With the popularity of special wine dinners around town by those in the know, who realize what a good value they are, how they showcase chefs’ originality and culinary scope, and how they introduce diners to a range of excellent, affordable wines, there is really little reason for F&D to make note of them. But in case anyone doesn’t know what they are missing, here are some upcoming opportunities to eat and drink well.
Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. the Bristol Bar and Grille Jeffersonville, 700 W. Riverside Dr., will host an Italian wine dinner with Mollie Lewis of Italian wine importer Indigenous Selections. Newly named Bristol Jeffersonville executive chef Heather Brown will concoct a 5-course meal to complement Lewis’s wine selections. The dinner menu will include bruschetta with a grilled vegetable display; grilled Caesar salad with roasted sweet peppers and grilled shrimp; mushroom tortelloni; slow-roasted pork with white beans; and an Italian cheese sampling with nuts and fresh and dried fruit. Each course, of course, will be paired with an Italian wine chosen by Lewis, who will comment on her wine choices. Cost of dinner and wine pairings will be $65 Call 812-218-1995 or go to www.bristolbarandgrille.com.
Also on August 18, Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Ave., will feature a 6-course dinner paired with Bonterra organic wines, introduced by guest speaker Emily Walz, Regional Manager at Bonterra Vineyards. The menu: shaved Prosciutto de Parma and goat cheese with apricot mostarda; salad of spicy greens with honeydew, grapes and herb vinaigrette; roasted chicken and cavatappi pasta in a Brie cream sauce; wine-braised beef short rib and wild mushroom ragout; grilled Porterhouse lamb chop over pea and risotto; and chocolate pot de crème with blackberry jam. The dinner will be $65; call (502) 899-9904.
Thursday, August 20 at 6:30 p.m.., Brasserie Provence, 150 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., will host a dinner featuring the California wines of Robin K & Hayes Valley. Aaron Horton, wineries managing partner and David DuBou of Vintner Select will by on hand to discuss their wine choices for the dinner. The menu will include passed hors d’oeuvres, cioppino, beet and asparagus risotto, culotte steak, and Humboldt Fog Grand Chevre with seasonal fruit compote for dessert. The dinner and wine pairings will be $65. Call (502) 883-3153.
And on Saturday, August 22 at 6:30 p.m., Edward Lee will cook a dinner inspired by his recent sojourn at the James Beard American Restaurant in Milan, Italy for the 2015 Milan Expo. Lee and his kitchen crew will prepare a “Kentucky meets Milan” dinner, reflecting the themes of the Expo, as well as some of the new dishes they encountered in their Milan stay. The 4-course dinner will be served family style in the Wine Studio across from 610 Magnolia, 610 W. Magnolia Ave. The dinner will be $65; beverages will be additional. Call (502) 636-0783.
