Wines that offer value and the 2010 wine dinner calendar are what's "happening and new" with the Wildfire wine and spirits program. "Value" is the name of the game for the new Wildfire wine list that is currently in place in at all locations except Tysons Galleria, which will go into effect next week on Wednesday, October 28th. I've selected several wines priced by the bottle in the $30.00 to $47.00 range and my intention is to allow our guests to have a large selection of wines to choose from in the $47.00 and under a bottle category. Since the prices differ from state to state I will write about the wines that you can find at any of the Wildfire locations for $47.00 and under a bottle.

The first is the Erath Pinot Noir from Oregon which has the luscious aromas of ripe strawberries, vanilla, graham and a hint of caramel. This pinot noir has bright flavors of red currant, raspberry and orange peel and has a touch of earthiness, which Oregon Pinot Noir's are generally known for. There are three Malbecs from Mendoza, Argentina that are new to the wine list and each offers their own distinct flavor profiles. The Trivento Amado Sur Malbec has aromas of dark fruit with notes of black pepper, anise, cinnamon and chocolate. The Terrazas Malbec displays notes of red berries such as morello cherries and red currants with spicy notes of nutmeg and pepper. The only Malbec by the glass, Alamos, offers aromas of bright black cherry with floral notes and a touch of toast. The flavors are full, rich, concentrated cassis and black raspberry fruit with a touch of chocolate and spice.

I can't believe how quickly the 2009 Wildfire wine dinner calendar has come and gone. Don't miss the last wine dinner of the year, Markham Winery on Tuesday, November 17^th at the Wildfire Chicago location. The evening begins with a 6:30pm reception followed by dinner at 7:00pm . The menu will feature Beef Bourguignon and homemade spaetzle paired with Markham Cabernet Sauvignon and ends with a Chocolate-Cherry Tart paired with Markham Merlot. There is still room, so if you would like to make a reservation please contact me at 773-398-6960. I am currently putting together the Wildfire wine dinner calendar for 2010 and I'm excited to announce some of the wineries that will be participating: Rosenblum Cellars, Kim Crawford, Murphy-Goode, Rutherford Hill, St. Francis and Stags' Leap Winery. The entire calendar will be completed by the end of this month, so if you would like a copy of the 2010 wine dinner calendar please e-mail me at dinewithwine@aol.com.

If you've never been to a Wildfire wine dinner, I'll give you a "taste" of what makes our dinners so memorable. We just hosted a Benziger Family Winery wine dinner at Wildfire Atlanta Perimeter on Wednesday, October 21st. One of the highlights of the dinner was an "everything" item, much like an "everything bagel", which was a  pumpkin seed crusted halibut with a creamy saffron risotto and house cured tomato seafood broth that was paired with the 2007 Benziger Family Winery Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay. The crust on the halibut, the creaminess of the risotto and the savory Tuscan style tomato broth were enough to make anyone say "wow", but when Executive Chef Matt Albertario paired it with the Benziger Sangiacomo Chardonnay, it went beyond "wow" as the flavors of the food and wine were enhanced to another level or two. The fruit in the wine became juicier and the oak flavors in the wine were less obvious when you tasted it with the halibut. All of the wine dinner attendees, including myself, were blown away by this incredible pairing! I encourage you to discover for yourself why we take such pride in planning and executing an exceptional wine and food pairing experience. I hope to see both familiar and new faces at all of the wine dinners in 2010!

Cheers to you,

Brad Wermager