Arizona Biltmore Raises A Glass To California Wineries
The 740-room Arizona Biltmore is serving up 10 epicurean evenings for the luxury resort's 23rd season of its Winemaker Dinners. The dinners are held in the hotel's restaurant Wright's at The Biltmore — named in honor of fabled architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who consulted on the design of the hotel with architect of record Albert Chase McArthur.
Wright's executive chef, Todd Sicolo, and executive sous-chef, Conor Favre, are creating four-to-six course meals, matched with wines from different California wineries, for the 10 dinners which will be held monthly starting Sept. 20 and ending May 2, 2013. In March, there are two dinners, March 6 and an epicurean encore on March 7.
The events feature not only tasting menus with wines, but also time to mingle with winemakers, after-dinner port and cigars, and a jewelry showing by Hyde Park Jewelers. Guests can glam up their evenings by wearing borrowed jewelry during the multi-course meals.
The first Winemaker Dinner, in September, combines the chefs' creations with wines from Twomey-Silver Oak Cellars from Napa Valley, Russian River, and Alexander Valley, Calif. The evening includes a trio of appetizers, including melon terrine with prosciutto, balsamic ice, pepperoncini; foie pop with candied pineapple, mint, blueberry; and fried green tomato with local goat cheese, basil, pepper jam.
The first course features smoked halibut with fava bean, pork hock, sweet corn, fennel, and paprika, followed by a second course of grilled lamb T-bone with summer squash capellini, balsamic eggplant, toasted garlic, and parsley pesto. Beef callote with onion jam, roasted marrow, pommes Anna, and thyme jus follows. The meal concludes with pan perdu with chocolate brioche, macerated plums, rosemary caramel, and vanilla butter.
Other wineries featured during the 2012-2013 Winemaker Dinners include these Napa Valley wineries: ZD Wines on Oct. 4, Robert Mondavi Winery on Nov. 1, Domaine Carneros Winery by Taittinger on Dec. 6, Heitz Cellars on Jan. 3, Rombauer Vineyards on Feb. 7, Cakebread Cellars on March 6 and 7, and Frog's Leap Winery on April 4. St. Francis Winery from Sonoma Valley, is featured on May 2.
Tickets are $95 per person for each dinner. A $760 season ticket gives gourmands nine dinners for the price of eight. Tax and 18-percent gratuity are not included.
Lauren Mack is the Travel Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @lmack.