WineMakers' Dinner

Friday, February 22, 2008

Solera

900 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis
6:30 p.m. • $175 per person - { SOLD OUT! }

This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Don’t miss a delicious evening and a light-hearted approach to the world of wine.

Enjoy the company and expertise of international winemakers:

Anabelle Bardinet
Château Corbin (St. Emilion – Bordeaux)
Winemaker/Proprietor of Château Corbin

In 1999 Anabelle and her two sisters became co-owners of the Château Corbin, along with their grandmother. As the oenologist in the family, Anabelle was put in charge of the estate and made her first vintage in 1999. In 2006, Anabelle and her husband Sébastien Bardinet became the sole owners. Château Corbin is one of the few estates in Bordeaux with a female winemaker/proprietor.

Emmanuel Cruse
Château d’Issan (Margaux – Bordeaux)
Director, Château d’Issan

Today, Château d’Issan, acquired in 1945 in semi-derelict condition, is the family’s “crown jewel.” Under the direction of Emmanuel Cruse, whose grandfather purchased the estate, the wines have been receiving rave reviews from Robert Parker, Wine Spectator and The New York Times.

Charlotte Denjean
Château Lagrange (St. Julien – Bordeaux)
Ambassador, Château Lagrange

Château Lagrange, the largest classified growth in the Médoc, is an historic estate that has been enjoying an upsurge of critical praise.  Ms. Denjean has been active in the Bordeaux wine industry for 10 years.  As spokesperson for the Château in Bordeaux and abroad, she works closely with Winemaker/Director Bruno Eynard. 

Alberto de la Iglesia Osborne
dessert course and pouring Port and/or Sherry
Director of Osborne Americas

Alberto de la Iglesia has been Director of the Americas for the Osborne wine company of Spain since February 2003. Osborne is one of Spain’s most prestigious family-owned producers of wine and spirits, crafting a variety of products under the Osborne name, including Brandy de Jerez, Sherry, Port and the fine line of Solaz wines from Tierra de Castilla. Other exceptional wines and spirits in the company’s portfolio include Bodegas Montecillo (Rioja), Dominio de Malpica (Tierra de Castilla), Señorío del Cid (Ribera del Duero), and Anis del Mono liqueur.

Luc Bouchard
Bouchard Pere & Fils, pouring white and red burgundies
Winemaker of Bouchard Père & Fils

Bouchard a ninth generation descendent of the Bouchard family, is responsible for the Americas and international duty free markets, for Bouchard Père & Fils, one of the oldest and most distinguished Burgundy houses. He joined the family firm in 1988, focusing on the French market, as well as exports. In 1995, when Bouchard Père & Fils was acquired by Joseph Henriot, Bouchard was asked to further develop the French and European markets, along with international duty free business. Most recently, in 2000, he also assumed commercial responsibilities for the U.S., Canada and South America.

Savor five courses of a magnificent dinner created by five local culinary stars including:

Tim McKee
Executive Chef/Owner, La Belle Vie and Solera
A 2007 James Beard Best Chef Nominee, Chef Tim McKee is one of the most recognized and respected chefs throughout the Upper Midwest. He has the unique distinction of having earned perfect four-star reviews from the Star Tribune for both his Twin Cities restaurants, Solera and La Belle Vie.

Tyge Nelson
Executive Chef, Solera
Nelson joined Solera as its executive chef in August 2006, but has actually spent his entire career working with – and learning from – the restaurant’s award-winning owners, Chef Tim McKee and Josh Thoma.

Isaac Becker
Executive Chef/Owner, 112 Eatery
112 eatery’s success is a tribute to Becker, who before opening 112 Eatery, cut his culinary chops at some of the Twin Cities’ most well-respected restaurants, including Café/Bar Lurcat, Campiello, D’Amico Cucina and the former Lowry’s.

Steven Brown
Executive Chef, Porter and Frye at the new Ivy
Steven Brown started working in restaurants as a busboy at the age of twelve and has woven his way through the Twin Cities restaurant scene since 1990 with stops in New York City, Modena, Italy and the Yucatan. Most notably, he led the charge at Levain where his food featured Old World ingredients made with New World preparations and was widely heralded as “…brilliantly delicious.”

Michele Gayer Nicholson
Executive Pastry Chef, La Belle Vie and Solera
Gayer-Nicholson is probably the most critically acclaimed pastry chef currently living in the
Twin Cities. In 2002 she received a James Beard “Best Chef” nomination, and a year later was named “Best Pastry Chef” by the editors of Bon Appetit magazine.