“The goal of this evening is so you will dare to order a glass of wine next time you dine at a restaurant.” Those were the words of Coromandel’s managing partner, chef, and jack of all trades, Gopi Nair at the latest CTBites Invites event where Indian cuisine was paired with wines from around the world.
But wine with Indian food? It is possible. Apparently wine was popular among Indians thousands of years ago but as time passed the country became integrated which resulted in wine becoming all but obsolete. Nair explained to the dining room of food fanatics that he did not grow up pairing wine with food but people should not stray from marrying the two. “You can come to an Indian restaurant and order wine,” Nair said. “You don’t have to order beer or a martini.”
If you're in the neighborhood and like your bubbles, don't miss the "Cheers to CAVA Wine Dinner" on Thursday, April 12th at Barcelona Restaurant in West Hartford, 7pm.
Champagne is one of the world’s most profound and expensive wines, usually only drank in times of celebration. However, Spain has its own popular sparkling wine created in the exact same style as its French counterpart, called Cava. While never bearing the generally high price tag as to Champagne, Cava is just as enjoyable and inspiring. As a self-declared “bubble head,” Gretchen Thomas, Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona Restaurant Group, is throwing a wine dinner showing off her favorites from several Spanish regions and their uncanny ability to pair well with even the heaviest and most flavorful dishes - a good thing since their Executive Chef, Adam Greenberg, is known for his creativity. This promises to be one of the most eye-opening food and wine pairing event of the season.
$45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
For reservations, email gretchen@barcelonawinebar.com
If you got sold out of our PHO-nomenal Vietnamese Dinner at Match for April 4th, here's something else you can do that night. The new Darien Social is hosting anexclusive five-course winemaker's dinner at 10 Center Street, Darien on Wednesday, April 4th 2012 at 7pm.
Jeremy Kreck, winemaker at Mill Creek Winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, will showcase and discuss his estate-grown wines. Mill Creek is a true family-owned boutique winery whose wines have won some of the most prestigious awards in California
Join Coromandel SoNo's Gopi Nair for anexclusive dinner and wine pairing, hand crafted for CTbites Invites. Gopi will be our "gastronomic host" for a unique 3 course dinner on Thursday March 22 from 7-9:30 pm.
The evening will begin at the bar with appetizers and wine, followed by a sit down dinner with innovative and authentic Indian cuisine. Gopi will explain the preparation and history behind each dish and will select wines to enhance the meal's flavors and spices.
This CTbites Invites event is $65 per person and promises to leave you knowledgeable and appreciative of fine Indian cuisine and wine.
Join Fountainhead Wines and Fat Cat Pie Co. on March 3rd for an evening of Peterson wines with special guest Jamie Peterson, winemaker and next generational fixture at Peterson Winery in Dry Creek, Sonoma. Peterson Winery has an old world winemaking philosophy and a reverence for sustainable farming. The Peterson approach is to capture the essence of vintage and vineyard—a philosophy they call Zero Manipulation—with low tech, yet high touch, to produce wines of a place, wines with soul.
Fountainhead will be pouring an array of Zinfandel from the much heralded 2009 vintage along with a few other treats, including the superb Gravity Flow Syrah from vines high atop Bradford Mountain. Fred, Jamie's father, has pronounced the Zins from this vintage as some of the best in the last twenty years and guests will sample their way through these offerings accompanied by lovingly prepared cuisine from Fat Cat's chef de chez, Robert Herlihy.
Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 27 @ 7 PM [UPDATED]. This party is a true celebration of great food and great wine, with musical stylings courtesy of the Kelly Mittleman Trio! The event features Ridgefield's finest with Bernard's Restaurant, Sarah's Wine Bar and Monica from 109 Cheese & Wine. Check out the menu below:
The Fall/Winter schedule for Barcelona Restaurant Group's wine and cocktail events has been released. You'll find it complete with education on wine pairings, tasting menus, and mixology 101 "Cocktail Classroom" evenings. These unique events allow guests to experience Barcelona more intimately in small groups designed to inform and tantalize. Get up close and personal with one of the many talented Barcelona chefs as well as Gretchen Thomas, Barcelona's Wine and Sprits Director. Check out the line up below:
Southwest Cafe in Ridgefieldwill be hosting a Hatch Chile Wine Dinner on Tuesday, September 13 at 7 p.m. This four course dinner will be paired with wines by Monica Brown of 109 Cheese & Wine. Southwest Café is located at 109 Danbury Road in Ridgefield, CT. Dinner is $65 per person, gratuity not included. For reservations, email babsswc@aol.com or call 203.431.3398. Seating is limited.
Bernard's Restaurant in Ridgefield will be hosting a "Will Drive 4 Food" dinner on August 21 at 6 p.m., inspired by the recent trip of 109 Cheese & Wine owners Monica & Todd Brown. This family style seven-course meal will take place at a single long table in the garden of Bernard's Restaurant, the first event of its kind at the restaurant. (See menu below).
The inspiration was a recent cross-country trip the Browns took in their vintage 1963 Porsche 356, traveling through California, Oregon and Washington and the midwest. In addition to enjoying the scenery and enjoying some amazing meals, they were
Rose seems to be the buzz word on every wine menu this season. Trendy? Who cares...there are some really great labels out there doing Rose right.
You can sample a few of these at The Boathouse on Tuesday the 5th of July at their weekly "Wine on the Water" wine tasting series.
Those of you who already drink rose will find exciting new examples of this category and those who don't will be introduced to some truly amazing summer wine.
