There’s an unbelievable, bargain-priced wine dinner tonight that you must make time for.
Maggiano’s Little Italy in Costa Mesa and world-famous Antinori Wines are the tour de force tonight at 6:30 p.m.
The price is $38 per person. I thought it was a mistake when I saw the price. You can’t have two courses of food and one nice wine for that price, so to miss this bargain is a travesty.
Antinori is family-owned, now in its 26th generation of winemaking.
Piero Antinori, 25th generation patriarch, was at the forefront of introducing to the world super Tuscan wines three decades ago. The class of these wines put Italy in a category on a peer level with the great wine houses of Bordeaux and Burgundy and the upper echelon wineries of Napa and Sonoma, just then coming onto the scene.
Maggiano’s executive chef Kevin Gilbert will begin tonight’s dinner with a selection of hors d’oeuvres and an appetizer of beef tenderloin carpaccio with Villa Antinori wine (crafted from a blend of sangiovese, merlot, cabernet and syrah).
Next, antipasti of seared day-boat scallops will be paired with Vermentino (a white wine made from special grapes harvested on the Tuscan coast). Following an intermezzo of fresh mango sorbetto, an entree of veal roulade with porcini and shitake mushrooms, parmesan risotto and an eggplant and tomato Napoleon will have Peppoli wine in the glass (from the renowned Peppoli vineyard; it’s a stellar Chianti).
Rounding out the meal will be a trio of fresh dessert fruits paired with Antinori Torcio (a smooth dessert wine).
Maggiano’s: 3333 Bristol St. (South Coast Plaza), Costa Mesa, (714) 546-9550.
Hotel Changes Bring New Chef
Goodbye Sutton Place hotel, hello Fairmont Newport Beach.
A new executive chef comes along with the hotel changes, a product of San Clemente-based Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc.’s acquisition of the hotel from Tarsadia Hotels of Newport Beach a while back. Sunstone has hired Fairmont to operate the hotel.
Set to take over the kitchen on Aug. 15 is Garth Washburn, a cooking veteran of two decades. From his training at the Culinary Institute of America, through two previous stints with Fairmont hotels and some other impressive properties along the way, he’s studded his resume with several prominent awards to validate his cooking prowess.
Fairmont Newport Beach: 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, (949) 476-2001.
Energy-Conscious Vineyards
For those of us who are happy to see environmental responsibility, it’s nice to know that Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley recently became the first winery in Napa and Sonoma counties to move to 100% solar power.
Solar power was the next sensible step for Shafer, but it came with some initial risk. With sunny days from April to October, Napa Valley is a solar sweet spot, but the cost for the 129 kw system was $980,000 (half of which was rebated to Shafer through a program managed by the California Utilities Commissions).
Still it’s a huge investment for a company with only 16 employees.
Winemaker Doug Shafer says that GE Energy’s efficient solar power system already has started to prove its worth. On a sunny day, the electric meter often runs backwards, and Shafer anticipates the investment will pay for itself in as little as seven years.
Now, dozens of other vineyards also have taken steps toward solar power, including Sierra Vista Winery in Placerville and Domaine de la Terre Rouge in Amador.
House Wining
Here’s a little info on an inexpensive but superb wine for your casual home meals.
There’s a nifty Shiraz at about $8 that competes nicely with much more expensive wines in its category. It’s the 2002 Black Wing from Australia, specifically from the McLaren Vale region of South Australia.
If you want to shell out about $87 for a Penfold’s Shiraz, that’s up to you. But you should give the Black Wing a shot. It’s got a slightly peppery, dark berry and cassis backbone that finishes off with wild cherries as the last drop goes down your throat.
I’ve tasted the Yellow Tail brand from Australia, which is a little cheaper, and the Black Wing is far more value-driven given the aroma and vibrant, youthful flavor it delivers.
