Local Wine Events

Event Details

Wine OR Wine & Food

Can't make it to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras this year?  Then come on down on Fat Tuesday (February 21) anytime from 5:00 on for our twist on an authentic New Orleans style feast paired with five different drinks.  We'll start with an Amber Lager from Abita (the only brewery in New Orleans), followed by three of our favorite wines that can stand up to the intense flavors of Creole cooking, and finish with Cafe Brûlot Diabolique, the classic coffee nightcap created at Antoine's, the oldest restaurant in New Orleans (and the entire United States for that matter).

Cost is a mere thirty-nine fifty for everything including all five drinks and the entire 10-course Mardi Gras tasting menu.  Hope you can join us!  Here's the line-up.  Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested.

10-COURSE MARDI GRAS TASTING MENU
1. Asparagus "Benedict" | Sauce Béarnaise | Braised Bacon | English Muffin
~ and ~
2. Griffin Farms Greens | Ricotta | Herbs | Hazelnuts
served with:
Abita Amber Lager ~ 4 oz. pour

3. Fried Oyster | Celeriac Remoulade | Brown Butter Toast
~ and ~
4. Gioia Burrata | Brioche | Stone Crab | Cucumber
served with:
2009 Halter Ranch "Ranch White" Rhone Blend ~ 3 oz. pour

5. Roast Pork Belly | Biscuit | Shrimp Gravy | Pickled Shallot
~ and ~
6. Jalapeño Cheese Grits | Pickled Ramp Biscuit | Baby Broccoli
served with:
2009 Sextant "Wheelhouse" Zinfandel ~ 3 oz. pour
 
7. "Blackened" Prime Hanger Steak | Stewed Beans | Crispy Rice | Caramelized Onion
~ and ~
8. 14-Hour Braised Short Ribs | Smoked Potato | Goat Cheese Gremolata
served with:
2009 Sika Merlot ~ 3 oz. pour

9. Beignet | Vanilla Cream | Coco Nib Pudding
~ and ~
10. Espresso Mousse | Shortbread | Crème Fraîche
served with:
Café Brûlot Diabolique (Devilishly Burnt Coffee) ~ 3 oz. demitasse

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RSVP ~ (619) 295-3939
Please make your reservations directly with Wine Vault & Bistro at 619-295-3939.  We're very good about returning calls promptly, so please leave a message with the best time to return your call if you get the dreaded voice mail.  Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST.  Sales tax and an 18% gratuity will be added to the cost of all dinners.

PARKING
On-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius.  Remember that it’s OK to park in yellow commercial zones on holidays and that meters are also not enforced.  You can also park in the lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed!  If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s always LOTS OF PARKING on San Diego Avenue and the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street.  There's also a huge pay parking lot ($1 per hour) at the Mission Brewery Building two blocks south at the corner of Washington & Hancock.  (You'll have to take San Diego Avenue to Noell to Hancock to get there due to the one-way streets.)  So please don't drive yourself crazy endlessly going around in circles waiting to pounce on that perfect spot when there's TONS OF PARKING less than three blocks away!

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES
Abita Amber Lager
(New Orleans) Amber is a Munich style lager brewed with crystal malt and Perle hops.  It has a smooth, malty, slightly caramel flavor and a rich amber color.  Abita Amber was the first beer offered by the brewery and continues to be their leading seller.  Amber is Abita’s most versatile beer for pairing with food. It has been voted "best beer" in numerous New Orleans reader polls and is used frequently in recipes of great Louisiana chefs.

2009 Halter Ranch "Ranch White" ~ $12
(Paso Robles) Winemaker's Notes: Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier + Sauvignon Blanc.  Displays a luminous lemon hue and clean, youthful aromas of pear drop, peach, sweet grass, baking spices, oro blanco grapefruit, citrus blossom and toast.  Balanced, creamy palate of ripe peach, honeysuckle, grapefruit, candied citrus peel, honey and pineapple flavors with a crisp, lingering finish.  Delicious now with heavy-fleshed white fish and cream-sauced chicken and pasta dishes, it will develop more aromatic complexity and an even richer mouthfeel with 2-3 years of additional aging.

2009 Sextant "Wheelhouse" Zinfandel ~ $16
(Paso Robles) Winemaker's Notes: 86% Zinfandel, 10% Syrah + 4% Petite Sirah.  Nose of boysenberries, black pepper and a scent of sandalwood.  Focused and zesty attack of black plums and anise balanced with vibrant acidity in the evolution and smooth tannins in the long finish.

2009 Sika Merlot ~ $22
(Napa Valley) Winemaker's Notes: 91% Merlot + 9% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Plum, cocoa and essence of roasted coffee beans mingle with blackberry, bing cherry, pomegranate, fresh raspberry compote and hints of lavender.  Soft and plush yet solid in structure.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered.  Sourced from two Grand Cru quality vineyards located in the Atlas Peak AVA. 500 cases produced.

Café Brûlot Diabolique (Devilishly Burnt Coffee)
A coffee digestive cocktail probably created at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans in the 1890's.  Traditionally flamed tableside over a long spiral of orange peel, our version is flavored with Cognac, Grand Marnier, cloves, cinnamon, sugar and a hint of orange and lemon juice.

THE FINE PRINT
Due to fluctuations of supply, we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value in case any of the wines or foods become unavailable.  Please, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ... even if your babysitter flakes out on you at the last minute!