For many wine drinkers, Portuguese wine entails little more than antiquated dessert libations famously enjoyed by America’s founding fathers and stuffy old British guys. Fast-forward a couple centuries, and you see a country that’s conceivably the most exciting place for wine in Europe today, rollicking with progressive winemaking spirit. Please join us and special guest Catarina Vieira, owner and winemaker of Herdade do Rocim, for a night of modern Portuguese wine paired with an Iberian influenced menu by chef Andrew Miller. Catarina hails from the southern Alentejo region, where she crafts white wines that display freshness and minerality and red wines of elegance and complexity. Seating is limited.
Menu
Ahi Tuna “Tataki”
potato, Worcestershire, ramps, shiso
2015 Verdelho Blanco
P.E.I. Mussels
tomato water, bolo de caco, olive, sweet potato
2011 “Rocim” Tinto
Lake Superior Walleye
pork belly, wax beans, stone ground grits, piquillo pepper
2016 “Mariana” Rose
Morcilla Blood Sausage
focaccia, garlic aioli, tomato, chickpea
2016 Vale da Mata Tinto
“Pasteis de Nata”
Wisconsin butter, strawberry, hazelnut
Where is the one place in the world where the majority of the wines receive 90 points or higher at an average price of less than $30?
Some mystical fantasyland conjured up by Wine Spectator? Nope. The place is heaven on earth – Washington State.
But Washington doesn’t stop at great QPR. Its terroir produces wines of balance, depth, longevity and beauty – across a myriad of styles, including Cabernet, Bordeaux blends, Syrah, Chardonnay and more.
Yet for all of Washington’s delicious wines, to many it remains in the shadows of California. This tasting aims to change that. Via selecting a wide range of some of the newest and best producers in Washington, we will highlight something for everyone across this great state.
Wines to be tasted:
2013 Dunham Trutina Red Blend, Columbia Valley $24.99
2015 Gramercy Cellars Lower East Syrah $24.99
2016 Trust Columbia Valley Riesling $18.99
2012 Andre Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain $64.99
2015 Dusted Valley The BFM Cabernet $69.99
2016 L’ecole Columbia Valley Semillon $18.99
2015 Leonetti Cellars Merlot $99.99
2013 Betz Family La Cote Rousse Syrah $59.99
2015 Bookwalter Cabernet Franc Horse Heaven Hills $59.99
& a bonus wine for those who arrive on time!
After years of making wine for other people, David Sampedro broke out and founded his own garagisita winery so he could focus on his “Phincas.” Phincas are parcels of very old vines scattered throughout Rioja and all of Spain. Many winemakers find Phincas impossible to farm and unsustainable to make wine from. Yet to David, this is the majesty of Rioja — a centuries-old tradition of wines that’s proud of its origins, respectfully made as a collaboration between man and earth.
Join us as we welcome David’s local representative Erin Grace to showcase his estate’s dynamic and terroir-driven wines. Indeed, with all the Rioja wine I taste and drink, these are some of the most sensational new wines I’ve been introduced to all year.
Wines to be tasted (limit of two wines per person):
2016 Bhilar Rioja Blanco $15.99
2016 Bhilar Phincas Thousand Mils Rioja Blanco $39.99
2015 Bhilar Rioja $15.99
2014 Bhilar Phincas $26.99
2014 Bhilar Phinca Abejera $42.99
2014 Bhilar Phinca Lali $55.99