Celebrate the French harvest on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Merriman's Kapalua with a special four-course dinner featuring all-Burgundy wines.
The event is the inaugural La Paulee de Merriman's and it's sure to be a winner.
Wine Director Jeff Groh says he has been sourcing outstanding Burgundies all year long for this party. He's found gems from past vintages and is breaking out his best for this event.
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“A lot of these wines aren’t very easy to get, so throwing them all into the mix together is going to make for one hell of a party,” says Merriman’s Wine Director Jeff Groh.
The Maui News/ CARLA TRACY photo
"We will be pouring wines from Dominique Lafon, Lignier, Frederic Magnien, Robert Chevillon, and Michel Picard's Hospice de Beaune Meursault," says Groh. "In the tradition of La Paulee, our dinner guests are encouraged to bring a favorite bottle of Burgundy to share with others, although it will certainly not be a requirement."
The good news is, Merriman's regular corkage fee of $45 per bottle will be waived for La Paulee guests who bring in their own wines, but California varietals will not be allowed.
"This is about Pinot Noir from the source," Groh continues. "Once you taste Burgundy, it will change your life forever."
Like many other bona-fide "wine geeks," Groh first fell in love with Burgundy early on in his career as a restaurant sommelier.
"I want our events to be fun. A harvest celebration isn't just a run of the mill wine event - we aren't just supplying wine and food. But we're acting as a platform for wine lovers to meet and share their great Burgundies. Meeting cool people with a similar passion and sharing a bottle that you love transcends the typical wine dinner experience -and makes it as much of a mixer as a wine dinner.
"The food is going to be great, too. The five wines I've selected are showing great. But I'll also be bringing a Grand Cru bottle to share and who knows what else might show up!
"I think that element of mystery and surprise is fantastic. In fact, some of the greatest wine-tasting experiences in my life have been shared bottles. I've been blessed by the kindness of strangers before and this is a chance to pay that back, while hopefully making some new wine friends. I try to come up with the concepts that I would have to attend if I weren't running them -and this is one of them."
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and Merriman's has sunset views that go on forever, so do try and be on time.
The first course will be Hawaii Island crouton fondu, with roasted Hamakua mushrooms, arugula, and a blend of beet and Maui Gold pineapple with rye toast. Oh-la-la, sip away on the Burgundy.
The next course will be fresh opakapaka, a firm yet delicate pink snapper, prepared in the Royale Glacage manner.
It will be served with licorice braised hearts of palm with fresh Hirabara Farms spinach with Kona abalone, sweet corn and tomato brown butter. Then guests will be served spice-rubbed quail, with slow-cooked cock's comb, lentils, roasted brussels sprouts and passion fruit as added embellishment.
"La Paulee de Meursault originally was a lunch that celebrated the end of the grape harvest in Burgundy," says Groh.
"At the beginning, the celebration included only winemakers, cellar workers, and the surrounding community. It has now evolved into an international wine event."
At Merriman's, the dinner party will continue with duo of beef with braised prime short rib, kale pesto and prime corned-beef tenderloin with fennel kraut and papaya mustard.
Top it all off with the grand finale of Kula strawberry crepe with vanilla ice cream and Waialua Estate chocolate.
"The wines being provided by us are by some of the best names in Burgundy," he continues. "Chevillon is one of the best producers in Nuits St. Georges and the same thing for Lignier. As far as a list of producers goes, this is a fantastic one."
The cost is $145 per person. RSVP is required. Call 669-6400.
