- Exclusive wines of the month
- a birthday award of $15
- two free wine tastings a month
- exclusive wine club dinners
- other exclusive events like book signings, chef presentations, special wine tastings, and more
- special tours of Napa Valley and Sonoma
- special wine trips
- three bottles of wine (we recently upgraded to the three bottles a month option)
We just took advantage of our first wine club dinner themed A Toast to the Amalfi Coast.
"Come join us for a night of flavor-filled dishes inspired by the
Amalfi Coast. We’ll be serving up a menu created by Chef Matt McMillin:
The three-course meal with wine pairings will transport you right to Italy."
Tickets sell extremely fast to these events, so much so that my husband puts the ticket sale date on his phone with an alarm! It worked this time, as we were able to score tickets to our first Wine Club dinner.
We dressed in tourist dress (Bob in a short-sleeved linen shirt and khakis and me in a floral dress.) We were greeted with glasses of Prosecco and told our table number. We found our seats and were pleased to learn that we were seated with the restaurant's general manager, Alyssa. We chatted until it was time to start. All the event workers, the staff, the chef, and the event coordinator were introduced to the group. Approximately 50 people were in attendance.
Our first course was Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread with Shrimp Al Limone paired with Cooper's Hawk Pinot Gris. The shrimp dish had casarecce pasta, garlic sausage, grape tomatoes, and spinach. Lemon zest was added to the pasta, which brightened the wine as well. The shrimp was cut in a way that made it spiral. The spiral-shaped helped the shrimp hold on to the sauce.
Our second course was Pancetta-Wrapped Medallions served with summer squash, pepperonata, and herb-roasted potatoes topped with aged-balsamic jus. The pairing was the Wine of the Month: Isola del Mare. The notes on this wine are that it is a classic Italian style of wine with little oak influence, bright acidity, and soft earthy notes of leather and forest floor. It's a deep red with a nose of plum and cherry. You'll find anise and dried herbs as well.
Our third and last course was a Torta Caprese (not the tomato kind we are used to) a rich chocolate cake with toasted almond crema and amaretto chocolate sauce. It was served with a digestif, Amaro Averna. Amaro Averna is made in Sicily and has a bitterness that comes from herbs but that is pleasant. The addition of caramel brings some sweetness to the drink. The drink's recipe has not changed since 1868.
We enjoyed our first Wine Club Dinner so much we are hoping to get tickets to the August one which will have an Australian flair to it. It focuses on Australian wines and seafood.
