We wine lovers in Dallas appreciate a good glass, and are often willing to travel to get it. If you are in the mood to enjoy a good glass or two, either at home or away, here are a few ideas that are sure to put you in the mood to taste.
Monday evening Sevy’s Grill will host their monthly wine dinner, this month featuring the small production, very special wines of August Briggs. The Napa Valley property is known for their robust, fruit filled wines and Sevy has a special menu created to pair perfectly with each of the evening’s selections, including Shrimp and Crab Gallete with Braised Endive and a warm mustard sauce to pair with August Briggs Dijon Clone Napa Valley Pinot Noir and a Hickory Grilled Ribeye Cap pairing with August Briggs robust Monte Rosso Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. The five course dinner will start at 6:30, and will feature the lovely Beth Adams, a Texan who followed her passions for wine to California and is the Director of Sales for the winery. The dinner is $90++ per person, reservations at 214-265-7389.
On Thursday, May 21 Ser Steak + Spirits in the Hilton Anatole welcomes one of my favorite people to cook alongside Ser Chef, Anthony Van Camp, for a very special wine dinner. Winemaker Stephanie Putnam of Raymond Vineyards is traveling in to Dallas with the extraordinary Chef Michou Cornu, Raymond Vineyard’s in-house chef. Though based in Napa, Chef Michou’s French roots speak through his decadent flavors, enhanced by the fresh vegetables surrounding him daily in the biodynamic gardens of Raymond.
For this dinner Chef Michou and Chef Van Camp will team for a multi-course dinner celebrating spring, and of course, Raymond’s award winning wines. Courses include pairing like Day Boat Sea Scallops with Madras Curry Mustard Fumet with Raymond Reserve Chardonnay 2013; and Lamb Shoulder Pressee + Lamb Tenderloin: Lamb Rack Persillade in a Pinot Noir and mustard sauce with a special bottling of the current release Sommelier Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, created by a group of Somms and wine directors who visited the winery and created their own delicious Raymond Cabernet blend. I dined with Chef Michou at Raymond on a recent trip to Napa, tasting through his combinations, while also watching his generosity and mentoring spirit to his kitchen team at Raymond. I was charmed. He is a treasure. And his food is delicious, especially when paired with wine from Raymond. This dinner shouldn’t be missed. The dinner starts at 6:30, $149++, reservations available 214.761.7479.
Around the first weekend in June hundreds descend upon Napa Valley for one of the biggest parties of the year. Bonus, it is all for good. Auction Napa Valley is one of the largest fundraisers in the country, put on by the 400+ members of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV.) Over three days the annual event raises funds to contribute to various chariots within Napa Valley, focusing on education, healthcare and supporting activities in the region. As noted by the 2014 Chariman of the NVV Board of Directors, and GM of Silverado Vineyards, Russ Weis, “Auction Napa Valley allows us to turn three days of the best of Napa Valley into 365 days of wellbeing for our community.” Over the past 30 years the annual event has helped NVV invest more than $120 million into Napa County nonprofit organizations. It is a fabulous celebration of food, wine and giving back. It also shows how generous this region is with its own, as often the biggest auction bidders are from the folks that live and work within the valley, giving back to their community. A few full package tickets are still available here.
There are few places where tasting and eating can be accompanied by pure paradise. Happily, one is on Maui, HI at the annual Kapalua Wine and Food Festival presented by Kapalua Resorts partners. Created to educate, initiate and foster the appreciation of fine wines and food, as well as showcase the natural beauty of Hawaii at Kapalua Resort.
Kapalua Resort is 22,000 acres natural Hawaiian beauty located on the northwest shore of Maui, stretching from the West Maui Mountains to the edge of the Pacific. With most events hosted at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, starting on June 11, guests will be treated to cooking demonstrations with acclaimed chefs, like Charlie Palmer and Michael Mina, while tasting with stellar winemakers, like this year’s line up including Christopher Carpenter/Lokoya & Cardinale, Philippe Melka/Melka Wines, David Adelsheim/Adelsheim and Dan Kosta/Kosta Brown. The 4 day celebration brings the aloha spirit to everything tasted, enhanced by one of the most beautiful spots in Hawaii. This is the 34th year of this annual celebration, the longest running food and wine event in the USA, supporting the Maui Culinary Academy. I am able to attend this year, as a guest of the festival, so I will be posting on details to plan your trip next year. However, if you can join us in a few weeks, a few tickets are still available. Details, as well as information on accommodations, are available here. With all the rain we have had in Dallas, doesn’t the sunshine of Hawaii sound dreamy?
If staying a little bit closer to home is more your speed, then opportunities to taste throughout Texas are calling. There are over ten different Texas Wine Trails, each traveling through our beautiful state, from staying just around Dallas, heading north, west or east, or south to the Texas Hill Country. The Texas Hill Country Trail is probably the most well traveled, with 42 wineries dotting the landscape from Austin to Fredericksburg and Lampasas to New Braunfels, giving visitors dozens of tasting rooms to visit along the way. And, if you need a place to stay, Fall Creek Vineyards and Winery, the oldest established winery in the Hill Country, recently opened their tasting room in Driftwood, adding a charming guest cottage available to rent. For $375 a night the 2 bedroom guest house is perfect for couples traveling together on a Texas wine adventure. Details on each of the Texas wine trails are available on the Go Texan website here.
