2008
Winter Wine Festival Calendar of
Events
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Friday, January
18
The Grand Tasting
Reception – with Dancing to Ben Baldwin and the Big Notes 7-9:30
pm
KICK IT OFF IN STYLE WITH DANCING TO BEN BALDWIN AND
THE BIG NOTES, A HUNDRED OR MORE WINES TO TASTE, CHEFS FROM TWELVE
OF THE REGION’S BEST RESTAURANTS SERVING UP THEIR FAVORITE FOODS,
WINE AUTHORITIES TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, A BUFFET FROM THE
WENTWORTH, AN ICE BAR AND MORE.
The
opening of the 4th annual Winter Wine Festival will be bigger and
better with wine stations and chefs throughout ALL of
the Wentworth’s ballrooms. This is the perfect opportunity for wine
and food lovers to sample hundreds of wines – both renowned and
undiscovered from all over the globe and be among the first to get
details about a special New England Wine
Festivals wine cruise to the Mediterranean led by
Festival Director Michele Duval
aboard Regent Cruises. This showcase
of new, rare and exciting wines from the world’s great wine regions
along with a lavish assortment of hors d’ouevres
from the area’s best chefs
is the perfect opportunity to bring friends and clients and make the
Grand Tasting your own special group tour of the world's finest
wines. Whether
you're a seasoned expert or an intrigued beginner, winery
representatives welcome you as they mix useful knowledge with
exquisite samples of their art, but remember tickets for the Grand
Tasting sell quickly. Avoid disappointment; order your tickets
online today. $69.95per person plus tax and gratuity
Restaurants participating in the Grand Tasting
Reception are Latitudes Restaurant,
Wentworth by the Sea Hotel Dining Room, Plum Island
Grille, Brazo, Black Trumpet Bistro, Library Restaurant,
Popovers, Green Monkey, Massimo's, 100 Club, Ten Center Street, and
Cafe Mediterreaneo.
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Saturday, January 19
Grand Vintner’s Dinner of Italian Wines: All ‘Tre
Bicchieri’ Wines with Celebrity Chef Chris
Prosperi
Reception
at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés
and
Four-Course
Dinner at 7pm
The
coveted Tre Bicchieri, or Three Glass award, is conferred each year
by Vina d'Italia on Italy's best wines: over 90 expert tasters,
divided into 30 commissions, taste 25,000 wines each year from each
of Italy's wine-producing regions. We present the best of the best
as Italian wine expert, Riccardo Legnaro returns 
from Rome to lead us
through the evening joined by Chef
Chris Prosperi from the highly acclaimed Metro Bis in Simsbury,
Connecticut, who will create an Italian-inspired dinner just for
these wines. The New York Times declared of Chris ‘an
original American chef whose restaurant is worth traveling
for.’
$109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Sunday - January 20, 27, and
February 3
Piper- Heidsieck Bubbles and Jazz Brunch
10am-2pm
If you need a reason to drink Champagne in the
daylight hours, the spectacular Bubbles and Jazz Brunch is it.
Add the elegant and lively Piper- Heidsieck Champagne and it's an
extravagance - an opportunity to sample, nibble and indulge.
Featuring chef attended action stations, oysters on the half shell,
sides of smoked salmon, rich roasts, savory seafood dishes, mounds
of fresh berries, tropical fruits, chilled shrimp, fresh pastas,
baby vegetables, a pastry buffet and more are presented against a
backdrop of ice sculptures, sparkling fountain and jazz combo.
$44.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Thursday,
January 24
Riedel Glass Demo
Claus Riedel (9th generation) changed the
world of wine with his revolutionary concept of functional stemware.
He was the first in history to recognize the effect of a glass shape
on the perception and pleasure of drinking wine. Georg Riedel
(10th generation) further developed the concept that the
delivery of the wine’s ‘message’ depends on the form of the glass.
