"This Week" at Vino and Hiroshi
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!!
We look forward to a GREAT 2010!
VINO HAPPY HOUR ”at the bar seats only”…
Starting Wednesday, January 6th, we will be offering a 50% discount on VINO food for those sitting at the VINO bar from 5:30 to 6:30pm. ALL orders must be in by 6:30PM. This Special will be good for the month of January & only when VINO is open for regular business.
It is a great opportunity to have a bite to eat instead of fighting the traffic.
“Locally Grown” Menu… @ Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas
Chef Hiroshi Fukui will feature a new “locally grown” menu each month
Sundays & Mondays (only) $35 per person (not including tax & gratuity)
For Month of January …
First Course
Sous Vide of Big Island Baby Abalone “Poke” Sushi
konbu rice, chili pepper water aioli, shiso & white truffle oil
Second Course
Kona Cold Lobster Tail “Newburg”
baked with haricot verts, parmesan cheese, scallops & calamari, forbidden black rice
Main Course
Brie Cheese Torched Maui Cattle Meatloaf
mashed potato, seasonal vegetables & shiitake mushroom sauce
Sweet Course
Ice Cream Sandwich
peanut butter cookie with Bubbie’s chocolate ice cream & mint foam
Call now for reservations and be sure to mention that you are having the
Locally Grown Menu to ensure we don’t run out!
Thursday Januray 7th “Winetasting at VINO” 6:00PM
Just last night I was talking story with a couple of wine friends, whom I really have enjoyed tasting wines with over the years. One of the topics of discussion was about our favorite Californian Chardonnays…..which gave us the idea to do this tasting. And to take it all a step further, why not feature some of our favorites, which most people do not have an opportunity to taste very often.
So, here we go……..
2006 L’ANGEVIN Chardonnay “Russian River” (Russian River)
This is a highly acclaimed, REALLY hot Chardonnay phenom by former Peter Michael-ers, Robbie Meyer & Alan Peirson.
2004 AU BON CLIMAT Chardonnay “Mount Carmel” (Santa Rita Hills)
The steep, rocky, wind pounded Mt Carmel hillside vineyard is undoubtedly one of the very sites in all of California for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Since it was planted in 1991, it is now 18 years old. This is the very last vintage Clendenen produced. It is a wine of purity & fine-ness, with superb texture.
2004 WHITCRAFT Chardonnay “Bien Nacido Vineyard” (Santa Maria Valley)
After all of these years of tasting & working with the wines of Chris Whitcraft, I have learned they are not for everybody. His wines are brash, outlandish & so atypical of what’s in fashion. I consider them unique & quite soulful. PLUS, we love how they get better with a little bottle age.
2002 SCHERRER Chardonnay “Fort Ross Vineyard” (Sonoma Coast)
As VINO regulars well know, we are huge fans of Fred Scherrer wines. They always have such elegance, refinement, impeccable balance & delicious-ness. Typically Fred only produces around 200 cases each year of Chardonnay. It REALLY gets better with bottle age.
Here is his 2002 to show you what we mean.
2006 FORMAN Chardonnay “Napa Valley” (Napa Valley)
As we have noted over the years, Ric Forman is one of the legendary winemakers of the Napa Valley…quite the feat, especially when one considers his superstar career has spanned 4 decades. AND….amazingly his wines are even better than ever! His one white wine, Chardonnay, is always so incredibly elegant, suave, seamless & wonderfully layered & is perennially one of the very best out of California.
There you go…..5 wines….5 of the very best out of California…..2 ounces each…..$39 a person (not including tax & gratuity).
By reservations only. 533-4476.
Wednesday Januray 13th “Winetasting at VINO” 6:00PM
Because of the Holiday Season, we have kind of slowed down on the tastings & dinners. At the same, we have collected quite a stash of very cool, unique wines. So, let’s start it all up again!!!!! Let’s taste Italian Nebbiolo. As aficionados are reading in the wine publications, 2004 & ’05 are getting rave reviews. They both are really good vintages for Nebbiolo.
Here is a sneak preview………..
2004 ELVIO COGNO Barolo
Overseen by superstar oenologist, Beppe Caviola, this is a very sleek, elegant highly refined, classy Barolo
2004 MARCHESI DI BAROLO Barbaresco
One of the great names of Piedmontese winemaking, this estate dates back to the 12th Century!
2004 DAMILANO Barolo “lecinquevigne”
Produced from 5 distinct sub-regions & overseen by top wine consultant, Giuseppe Caviola, this is a wonderfully perfumed, classy, pretty style. Don’t be deceived, as this wine is quiteageworthy as well.
2005 RENATO RATTI Barolo “Marcenasco”
#7 in the 2009 Wine Spectator Top 100 list. It is great to see this “sleeping giant” rise again to the top!
1999 MOCCAGATTA Barbaresco “Basarin”
10 years old! We thought it would be really cool to also show an aged Nebbiolo to compare. It gives one a better idea of what can be.
There you have it….5 wines….2 ounces each…..$42 a person (not including tax or gratuity).