The Wine: The tasting will include a Bandol under the label "Mas de la Roviere", a Cerasoulo under the label "Torre dei Beati", a Provencål called "Le Ferme St Pierre" and a Venetian sparkler by "Le Colture."They will also be throwing in an oddball or two in the mix.
On Friday May 13th, join Fat Cat Pie Co & Fountainhead Wines for sparkling pairings with Terry Theise Treasures. It’s their May ‘Grower Bubbly’ Dinner with Leif Sundström, Portfolio Manager for Terry Theise Estate Collections. Having attended their last effervescent event, these noteworthy dinners are a wonderful way to gain insight into a portfolio or indivudual grower. Some of the bottles opened for these events are simply impossible to find in the states or have been created in such small quantities that they are cost prohibitive. If you like your bubbles, this is one to check out. You can review the complete pairing menu below:
Café Chocopologie is teaming up with chocolate guru Clay Gordon, author of Discover Chocolate as well as the man behind the site The Chocolate Life, to create a new series of sophisticated events designed to entice serious foodies and chocoholics to the South Norwalk Café and retail outpost of Knipschildt Chocolatier.
Aiming to offer an experience beyond the usual wine dinner, Chocopologie and Gordon have orchestrated a series of events that combine intriguing pairings of chocolate and spirits. The first came in April -- a five-part pairing of scotch and chocolates -- combining Knipschildt chocolates with five single malts Scotches. What’s not to love about that?
BONDA Chef Jamie Cooper will be hosting a Pinot Wine Dinner Tuesday March 22nd @ 7PM with Fat Cat/Fountainhead pouring their favorite Oregon gems. The boys of Fountainhead will be at Bonda along with Jim Anderson of Patty Green Cellars. It's a Pinot Party and one of the most passionate Pinot experts, Mike Pelletier will be on hand alongside special guest, Jim Anderson of Patricia Green Cellars, featuring ’09 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. Check out BONDA's tasty menu below:
Spring is a time for rebirth; a time to emerge from hibernation and celebrate new experiences. One of the most exciting new experiences I have recently come across is happening every Tuesday 7-9PM at The Boathouse At Saugatuck. Chef John Holzwarth is coming out of the kitchen and cooking in the main dining room for an immersive weekly wine tasting event, "Wine On The Water." Weather permitting, they will move this party to the beautiful outdoor riverside patio featuring a raw bar and seasonal nibbles. These evenings are geared towards wine appreciation and exploration and if you've had the opportunity to sample the wine list at The Boathouse, you know they have some very unique finds.
@ $35 a person, this should become a weekly recurring event in your calendar.
On April 2, 2011, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines & Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistroare uniting in a 3 hour gustatory explosion. It’s your opportunity to savor over 50 red-hot wines from Europe and South America while noshing on creations from Chef Rob’s (of Nicholas Roberts in Norwalk) spring menu.
Why: Because thousands of children perish daily simply because they lack access to clean water. 100% of all door proceeds and 10% of all sales from the evening will be donated to Turning Wine Into Water, whose mission is making clean water available to some of the world’s poorest populations.
Join Fat Cat Pie Co & Fountainhead Wines on March 16th for an evening supper club in their wine room with special guest; winemaker Fred Peterson of Peterson Winery, Healdsburg, CA (Dry Creek AVA) and musical guest; jazz keyboardist Robert Aries.
If you are only familiar with Fat Cat's pizza, wait till you see what Chef Herlihy and his team can do next door. These events allow diners to do a deep dive into the world of wine, whether it be a region, or a vineyard. Personally, I'd go just for the Salad Course. Their Chopped Kale Salad with Quinoa and Currants is an excellent addition to their current "Specials" menu, and really worth a try. Check out the full menu below:
On Wednesday, March 16th @ 7PM, The Dressing Room & Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines hosts the next in their series of wine dinners featuring Benziger Family Winery. Benziger is one of the finest biodynamic, organic vineyards utilizing only sustainable farming methods. The result is a portfolio of authentic and memorable wines. Their commitment to "practices that are good for the earth and the vine, good for the farm worker and the farmer, and good for our colleagues and our customers" mirror Dressing Room's mission precisely. The inspired menu reflects their enthusiasm for this pairing partner.
UPDATE: We just got word that Mike Benziger will be is town to host the event himself. Check out the menu below:
"Spanish Heaven" can be found right here in Norwalk at Fat Cat Pie Co's Spanish Wine dinner on Friday October 29th, 7:30 PM, 3-5 Wall Street.
Inspired by a recent visit to Spain's Rioja region and the estate of Valserrano, Fat Cat/Fountainhead Wines will be hosting their first fall wine dinner featuring Valserrano vineyards.
Lucky diners will experience lberian inspired culinary creations paired with classic Rioja wines. Chef Bobby and the Fat Cat kitchen crew will surely make this a memorable evening (Check out the menu). What better way to start the Halloween weekend?
Don't miss the unique opportunity to try out one of CT's top restaurants, Bernard's in Ridgefield, at their end of summer "Tapas, Paella & Wine Dinner." Inspired by a recent trip to Barcelona, Bernard and his wife Sarah (of Sarah's Wine Bar at the same location) are teaming up with local wine merchant Cellar XV to offer up this very special evening. The event will feature sangria, Spanish wines, and tapas galore served (if weather permits) in their beautiful garden. If you haven't eaten at Bernard's, this is a great way to sample this very special restaurant.
