Alebrije, Palm Springs
You ask, a wine dinner at a Mexican restaurant? And Alebrije says, why not? From celebrated Napa Valley wines to lesser known, but equally impressive bottles from Mexico, Alebrije brings together a delectable pairing of food and wine. Their dinners are as much about the company present as it is about their top-notch cuisine and heavy pours. Diners sit among other wine enthusiast at communal tables. I had the pleasure of attending a Trefethen wine dinner at Alebrije and was thoroughly impressed. The food pairings were phenomenal and included a 2016 Estate Dry Riesling paired with a fresh oyster over wakame and almond oil. My favorite pairing was the 2014 Estate Merlot with a wild mushroom and coriander risotto and black mole confit. Mole on risotto? Yes, it’s a thing, and it’s delicious.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIFFANY CARTER
My favorite pairing was the 2014 Estate Merlot with a wild mushroom and coriander risotto and black mole confit.
VIDEO: View how the food and wine are paired at Daniel's Table in Cathedral City.
Daniel’s Table, Cathedral City
When you attend a wine dinner at Daniel’s Table, you’ll experience hospitality at its finest. From the service (Bruce is one of the Coachella Valley’s best servers in my opinion) to the personalized attention from Chef Daniel Villanueva, your dinner and wine pairing will have all the comforts of home, but with better wine and masterly prepared food. Incorporated into the dinner are bottles from all over the world — Greece, Napa Valley, France, Italy. I especially enjoyed the 2015 Art of Earth bottle from the Abruzzo region in Italy made with organic grapes. Some of the dishes you might expect are the grilled dates stuffed with Cabrales Spanish cheese in a rosewater berry reduction. The Lamb Kleftiko made with fresh herbs (they actually bring the herbs still in the soil beds and cut them with chef scissors at your table), preserved lemons, tomatoes, roasted garlic, and potatoes. The food is fresh, farm-to-table, and sustainable, and the meat is raised ethically and without hormones.
Cantala at The Riviera Palm Springs
Cantala wine dinners feature a single winery, whose representative dines among the guests, sharing a little vino education and explaining each pairing. At this particular dinner with Ferrari Carano Wines, there was an opening bite of shrimp lemon toast and glass of Fume Blanc before heading into the four-course dinner.
Some of the highlights were the seared jumbo sea scallops, grilled octopus, and blood orange coulis paired with the 2015 Chardonnay. I loved the rich taste of the Arabica coffee rubbed ribeye topped with porcini mushrooms, grilled leeks in a red wine reduction paired with the 2015 Ferrari Carano Tresor.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIFFANY CARTER
I loved the rich taste of the Arabica coffee rubbed ribeye topped with porcini mushrooms, grilled leeks in a red wine reduction paired with the 2015 Ferrari Carano Tresor.
During the meal, the chef and wine rep make their rounds to answer any questions. And finally, dessert featured an espresso double chocolate tart with crushed raspberries in a Chambord reduction paired with a 2015 Ferrari Carano Eldorado Noir.
Outstanding in the Field
If you needed to add one more thing to your bucket list, let it be an Outstanding in the Field farm-to-table dinner experience at a local farm outside Palm Springs. This is one of the most stunning wine dinners I have ever attended. The OITF crew is famous for its North American tours, and has found such success with the Coachella Valley that they make it a point to stop here twice a year. The location is the Flying Disc Ranch, a beautiful sprawling farm famous for its dates and grapefruit. At this particular dinner, you learn about farming directly from the farmer, take a tour of the grounds, and sip on various varietals of wine by Liquid Farm. The chef is local to the area, this time from King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club. The chef and his team prepare the meal on outdoor grills using ingredients from the farm. There was a dish of mandarin orange carnitas, charro beans, with a wild cactus salsa and cilantro. My favorite was the beet salad with avocado, hibiscus crumble, chili oil and local honey paired with a 2015 Liquid Farm La Hermana Chardonnay. The multi-course feast was served family style on the longest communal table that sat over 200 people. The next event is Feb. 17.
Cork & Fork
Cork and Fork owner and executive chef Andie Hubka and sommelier Katie Finn host the monthly wine dinners, collaborating on a menu that celebrates the popular flavors of the season and the palatable wines from all across the globe. The seating is limited and sells out, so join to their email list to learn about upcoming dates. Guests are seated at a quaint, communal table where they meet vino-loving strangers, learn about the wines, and the dishes that love them. Each dinner is different, but past dishes from Hubka included the Tuscan panzanella alad paired with an Italian wine, a Kurabata pork shoulder with a carrot shallot puree paired with a Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, braised short rib with a caramelized onion risotto paired with a Napa Valley Merlot, and the always favorite — the surprise amuse bouche. The chef’s choice of a seasonal dessert finishes off the dining experience.