Please join us (21 and up only, please) on Saturday, March 30th at 6:00 for our Chef’s 5-Course Tasting Menu with paired wines. Doors open at 5:15 for happy hour and dinner starts promptly at 6:00. Cost is a mere eighty-nine fifty for all five courses and all five paired beverages. Sales tax and a 20% gratuity will be added which will bring the total to just under $115. Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST. We accept Visa and MasterCard only.

NOTE

Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we are unable to accommodate vegetarian requests or extensive menu modifications.

CHEF'S 5-COURSE TASTING MENU

Beet Tartare | Green Garlic Ricotta | Sherry Vinaigrette | Salsa Verde

2022 Stolpman “Estate” Roussanne (5 oz. pour)

Seared Scallop | Cauliflower Vichyssoise | Preserved Lemon | Pickled Sultanas

2019 Maritana “La Rivière” Chardonnay (3 oz. pour)

Coq au Vin Raviolo | Caramelized Mirepoix | Seared Mushrooms | Bacon Broth

2021 ZD Pinot Noir (5 oz. pour)

Sous Vide Petite Filet | Roasted Spring Vegetable | Smoky Whipped Potatoes | Mushroom Demi-Glace

2018 Chateau Chapelle d’Aliénor Bordeaux Supérieur (3 oz. pour)

Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme | Toasted Mello | Crushed Hazelnuts

Magdala Spanish Orange Brandy (1 oz. pour)

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RSVP

Please RSVP by clicking on the “Contact The Host” button in the box on the right and responding with the following information.

1. your cell number and best time to call so we can call you to update your credit card info if we don’t already have it on file

2. how many people are in your party, and

3.(IMPORTANT!) answers to the HEAD’S UP questions in the paragraph below,. 

HEAD’S UP

Seating is EXTREMELY limited. We have a very limited number of tables for couples who want to sit by themselves so please let us know if you’re willing to sit at communal tables as that will GREATLY increase your chances of getting in. We also have two firepit tables for two (https://www.winevaultbistro.com/fire-pit) available so let us know if you’re OK with those tables if you want to sit by yourselves. If you’re a party of four or six there won’t be a problem getting your own table. We are currently limiting party sizes to a maximum of six.

LOCATION & PHONE

Wine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upstairs terrace. Follow the black handrail up the stairs from the sidewalk to our front door. Our phone number is (619) 295-3939.

PARKING

Meters are free after 6:00 so if you park in a metered space just put in enough money (usually under a buck) to get you to 6:00 and then you’ll be home free. Free non-metered on-street parking is also usually available within a 3-block radius. 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. 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 SALES

Although some wines may be in limited quantities, all wines poured at this dinner will be available for purchase at the restaurant until sold out. We reserve the right to limit sales of any rare or allocated wines at our discretion.

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES

2022 Stolpman "Estate" Roussanne ~ $24

(Ballard Canyon) Winemaker's Notes: 88% Roussanne + 12% Chardonnay. Lemon energy froths and surges from the nose through the mouth brimming with ripe tropical pineapple. Mouth-filling and viscous, yet airy and wispy, with perhaps some fresh coconut flesh and a quenching, long-lived finish. 340 cases produced.

2019 Maritana “La Rivière” Chardonnay ~ $35

(Russian River Valley) Winemaker’s Notes: Robustly built and structured. Shows intensely layered elements of quince, fig and baked pear with nutmeg and vanilla oak rounding it out further. ~~~ Review by James Suckling ~ 94 points: A full-bodied Chardonnay with layers of fruit and some tannins that provide richness and texture at the same time. It’s so rich and intense. Extremely long and flavorful. Give this some time to open and come around. ~~~ Review by Wine Enthusiast ~ 93 points: A blending of several exquisite vineyard sites, including Ritchie and Martinelli, this wine is cohesive and complete with well-honed flavors of Gravenstein apple, nutmeg and pear. Barrel-fermented, it holds its oak in well-integrated check, remaining fresh and fruity in the glass. (Chris chiming in: This wine was made by Donald Patz of Patz & Hall fame and is absolutely spectacular. It has layer upon layer of complex flavor and it just now starting to reach its prime five years after vintage when most Chardonnays are over the hill. I’ll be setting some of this aside in my personal cellar for at least 3-5 more years.

2021 ZD Pinot Noir ~ $42

(Carneros) Winemaker's Notes: With a beautiful medium-ruby color, this Pinot Noir exhibits aromas of raspberry, briary black cherry and rhubarb mingled with hints of baking spice, clove, cedar, and toast. The palate is full and lush with notes of strawberry and pomegranate, and the subtle oak nuances integrate perfectly with the core of ripe fruit and perfectly balanced acidity. This wine is drinking wonderfully now and will age gracefully for many years to come.

2018 Chateau Chapelle d’Aliénor Bordeaux Supérieur ~ $21

(France) 80% Merlot + 20% Cabernet Franc. One of the most sought-after values in Bordeaux, Chapelle d'Alienor is produced by famed Chateau la Gaffeliere. About a fifteen minute drive from the vineyards that make their $100 wine, Alienor and Alexandre de Malet Roquefort found this property in Mouliets-et-Villemartin back in 2001. After seventeen vintages, the 2018 is hitting the perfect notes of black fruits and structure that is well integrated into the rich wood and acidity. A superb wine at a great price. ~~~ Review by Jeb Dunnuck ~ 90 points: Coming from the sprawling Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux, this wine is made by the team at La Gaffelière and is a tank-aged blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. This ripe, sexy, flamboyant wine reveals a deep purple color as well as classic notes of black cherries, tobacco, forest floor and earth. Showing a floral edge with time in the glass, it’s medium-bodied, upfront and ready to go.

Magdala Spanish Orange Brandy ~ $35

(Spain) A Mediterranean orange liqueur made by steeping orange peels in grape brandy carefully distilled in small batches at the Torres distillery in Barcelona. Ageing in old oak casks produces an aromatic elixir, silky in texture and exceptionally elegant. (1 oz. pour)

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!

Hope to see you here. Buon appetito and cheers!

Chris