Where to learn about wine and have fun
Friday - February 16, 2007
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Not all wine dinners are created equal. Like anything else in life, you should weigh your options and choose carefully. But done well, wine dinners can be a wonderful learning opportunity and great value for the money. So how do you decide which are worth it and which are to be avoided at all costs? Trust me - I’ve been to more than my fair share.
Dave Stewart of Du Vin
Du Vin
1115 Bethel St.
545-1115
There are winemaker dinners at Du Vin of a fairly high brow nature, but on Monday evenings you can hang out and try some cool wines paired with food from a menu that’s just getting better every day. Du Vin is the perfect place for a night of wine. For a start, they’ve got the right glasses. The food is very, very good, and the people in charge of the wine know what they’re doing. The nice thing is, these are ongoing evenings so you can grab a bunch of friends, head down to trendy Chinatown and start your wine education in a great environment any Monday night you like.
Indigo
1121 Nuuanu Ave.
521-2100
Indigo has a wine club that meets on Tuesdays. It’s called The Wrath of Grapes, and it sells out almost all the time. It’s a great place to go if you’re interested in meeting winemakers, people who are into wine and those who go just to have a good time. Mostly though these gatherings are fun because there’s plenty of wine, Glenn Chu’s pupu are always good and the crowd is pretty interesting. If you want to make friends with wine savvy folks, this isn’t a bad place to start.
3660 On the Rise
3660 Waialae Ave.
737-1177
Chef Russell Siu couldn’t put on a bad wine dinner if he tried all day. He has a great palate that he’s perfectly willing to share - so if Russell thinks a food and wine pairing works, you might as well just agree that it does. And then take notes. And then go back for the next one.
Great value and a place where lots of terrifically wine savvy people gather, 3660’s wine dinners are almost always a sell out.
This month a new concept begins at the popular Kaimuki restaurant. Take your own wine on one Wednesday a month (no cork-age fee) or drink some of Russell’s selections at 40 percent off the menu price. Lots of room for experimentation - and a great menu that changes each time. Call about seating though, there’s only seating for about 12 to 15 people.
Master sommelier Chuck Furuya of
Vino
Vino
Restaurant Row
524-8466
And finally, if you want to enjoy learning about wine from a master who simply enthuses passion and warmth, then head down to Vino any Wednesday to Sunday evening. There, master sommelier Chuck Furuya waxes lyrical on his favorite subject - boutique wines. He is as approachable and down to earth as a screw top on a bottle of Pinot Noir, and Vino makes wine tasting simple by offering flights, for just a few dollars. Take a friend, try six or eight different wines (the pours are small) pair them with some of the excellent fare from Vino’s kitchen and before you realize it, you’ll be a wine geek with attitude.
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