Two upcoming wine dinners are definitely worth putting on our dining radar. Tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 20, Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Ave., will host a special wine dinner featuring the wines of Villa Maria Estates, an award-winning New Zealand winery. And Thursday, Sept. 29, Brasserie Provence, 150 N.Hurstbourne Pkwy., will offer a special south of France dinner featuring the wines of Provence.
The guest speaker at Varanese’s dinner will be Fabian Yukich, Executive Director of Villa Maria Estate. The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception, and the dinner, at 7, will begin with a fried goat cheese and walnut ravioli served with a warm apple butter sauce. The salad will be Pinot Gris-poached pear with mixed greens and bleu cheese in a charred Maui sweet onion vinaigrette.
The third course will be braised pork belly served over green pea purée, followed by pan-seared duck breast and roasted spaghetti squash with a soft cooked egg and crispy leeks. The main course will be slow-roasted leg of lamb Wellington.
Dessert will be toasted meringue Pavlova topped with a warm Riesling ganache, with dried fruits and nuts and a honey drizzle. Each course will be paired with a Villa Maria wine. The cost of dinner and wine pairings will be $65. Calling (502) 899-9904 or email letsdine@varanese.com.
A week later, Brasserie Provence will offer a 4-course Provence Wine Dinner on Thursday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. David DuBou, Wine Expert for Vintner Select, will share his insight into the wines from Provence that he has chosen to pair with the dinner.
The dinner will begin with a mini-bouillabaisse, accompanied by the Domaine du Dragon Rosé.
The second course will be a pork cannelloni with seasonal wild mushroom ragout paired with Mas de Gourgonnier Rouge. The entrée will be osso bucco Provençale with an eggplant custard gratin paired with La Croix Peyrassol Rouge. Dessert will be aged goat cheese on an arugula salad, candied pine nuts and figs in red wine syrup and sorbet paired with Bandol Rouge, Chateau Pradeaux.
The price for the Provençal Wine Dinner will be $65. Wines served will be available for purchase by participants with a 15% discount through Westport Whiskey & Wine.
Reserve by calling 502-883-3153 or online at www.brasserieprovence.com
