Thinking out loud about Neighborhood Christmas dinner

[Jenise]

Here's the menu as of this moment:

citrus arancini, Prosecco
mushroom bruschetta, Prosecco
Cold soup amouse bouche parmesan-zucchini
Antipasto platter, maybe two whites
Individual lobster lasagnas, _______
Lamb shank osso bucco, amarone and brunello
biscotti, vin santo

I have a ripasso I purchased for this meal a year ago. It's surprisingly light bodied, but tasty. I'm thinking about putting it with the lasagna which will have a sauce made from tomato, cream, gin and herbs, along with an Italian rose. Not common to serve a red with seafood, but in this case I think it will work. Unfortunately I don't have an extra bottle with which to test this theory. Thoughts?

Cold soup amuse bouche parmesan-zucchini

Yes, yes, yes! The last time I was in France I was served a little glass of creme de courgette that was topped with a dollop of tomato confit and a little piece of smoked salmon. A wonderful combo that I remember well.

biscotti, vin santo

Ya gotta serve pignoli cookies if you're going to keep to the same high level as lobster and amarone...

I have a ripasso I purchased for this meal a year ago. It's surprisingly light bodied, but tasty. I'm thinking about putting it with the lasagna which will have a sauce made from tomato, cream, gin and herbs, along with an Italian rose. Not common to serve a red with seafood, but in this case I think it will work. Unfortunately I don't have an extra bottle with which to test this theory. Thoughts?

Dicey. I learned the hard way about tannins and seafood. I agree you have confounds in there... cream and a whack of gin... but a ripasso will also have high alcohol. Really needs testing first.

[Jenise]

Jeff, appreciate your comments.

Re the lobster rav, the gin really disappears into the sauce, it just adds structure and a hint of mystery more than anything else. I know re testing--but I don't have an extra bottle.

Thoughts?

Have one or more likely suspect whites chilled, and yank the red if it clashes.

[Jenise]

Jim, perfect solution if a small dinner party at home. But I have to buy and serve a bottle each to ten tables, two wines per course and we already own the ripasso. Too much invested not to put it somewhere!

[Jenise]

Update: trial batch last night of the lobster ravioli with Shallot Gin cream sauce. Served with a rose and a light fruity ripasso. Killer!!! It worked--we couldn't decide which pairing we liked better.