Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce a 5-course Daou winemaker dinner featuring five of their wines from this popular Paso Robles winery including their 96-point “Soul of a Lion” Cab. West Coast manager Daniel Brunner will be here in person to host these dinners. Hope to see you here! Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested.

SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS

Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate extensive menu aberration or vegetarian requests. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know when you RSVP, not when you arrive. We will do our best to accommodate special dietary needs if we can and if given advance notice. Please be aware that last-minute menu aberration requests will be impossible for us to accommodate.

MENU

Blackened Chicken Breast | Garlic Braised Spinach with Lardons | Blistered Tomato + Cognac Cream

2024 Daou Rose (5 oz. pour)

Tarragon + Lemon Roasted Prawn Ravioli | Browned Butter with Caramelized Scallions + Toasted Macadamias

2023 Daou “Reserve” Chardonnay (3 oz. pour)

6-Hour Braised Short Ribs | Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Potatoes | Marchand du Vin Sauce

2022 Daou Merlot (5 oz. pour)

Traditional Crispy Skin Duck Confit | Corona Beans | Rosemary Oil

2023 Daou “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon (3 oz. pour)

 ~ and ~

2021 Daou “Soul of a Lion” Cabernet Sauvignon (3 oz. pour)

Maple Pecan Bar | Vanilla Chantilly Cream

WV&B’s “Covid Cuvée” Manhattan (1.5 oz. pour)

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RSVP (IF ON A DESKTOP COMPUTER)

Click the “Contact the Host” button in the “Tell a Friend” box on to the right and respond with the info below.

RSVP (IF ON A MOBILE DEVICE)

Scroll to the very bottom of this posting. Click the “Contact the Host” button in the “Tell a Friend” box at the bottom and respond with the info below.

RESPOND WITH THIS INFO

1. your cell number and best time to call so we can call you to update your credit card info

2. how many people are in your party, and

3. answers to the HEAD’S UP questions in the paragraph below if you’re a party of 1 or 2.

HEAD’S UP

Seating is EXTREMELY limited. We have a 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 the two firepit tables on the patio for two (https://www.winevaultbistro.com/fire-pit) available if you don’t mind sitting at a lower, coffee table height table. Also, please consider inviting another couple or two to join you as 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

Metered and non-metered on-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius. Try to find non-metered parking as the new meters are now enforced seven days a day until 8:00PM yet still only allow a maximum of two hours. You can also park in the free 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 usually parking on the side streets behind the restaurant, on San Diego Avenue one block in front of the restaurant and on the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street. If you plan to drive here make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to find a parking space but ideally use a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft so you don’t have to deal with it.

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

2024 Daou Rose ~ $18

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: Nose of fresh peach, Bartlett pear and nectarine perfectly balanced with subtle notes of hyacinth, apricot and crushed rose petals. Has a silky texture with clean, fresh crispness and enticing flavors of mango, Crenshaw melon, lemon chiffon and tangerine. Secondary layers of sweet cherry and vanilla with accents of orange peel add an extra layer of complexity to the wine. Long, luxurious finish reveals traces of apple pie, strawberry and kiwi.

2023 Daou “Reserve” Chardonnay ~ $30

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: Blended from exemplary lots from the cooler areas of Paso Robles, this Chardonnay has ethereal aromas of orange blossom, cantaloupe and confectionary. The palate is broad and beautifully textured upon entry, displaying layers of pineapple, melon, passionfruit and hibiscus flower. Crisp acidity brings refreshing verve to a bright, long finish.

2022 Daou “Reserve” Merlot ~ $46

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: Nose of black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and cranberry are accentuated by hints of sage, baking spice and anise. Broad and elegantly weighted palate shows flavors of plum and black currant with accents of cacao nib, cigar box and prosciutto. Fresh acidity and soft tannins bring stature to the beautifully integrated finish. This is the inaugural vintage of this premium reserve wine.

2023 Daou “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $45

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: Nose of blueberry, blackberry, pomegranate, dried currant and chocolate-covered cherry with nuances of nutmeg, hazelnut, tobacco and dried herbs. Rounded, fresh palate with sumptuous flavors of strawberry, plum, black fruit, cinnamon and fig bar. Fine acidity and subtle floral notes bring lift to a long, structured finish.

2021 Daou “Soul of a Lion” Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $125

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc + 6% Petit Verdot. Displays remarkable intensity in the glass with dark, inky ruby-purple hues. Abundant fruit aromas of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry jam and black currant are interwoven with accents of baking spices, sage and graphite. A voluminous entry introduces sumptuous layers of chocolate-covered blueberry, tobacco, mocha, vanilla and toasted oak. The mouthfeel is concentrated and elegant, with round, vibrant tannins that carry into a commanding finish. A wine of immense staying power that will evolve favorably for many years to come. ~~~ Review by Wine Advocate ~ 96+ points: It takes some time to unfold scents of blackcurrants, blueberries, green pepper, dried lavender and sage and continues to open as it spends time in the glass. The palate is stunning! It has ripe, detailed fruit, pixelated tannins and seamless acidity and finishes with fantastic length and perfume. It's an especially elegant example of this cuvée and should be very long lived.

WV&B’s “Covid Cuvée” Manhattan ~ $20 (200ml hip flask)

A magical blend of premium Bourbon, Antica Carpano Italian Sweet Vermouth, a touch of Rye and Luxardo Cherry Liqueur plus a splash of special Old Fashioned Bitters all seamlessly aged together in four charred oak barrels solera style since 2020. Affectionately called our “Covid Cuvée,” we started the first barrel in March of 2020 as a treat for our customers to enjoy while standing in line for their take-out winemaker dinners when dine-in was shut down. We gradually added more barrels over the years but have never let the original barrel go completely dry. So there’s always a little bit of every single year’s batch (going on six years now) in every single bottle. The result? The best Manhattan you’ll ever have with an unduplicatable level of complexity that just goes on and on and on ...

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