Wine Dinner Envy

I received this email from St Innocent the other day. I normally delete these things rather quickly, but I find myself reading the menu again and again, and sweating the awesome wine lineup. The thing that kills me is that the last St Innocent wine dinner in NYC was also at the Tasting Room and cost about $275 before gratuity. This dinner in Portland features wines from St Innocent and also from the esteemed Domaine Voillot, a producer I am very fond of. There are library wines, truffles, fois gras, and all sorts of goodies, and this event somehow clocks in at $100 before gratuity. Hello Portland!

There is another dinner in NYC, again at the tasting room, but I bet the price will be more than double what it is in Portland. The price for the NYC dinner is not listed in the email, and the NYC dinner will not feature Voillot wines.

I have serious wine dinner envy. If I were only going to be in Portland that day...maybe I can use frequent flier miles. Maybe I can participate via live aroma-feed. Anyway, those of you in the northwest - you should go and let me know how it was. here is the email:

3 Wine Dinners - one in Portland, OR (Thursday, July 26th), one in Seattle, WA (Tuesday, July 31st) and one in NYC (Wednesday, Sept. 5th).

Mark Vlossak, St. Innocent's winemaker, will be doing two outrageous wine dinners jointly with Volnay Burgundy legend (in Mark's mind anyway) Jean-Pierre Charlot of Domaine Joseph Voillot (Volnay).

Sorely missed Salem Chef Bernard Malherbe (formerly Fleur de Sel) agreed to re-invigorate his French genes and cook a six course dinner at his current Portland restaurant, Pata Negra. The following week in Seattle, the two will pour their offerings at the fabled Canlis Restaurant. Both dinners will feature 2005 red and white Burgundies from Voillot and 2005 Pinot noir and Chardonnay from St. Innocent. As a bonus, both wineries will pour Pinot noirs from the great 2002 vintage and in Portland, library wines from the early 1990's.Here is the sample menu for the Portland event:

Black Lentil and Citrus salad with Mussels
D. Voillot 2005 Meursault Chevalieres / St. Innocent 2005 Chardonnay Freedom Hill

Peking Duck Breast with Goat Cheese Polenta and Fig Vincotto Reduction
D. Voillot 2005 Pommard Vielle Vignes / St. Innocent 2005 Pinot noir, Justice Vineyard

Free Range Beef Ribeye with Blue Cheese and Fingerling Potatoes
D. Voillot 2005 Volnay 1er Champans / St. Innocent 2005 Pinot noir, Shea Vineyard

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffles and Fois Gras
D. Voillot 2002 Volnay 1er Fremiets / St. Innocent 2002 Pinot noir, Seven Springs

Watercress and Arugula Salad with Crotin Chavigniol and Carmelized Walnuts
D. Voillot '93 or '95 Volnay / St. Innocent 1993 Pinot noir, O'Connor Vineyard

Dessert
St. Innocent 2000 Brut

Sound tasty?
for Portland 7/26/07 call: Pata Negra 503-227-7282, 1818 NW 23rd Place, Portland, OR 97210
Price is $100 per person (plus gratuity)

for Seattle 7/31/07 call: Canlis 206-283-3313, 2576 Aurora Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109
Inquire for details