Doug Cohn of Riedel and Sheilah Reynolds of Vineyard Brands will
lead us through a flight of four wines in stemware from the Vinum
Series in an informal seminar. See for yourself how the correct
choice of glass enhances the flavors of the wine. The Riedel
glassware is yours to keep. $39.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Friday, January
25
French Heritage in the Andes: A Grand Vintner’s Dinner
with Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval des Andes
Wine Reception at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and
Four-Course Dinner at 7pm
In
the1950s, Moët & Chandon sent its Chief Winemaker to Latin
America to investigate the potential for producing world-class
luxury wines. Highly impressed with the unique snow-fed, high
elevation vineyards, they decided to launch their first vineyards
ever outside of France. Terrazas de los Andes has become a
specialist of super-premium wines, carefully matching each varietal
to the ideal altitude. In 1999, Terrazas de los Andes mountain
terroir attracted the prestigious Château Cheval Blanc from
Bordeaux, the Argentine winery’s partner in a New World Grand Cru:
Cheval des Andes- an intriguing fusion of talents
and winemaking cultures. Winemaker
Manuel Louzada will be here from Argentina to show us his
passion for all these high altitude wines. $109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Saturday, January 26
Discovering Artisanal Sake: Sushi, Sake and Tempura at
Latitudes Restaurant
This
is the third year for our sushi and sake extravaganza! Chef John Critchley of Island
Creek Oysters will host this sake dinner in the ever-popular
Latitudes Restaurant. Drink premium sakes with poetic names like
Star Filled Sky and Moon on the Water. Wentworth by the Sea’s Chef
Ken Shimer will present an elaborate tempura station with
lobster, shrimp, chicken, beef, vegetables and a myriad of sauce
accompaniments along with Chef Critchley’s tiny jewel-like mouthfuls
of sushi, sashimi, and maki. 6:30
pm $84.95per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Monday, January
28
Grand Vintner’s Dinner with Winemaker Joel Peterson
from Ravenswood Winery
Wine
Reception at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and Four-Course Dinner
at 7pm
Join Winemaker Joel
Peterson, Zen-Master of Zin, who helped make Zinfandel the
runaway phenomenon that it is today. Joel’s mission has been to
express a commitment to full-flavored varietal wines, notably
Zinfandel. He will pour his unique handcrafted wines that are very
limited in production and availability, including the prized
Vineyard Designate Series. Perhaps no one better understands
Zinfandel’s range and myriad expressions than Ravenswood's Joel
Peterson. Join us as we showcase America’s heritage grape.
$99.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Tuesday, January 29
Banfi
Italian Wine Seminar
with Philipo diBelardino
Philipo diBelardino
is often described as a stand-up comedian passing himself off as a
wine connoisseur. He’s both. The genial vice president of Banfi
Vintners claims that humor, usually self-effacing, captures an
audience’s attention–and holds it. “While listening for the next
quip, joke or bon mot, they absorb a lot of critical
information.” Please
join us for this fun and informative seminar as we host one of the
gems of the wine industry as he leads us through six classic Italian
wines with cheese and desserts. 6:00 pm $29.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Wednesday, January 30
Michael Mondavi Grand Vintner’s
Dinner
Reception
at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and Four-Course Dinner at
7pm
In
the world of wine, the Mondavi family is an American icon.
None
other than the eldest son of Robert Mondavi and co-founder of the
most celebrated winery in Napa, Michael Mondavi will hosts this
spectacular dinner with his great award winning wines from
California and Italy. Michael
continues the family tradition, creating new winemaking ventures
with his wife and children and the partnership with the Frescobaldis
in Italy, with the founding of his new company, Folio Fine Wine
Partners. $134.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
This
is Michael Mondavi's first wine dinner ever in
NH!
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Friday, February 1
Grand Vintner’s Dinner with Niner Wine
Estates and Celebrity Chef Mary
Dumont
Reception
at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and Four-Course Dinner at
7pm
Be
one of the first to experience the super-premium wines from this new
up and coming winery
located in Paso Robles, California whose winemaker, Amanda Cramer, hails from
Manchester, NH.
