is a type of beef considered very rich and marbled which is sometimes compared to Kobe beef. I thought the meat was quite moist and melted in your mouth.

My husband was not a huge fan of the huckleberry sauce, which he found a little too sweet. I on the other hand like a berry sauce with my beef and really enjoyed it. I also developed a new fascination for spaghetti squash, which I will be adding to my own autumn vegetable repertoire.

The course was paired with the flagship wine of the Coppola portfolio, the Diamond Collection Claret. This is a Cabernet-based red wine blend which uses all five of the traditional Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet(81%), Petite Verdot(10%), Malbec(5%), Merlot(3%), and Cabernet Franc(1%.) With dark berry flavors and hints of coffee, the wine was a beautiful accompaniment to the short ribs. Expect this wine to have a price tag of around $18.99.

For the dessert course, a “Berry Trio,” was accompanied by one of my favorite Coppola offerings, a sparkling wine named after Coppola’s daughter. The Sophia Blanc de Blanc is a light and slightly sweet wine which goes great with a cheese or dessert course.

On a silly note, you can order an individual serving of this wine at the HoDo’s bar which comes in a can…with a straw! In a retail environment this wine goes for around $18.99 and in the tradition of Coppola’s propensity towards unique packaging, the bottle is wrapped in a pink cellophane wrapper, making it a really cute gift idea.

Chef Tim has really settled in nicely to the HoDo and seems to be a perfect fit for this type of dining experience. His food is unique and innovative while also being consistently tasty. His desire to use local and organic ingredients when possible is evident in his interesting dishes.

This chef and dinner make me excited to explore and help further develop the burgeoning wine scene that is currently happening in Fargo.

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If You Go

What: HoDo Restaurant
Where: Hotel Donaldson
When: M-Th 5-9; Fr-Sa 5-10
Info: 701.478.1000, 888.478.8768