Louisville diners have an embarrassment of riches this week. 211 Clover Lane, Limestone and Bristol Bar & Grill all are offering special wine dinners, events that are perhaps the best value in local dining.
For wine dinners, chefs concoct a special multi-course menu designed to pair with wines usually, though not always, from one winemaker. The dinners offer a chance to sample five to six wines, and a chef’s off-the-menu dishes that show off the kitchen’s best efforts, at a price point that is always reasonable and sometimes a bargain.
Wednesday, March 12, 211 Clover Lane will host a four-course dinner with special guest Drew Neiman, owner of Vanguard Wines and winemaker behind some of the most sought after wines coming out of California today. Reception is at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7, the cost is $75. Call (502) 896-9570.
Thursday, March 13, Limestone, 10001 Forest Green Blvd., will host Ashley O’Leary, of Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa, California, who will discuss the wine pairings for the 5-course dinner chef Jim Gerhardt will serve, beginning with the Decoy Chardonnay to accompany the passed hors d’oeuvres at the 6:30 reception.
The first course will be seafood campechana, paired with Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, followed by an arugula salad and Paraduxx Red Z Blend.
The entree will be seared Angus tenderloin with julienned long beans, served with Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon. Dessert will be California CDreaming banana split, with Decoy Pinot Noir. Dinner and wine pairings will be $68. Call (502) 426-7477.
And on Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m., Bristol Bar & Grille, 700 West Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, Ind., will host Rudy Basile, sales manager for VIAS Imports, who will talk about his pairings for an Italian wine dinner devised by chef Richard Doering.
Bruschetta, salumi and arancini will be passed at the reception, along with Prosecco Valdobbiadene Desiderio Jeio NV. The first course wine will be Soave Classico Suavi, complementing a grilled Caesar salad with shaved Pecorino Romano, roasted tomato and white anchovies. The pasta course will be orecchiette with rapini, pancetta, langoustine and Parmesan cheese, served with Gavi di Gavi Broglia La Meirana.
The entree will be braised pork shank with wild mushroom risotto and truffled demi-glace, paired with Chianti Classico Gagliole Rubiolo. The dinner will end with a cheese course highlighted by Tallegio and accompaniments. The wine will be Vigneti delle Dolomiti Terre di San Leonardo Tenuta San Leonardo 2009.
Dinner and wine pairings will be $55. Call 812-218-1995.