Dedicated to making the highest quality wines using only
estate-grown fruit, Amanda has worked harvests at Far Niente, Chimney Rock and Robert Mondavi Wineries
in Napa Valley; D’Arenberg Wines in McLaren Vale, South Australia;
and Casa Lapostolle in Santa Cruz, Chile. Fellow New Hampshire
native Mary Dumont, chef of
Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge and named by Food and Wine Magazine as
one of America’s Best New Chefs in 2006, will pair a menu to these
award winning wines utilizing products from her historic New England
region. Come welcome them home. $109.95
per
person plus tax and gratuity
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Saturday,
February 2
Zin and Chops with Four Vines and Dusi
Winery
Reception at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and
Four-Course Dinner at 7pm
Led
by winemaker Christian Tietje and fronted by self-proclaimed ‘Zin
pimp’ Bill Grant, Four Vines
specializes in old vine Zinfandel, eclectic Rhônes and Spanish
varietals...and let’s not forget the Naked Chardonnay. They name
their Zins: Biker, Sophisticate and Maverick- rich, succulent,
fruit-generous wines that pair incredibly well with food.
Janell Dusi is digging up her heritage
and roots of her family’s 80-year-old Zinfandel vineyard in Paso
Robles and creating a fabulous Zinfandel Port that carries the
essence of that distinct “Dusi Fruit.” All of them makers
of fleshy, seductive wines for aficionados and hedonists alike. Four
Vines and Dusi bring a refreshing, playfully irreverent attitude to
the table.
$109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Friday,
February 8
Dueling Chefs Rematch with Kendall-Jackson: The Tie
Breaker
Kendall-Jackson Winery Chef Justin Wangler and
Wentworth’s own award winning Executive Chef
Dan Dumont.
Reception at
6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and Four-Course Dinner at
7pm
With a return visit of Kendall-Jackson’s Master Winemaker Randy Ullom and Winery Chef Justin Wangler for the third
year in a row, the scene of the Dueling Chefs Tie-breaker is set.
Chefs Dumont and Wangler will each prepare a course expressing their
interpretation of the flavors found in the wine. Each chef will be
pulling out all the stops to win this one. Rare wines previously not
available in the area will be served. Guests will cast ballots
for the chef’s preparation they most preferred. This is an evening
that promises to provide not only expertly prepared food and wine
but fun and suspense too as we seat everyone at two long tables set
for 60 people each, reaching end to end in our largest
ballroom! $124.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Saturday,
February 9
Grand Vintner’s Dinner with Merryvale
Winery
Reception at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and
Four-Course Dinner at 7pm
Merryvale is a family-owned, historic Napa Valley
winery dedicated to the passion of fine winemaking. With a goal to
craft elegant, complex world-class wines in the finest European
style, nurturing the inherent character of the region's superb
grapes, yet reflecting the exuberant fruit from Napa’s best
vineyards. Rene Schlatter, owner of
Merryvale Winery, will join us. $109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Sunday - February 10, 17,
24
Domaine Chandon Bubbles and Jazz Brunch
10am-2pm
Even
more reason to drink Champagne- Join us as we pour Domaine Chandon
Brut Sparkling Wine at the already extravagant Bubbles and Jazz
Sunday Brunch. Featuring
chef attended action stations, oysters on the half shell, sides of
smoked salmon, rich roasts, savory seafood dishes, mounds of fresh
berries, tropical fruits, chilled shrimp, fresh pastas, baby
vegetables, a pastry buffet and more are presented against a
backdrop of ice sculptures, sparkling fountain and jazz combo.
$44.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Thursday, February
14
Veuve Clicquot Champagne Grand Vintner’s
Dinner
Reception at 6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and
Four-Course Dinner at 7pm
Ignite your romance and start a lifelong
love affair. Veuve Clicquot is the instinctive choice for romantic
celebration. Champagne is such a celebratory, and evocative wine-
its development due to the achievements of various individuals but
among them all, a special place is deservedly kept for Madame
Clicquot, whose determination was to deliver “only one quality- the
finest.” An award winning team of chefs led by Executive Chef Dan Dumont will prepare
a four-course Sweetheart Menu matched to the Veuve Clicquot
Champagne collection hosted by Master
of Wine Charles Thomas Curtis. Charles earned his Diploma from
the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London in October 2004 and
became the 22nd Master of Wine in the United States. Come celebrate
this heart-stopping evening. $124.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Saturday,
February 16
Lover’s Night in Barcelona: A Night of Spanish Wine,
Tapas and Flamenco 7 pm-10
pm.