By Reservations only….533-4476 or email Nicole nmadosik@dkrestaurants.com
Wednesday Januray 20th “Communal Table” 6:00PM
Our very first “Communal Table” of 2010!!!! It is a great opportunity to share good food & meet new friends….VINO style. These communal tables are without a doubt some of the most fun occasions we have at VINO. Here is the menu for this one……
Homemade Pizza with wild mushrooms, carmelized fennel, roasted red bell peppers & fresh Nalo Farms arugula
Ligurian Stuffed Calamari with house made marinara
Red Wine Braised Short Rib with Swiss Chard & saffron gnocchi
Dessert (to be announced)
$39 a person (not including wine, tax or gratuity).
By Reservations only….533-4476 or email Nicole nmadosik@dkrestaurants.com
This is definitely my kind of food!
Wednesday February 3rd “Alexander Alioto, Keith Endo & Friends”
Mark your calendars. Our good friend Alexander Alioto from San Francisco is coming to VINO to cook. Alexander has worked at two of the top Michelin rated restaurants in Italy…..1 in Germany….the French Laundry…& the Ritz Carlton under Chef Ron Siegel. What a resume!
Keith went to San Francisco to work with him this past summer because Alexander makes the most incredible pasta & gnocchi!
On this night we will be doing a FOUR COURSE dinner at VINO…..TWO SEATINGS….5:30PM….and then again @ 7:45PM. We have asked Alexander to do more casual, homey kind of Italian ‘country” food. I just can’t wait!!!! Keith has also invited some of his culinary friends—Chef Ivan Pahk (2 time Maui “Chef of the Year”) for example-- to help cook. It will be quite the night! More details to follow.
Real food lovers—this is a dinner you will not want to miss.
Now On to Wines………
2008 ERIC CHEVALIER Chardonnay NEW By The Glass
In the good ole days, French Muscadet was readily served with raw oysters on the half shell. Back then when I was studying for the Master Sommelier Exam, Muscadet was a real tough wine for me in “blind” tastings. Why? Because fresh Muscadet was perceived as non-descript….as light as can be, slightly frizzante & all about crispness & refreshing-ness…the kind of attributes I really relish today!!!! (Imagine…it only took me 30 years to get it!) Muscadet was NEVER about showiness. Keep in mind, these were also the days of BIG, oaky Chardonnays & masculine, statuesque red Bordeaux…which should partially explain its obscurity in the U.S.. Well this same region with its variable limestone, sandy, sandstone-y, quartz-y, gravelly soil pockets are still there and there is a small group of vignerons trying to make the best wine they can. Enter Eric Chevalier who not only makes an incredibly fresh & alive Muscadet, but also makes a very light, magically food friendly Chardonnay too. If you tasted this wine blind, you would never guess it is a Chardonnay. It is a far cry from anything out of California, or anywhere else for that matter, which is precisely why you should come down and try it. Only at VINO, after months months of trying to get it here.
2006 GRAVES WINEGROWERS Mourvedre “Ohana Vineyard” NEW By The Glass
It was a while back when I tasted a Mas de Maha bottling from a Paso Robles winery named Villa Creek. The main grape used was Tempranillo which was from the Ohana Vineyard. Sounds local? Come to later find out owner Hilary Graves graduated from Moanalua High School. Imagine that! Needless to say, we were on the road looking for them on our next visit to the area. Here is one of their fabulous, elegant, well textured reds…intriguing, sultry, masculine….but delicious nonetheless.
2006 L’ANGEVIN Chardonnay “Russian River” NEW By The Glass
Here is one of those highly acclaimed, contemporary winemaking hotshots from northern California. Owners Alan Peirson & Robbie Meyer are former Peter Michael-ers who have spun off to do their own thing…..from the vineyard to the bottle. Their portfolio of Chardonnays are getting rave reviews from all of the media & deservedly so. This particular Chardonnay is so elegant, classy, seamless & well textured…..which is why we decided to showcase it by the glass, while supplies last.
Wines of the Month (prices good for January only)…
2004 AU BON CLIMAT Chardonnay “Mount Carmel”—$42 a bottle
if there was a Grand Cru system in California, this steep, rocky, wind pounded vineyard would certainly be one. This is the last bottling of an era, as the grapes now go exclusively to Brewer Clifton.
2004 Marchesi di Barolo Barbaresco--$65 a bottle
This is a more traditional styled yet very classy, elegant, highly refined Barbaresco
from a superb vintage. There is nothing like a good Nebbiolo to savor.
2006 ALTA MARIA Pinot Noir “Bien Nacido Vineyard”--$46
This wine is showing so beautifully right now….so perfumed, elegant, feminine, classy & delicious. I did a 6 glass Pinot tasting for a professional friend last week & this was number 1 for him….(and for me as well). A Must to Check out!!!!!!!!! By the way, owner, James Ontiveros just snuck into VINO last night to partake of Keith’s “Communal Table”. In case you are not familiar with him, James also oversees some pretty famous vineyards…..Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills & his own, Rancho Ontiveros. Under his Alta Maria label, they typically produce 3 wines….50 cases of Grenache, 75 cases of Syrah & 175 cases of Pinot. REALLY terrific stuff. I believe his winemaking partner, Paul Wilkins, used to be the ass’t winemaker for both Alban & Sine Qua Non. Interestingly where those 2 are power wines, Paul’s own wines offer much more finesse, refinement & elegance. Check it out for yourself!