For the fourteenth year in a row (almost!), Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce a 5-course wine dinner featuring Cass Winery from Paso Robles. Cass makes premium quality, limited production wines, focusing primarily on Rhone varietals. Winery co-owner Ted Plemons will be down from Paso Robles to personally host this dinner.

As we’ve done in years past, we’re featuring an Asian inspired menu. Did you know that Asian foods typically pair exceptionally well with Rhone varietals? While Asian flavors can sometimes overpower delicate or high acid wines, and while tannic wines can sometimes clash with the robust flavors of Asian food, Rhone-style wines (both whites and reds) typically pair well because their fruitiness and lack of dominate oak influence make the perfect foil for Asian foods. So we designed this 100% Asian inspired menu to pair with these wines which we are confident you're going to absolutely love. We even went "old school" for dessert and are serving Trader Vic's Scorpion Cocktail (still found in nearly every San Francisco Chinese restaurant) for the finale. Yum! And, for the beef course, we’re doing a dual pairing of Rhone red blends served side-by-side. Both wines will have the exact same varietal composition only in opposite proportions, enabling you to experience how the dominant varietal changes each blend’s flavor profile.

We hope you'll be able to join us for what promises to be a fun evening of tasting great wines paired with great food in the company of one of Paso’s most colorful personalities! Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement and the menu is below.

MENU

Salt ‘n’ Pepper Grilled Prawns | Jasmin Crispy Rice | Bangkok Coconut Herb Sauce | Coriander-Lime Salad

2025 Cass Viognier (4 oz. pour)

Miso-Glazed Salmon | Roasted Wild Mushrooms | Scallion Crepe

2024 Cass Grenache (4 oz. pour)

Crispy Duck Eggroll | Grilled Cherries | Charred Cabbage

2024 Cass Mourvèdre (3 oz. pour)

Beef Duo: Beef Kushiyaki + Smoked Short-Rib Soup Bao

2023 Cass “Rockin’ One” Red Blend (3 oz. pour)

  ~ side-by-side ~

2022 Cass “Rockin’ Ted” Red Blend (3 oz. pour)

Coconut Gelato

Scorpion Cocktail (3 oz. pour)

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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)

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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

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 long communal tables (“Last Supper” style) as that will greatly increase your chances of getting in. (Yes, we understand that this is a Valentine’s dinner and that most folks will want a private table and, yes, we will do our best to accommodate that but at some point we max out on private tables!) We also have a firepit table for two (https://www.winevaultbistro.com/fire-pit) available so let us know if you’re OK with that table if you want to sit by yourselves. 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. 

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 NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES

2025 Cass Viognier ~ $22

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 100% Viognier. Nose of white peach, apricot, ripe pear, orange blossom, honeysuckle and jasmine lifted with lemon zest and a light wet stone minerality. Palate of nectarine, golden apple and melon balanced by fresh acidity with a touch of ginger and citrus. Clean, polished and persistent finish with lingering stone fruit and floral tones plus a hint of minerality and grapefruit that keeps it bright.

2024 Cass Grenache ~ $29

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 100% Grenache. Nose of ripe raspberry, strawberry compote, red plum and candied cherry with background aromas of baking spice, dried lavender and dusty earth. Plush, open palate of mixed red fruits with soft tannins balanced with a rounded, juicy core and a subtle note of clove spiced pineapple. Supple and expansive finish with lingering red fruit, spice and fine tannins.

2024 Cass Mourvèdre ~ $31

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 100% Mourvèdre. Nose of black raspberry and boysenberry with charred mesquite, meat, cracked pepper, black tea and leather. Dense, layered attack with flavors of dark plum and mulberry.  Firm, grainy tannins contribute shape and grip with a savory core of tapenade and cocao nib notes. Long, structured finish with lingering dark fruit and smoked spice notes ending with an earthy complexity and an edge of minerality.

2023 Cass “Rockin’ One” Red Blend ~ $39

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 49% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre + 5% Petite Sirah. Nose of blackberry preserves, dark cherry, blueberry and plum reduction with clove, star anise, smoky vanilla, roasted coffee and graphite in the background. Full, seamless palate entry with immediate depth with subtle tannins from the Petite Sirah adding grip and color.  Flavors of black and blue fruits with hints of dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, and baking spice. Long, coating and integrated finish with lingering mixed berry compote and warm spice flavors.  Structured yet polished.

2022 Cass “Rockin’ Ted” Red Blend ~ $55

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: 40% Mourvèdre, 27% Syrah, 26% Grenache + 7% Petite Sirah. Nose of caramel, black cherries and anise. Medium-bodied palate with flavors of raspberry, smoked brisket and pepper. Bright, long finish with chalky tannins balanced with flavors of stewed cranberries, white pepper and a hint of vanilla custard.

Scorpion Cocktail

According to cocktail legend, the Scorpion had its beginnings in the '30s in a little bar in Honolulu called The Hut, where some unnamed barkeep poured rum, citrus, orgeat syrup, and brandy over ice, garnished it with an orange, and dubbed it the “Scorpion.”  Vic Bergeron (of Trader Vic's fame) picked up the recipe a decade or so later at his bar in Oakland, tweaked it a bunch, multiplied it by about four, and created the Scorpion Bowl, a large-format cocktail still served in Tiki bars and Chinese restaurants around the world. One of the beautiful things about a Scorpion is that no one can agree exactly on how to make it. Vic himself changed his recipe constantly, eventually publishing at least three versions of the drink. We experimented with many versions and finally, after much research came up with our own version. Ours contains light and dark rum, cognac, freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice and orgeat (almond) syrup.

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