Inspired by the clubs that emerge late at night in the
restaurants of Barcelona and with an emphasis on authentic staples
and piquant flavors. We bring together the vibrant wines, food and
music of Spain featuring the Sabrina Aviles Flamenco Dance Duo and
guitarist Juanito Pascual who has been touted as “one of the hottest
flamenco guitarists to emerge in recent years” by National Public
Radio. Taste through dozens of wines representing a broad variety of
Spain’s regions from the Pyrenees to the Andalusian coast, as you
indulge at chef-attended stations of traditional and innovative
tapas. $99.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Friday,
February 22
Composers and their Favorite Wines with Trio
Orione
Reception at
6:00pm with handcrafted Canapés and Three-Course Dinner at
7pm
Experience
a rich rewarding evening of classical music performed by the chamber
group, Trio Orione while sipping great wines such as Riesling,
Bordeaux and Tokay; the wines most favored during the lives of the
evening's composers: Bethoveen, Mozart and Shubert . We combine the
musical delights of a concert with a delicious gala dinner prepared
by the award-winning Executive Chef Dan
Dumont, in the stylish surroundings of the historic and
luxurious Wentworth by the Sea's Grand Ballroom.
$109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Saturday, February 23
Louis Martini Winery Grand Vintner’s Dinner with
Winemaker Michael Martini
Reception at 6:00pm with
handcrafted Canapés and Four-Course Dinner at
7pm
Join
us for a colorful evening with 3rd generation winemaker Michael Martini of the legendary
Louis M. Martini Winery. The Martini family came to Napa Valley more
than seventy years ago for one simple reason: follow its passion to
produce world class Cabernet Sauvignons. Come and share stories with
the founder's grandson and enjoy some of the finest old vintage
Cabernet Sauvignons that California has to offer. Since the earliest
days, the wines of Louis M. Martini have been crafted in the belief
that wine is best enjoyed with food and among friends and family
just like this very special night.
$109.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Sunday,
February 24
Burgundy's
Fraternal Twins: the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de
Beaune
Featuring
Master of Wine Bill Nesto and David Campbell of Ceres St. Wine
Merchants 6pm
Bill Nesto takes you
on a verbal, visual, and vinous tour of Burgundy's two similar, but
different, selves. The Cote de Nuits is the northern half of
Burgundy's "slope of gold", the Cote d'Or. This solid flank of
vineyards contains many of the greatest sites for red Burgundy. The
more varied expositions in the southern half of the Cote d'Or, the
Cote de Beaune, are home to vineyards famous for both red and white
Burgundy. Learn, see, and taste the difference between the Cote de
Nuits and Cote de Beaune. Limited seating.
$49.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
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Thursday, February
28
Opus
One Vertical Tasting 6pm
A very rare historic opportunity… No winery in Napa Valley has attracted more
attention since Prohibition ended. Born
from the partnership of Robert Mondavi Winery and Chateau
Mouton-Rothschild, this was the
first joint venture between a European and California winery
and America’s first ultra-premium wine.
Cultivated with passion and a singular vision, this great wine has
been the benchmark of what California winemaking can be. Don't miss
the opportunity to taste five vintages, '97, '98, '00, '01, and '03,
of this very limited supply wine, some released from the winery just
for this event. Led by France Posener of Opus One, we will also be
joined by a local cheese maker. Limited seating.
$174.95 per person plus tax and
gratuity
OPUS ONE 1997 - VERMONT CAMEMBERT
- BLYTHEDALE FARMS, VERMONT
OPUS ONE 1998 - EDEL DE CLERON -
