The Top SWFL Wine Dinners Spark Unbridled Culinary Creativity and Unmatched Socializing • GULFSHORE LIFE
When you dine out, you might tell the sommelier about the styles of wine you like, discuss the menu options and choose a bottle accordingly. But at a cultivated wine dinner, you don’t just receive a glass of wine—you embark on a culinary tour de force, with wine as your guide. Chefs and sommeliers work together to tailor every aspect of the experience, from the marriage of the food and wine to the conversations that unfold as the restaurant team, diners and visiting wine reps flow through the evening. Guests can drink slower, spending more time nosing, analyzing and socializing with fellow wine lovers, while restaurants take the occasion to go off-script, crafting precise menus that elevate the dining and drinking experience.
“My job, my passion, is to ensnare one moment in time and gently unwind it for our guests.”
You’ll find one of the most robust wine dinner series at Old Vines Supper Club, the intimate, prix fixe-driven counterpart to chef Brooke Kravetz’s Old Vines Naples restaurant at Mercato. Director of wine and educational development Zach Bingham oversees the wine dinners—held every Wednesday year-round—with honed themes like Everything but Champagne, centered on sparkling wine produced beyond the French bubbly capital, and Pintxos and Porróns for a Spanish feast. “My job, my passion, is to ensnare one moment in time and gently unwind it for our guests,” he says. Understanding wine is a living thing, Zach unlocks its multifaceted nature as he guides guests to coax a new dimension from every sip and food pairing. He and chef de cuisine Sophia Kiasi build inventive menus around the week’s chosen producer, region or style of wine.
Entering the low-slung, 35-seat dining room, a reception wine and an amuse-bouche serve as an ice breaker for the palate. A recent dinner explored the gustatory charm of Santa Barbara County wine. Hot, crispy arancini paired with chilled chardonnay from young Santa Barbara producer Tyler Winery led to lilting conversations surrounding how the wine’s acidity cut through the rich rice. The following course showcased another face of the same chardonnay, this time matched with Peruvian and Asian influences (slivers of scallop crudo topped with coconut leche de tigre foam accented with lime zest and nectarines with pops of golden gooseberries). The first pairing emphasized the soft notes of apricot, pear and citrus, while the second brought out the chardonnay’s salinity. Zach focuses on demystifying the often-intimidating oenophile speak and creating a sense of relatability for drinkers at every level of comprehension. “I ask questions,” he says. “I look for ways to genuinely connect with our guests, to [learn] where they are in their wine journey.” Tables are often arranged family-style, and new friendships develop with each giddying course.
