Tasting of fine French wines from Roberts Fine Wines of Paris; $20 pp includes light hors d’oeuvres.

Prime Wine and Spirits is the distributor of these wines and Russell Krautheim of Prime is helping

with this event.

This will be an incredible evening of wine and food – and a unique opportunity to visit with winery owner, scientist and inventor George Hendry. His Napa Valley vineyards are renowned for producing world-class wines.

I will be out of town for this dinner, but will have spent the previous Monday with Hendry in his vineyards. As awesome as that experience will be, I regret missing this dinner in Savannah.

The five-course dinner includes:

TO INITIATE

2008 Hendry Rose

TO FOLLOW

Roasted Vidalia Onion, stuffed with grilled Georgia quail and apricots. Nutmeg beurre blanc

2005 Hendry Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

TO ENJOY

Pan seared Holton Beach Sea Scallop, baby beet and goat cheese salad, star anise-orange coulis and cherry glace

2007 Hendry Pinot Noir

TO FULFILL

Lightly smoked Tournedos of beef, sautéed wild mushrooms, roasted shallots, Sweet Grass Dairy Asher blue cheese

2006 Hendry Blocks 7 & 22 Zinfandel

TO INDULGE

Ported chocolate ganache with vanilla sea salt and chervil crème anglaise and citrus espresso gele

2005 Hendry Napa Valley Red Wine

The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, in conjunction with the Coastal Jazz Association, is launching this entirely new event that is being staged overlooking the historic Savannah riverfront.

Guests at the event will sample an expansive selection of wines spanning several continents and numerous vintages. Each sampling station affords an educational as well as a tasting opportunity. For those with even more refined tastes, the Connoisseur’s Corner features only very high end wines.

Some of Savannah’s finest Jazz musicians will be featured with multiple performances throughout the day. The Savannah Wine & Jazz Fest is an extension of the monthly Coastal Jazz Association concerts, held the second or third Sunday of each month at The Westin Savannah Harbor.

Food selections from Aqua Star will be available, as well as grill items.

For tickets, please call or visit the Savannah Box Office, 912.525.5050.

To view the growing list of musicians, go online to the Westin’s event page.

I did not know what to expect Monday when I joined Debra Eagle, general manager of Hestan Vineyards, for lunch at Vic’s on the River.

We were joined by the owner, Dr. Irving Victor, and restaurant General Manager Sean Dylan for what became a real treat.

Hestan may not be a household label, but these premium wines earn the focus of winery owners Stanley & Helen Cheng. Stanley pioneered cookware lines Circulon and Anolon, and his company, Meyer Corp., manufactures KitchenAid appliances and cutlery and cookware branded for celebrity foodies like Paula Deen and Rachel Ray.

There wasn’t a dog in the bunch and, naturally, the vineyard’s emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon was apparent. Between Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, every wine in the stable earns more than 90 points; some achieve lofty scores over 95.

Of note, it was interesting to taste equally priced Cabs side-by-side.

The 2005 “Meyer” Napa Valley Cab is crafted by winemaker Mark Herold and delivers the lushness, richness and opulence I’ve come to expect from Napa Cabs.

It’s non-apologetic style is approachable while remaining superior in character and varietal correctness.  An oak regimen of 50/50 new and used oak provides an 18 month slumber before bottling. Sniff out splashes of Petit Verdot and Merlot.

On the other hand, the decidedly Bordeaux style of winemaker Jeff Gaffner is expressed without compromise in the 2006 “Stephanie” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine gets 75 percent new oak and languishes for 28 long months in barrel. Classically, it contains all five Bordeaux varietals: Cab Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.

The finished product is one you will savor from first sniff. Complexity, balance and, yes, even nuance are hallmarks of this intriguing Cabernet Sauvignon. Let this one develop in the glass and bask in its richness.

These are both outstanding values for exquisite Cabernet the consistently earns high scores from competing critics. The heavy, deeply punted bottles are silk-screen printed in 24K gold.

Distribution is by Hemispheres; anticipate retail price of $55-$60.

The guest for this special evening of food and Hendry wines is the vineyard owner, George Hendry.

Visitors to the Hendry tasting room clamor for time with George, whose unmatched attention to detail, skill as a storyteller and wine educator and vast knowledge of wine making are as legendary as his wines.
This is a second career to George, who also owns Cyclotron Inc. There, he was instrumental in invention and development of particle accelerators that are used to save lives through medical imaging devices.
Whether growing grapes, making Hendry wines or designing cyclotrons, George applies the same tenacity and ability to apply fundamental concepts. His detailed approach to winegrowing has earned a reputation that is reflected in the vineyards and in the wines.

This is certain to be one of this season’s most talked about wine and food events that you will not want to miss!

Vic’s Executive Chef Dusty Grove, formerly of 700 Drayton, has prepared an exquisite, finely crafted menu to match these equally hand-crafted wines. The evening’s fare will include:

* Seared scallop, strawberry-ginger gastrique and baby watercress
2008 Hendry Rose

* Butterscotch glazed quail stuffed with roasted squash mousse and apricot brioche.
2005 Hendry Chardonnay (barrel fermented)

* Pan roasted striped bass, baby beet and parsnip hash with star anise-orange coulis and cherry glaze
2007 Hendry Pinot Noir

* Coriander crusted lamb loin with smoky collard greens, roasted shallots, blue cheese, lavender-vanilla sauce and blueberry coulis
2006 Blocks 7 and 22 Zinfandel

* Ported chocolate ganache with vanilla sea salt and chervil crème anglaise; Goat cheesecake with pomegranate glaze; Citrus espresso gelé
2005 Hendry Red Wine

Oak-Free LIOCO Wines Are Coming to Sugar Daddy’s Wine Bar

Thursday, March 4, 6-8 p.m. LIOCO wine tasting with light appetizers. Sugar Daddy’s, 109 Jefferson St. $30 pp ++. Reservations: 912.335.5852.

Wine & Spirits magazine named LIOCO its Winery of the Year in 2009 and now you can taste through the entirely UN-OAKED collection that includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Carignan – and the elusive Lioco Rosé!
The evening will be presided over by winery owner Matt Licklider, who will lead guests through six Lioco wines. Wines shown this evening will be available for purchase through special arrangement with Johnnie Ganem Package Shop.

Lambert Bridge’s Andy Wilcox is Back — and Cha Bella Has Him, and the Wines!

Monday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. Cha Bella, 102 E. Broad St. $70 pp++. Reservations: 912.790.7888.

Lambert Bridge, one of Sonoma County’s premium wineries, is stopping in Savannah during an East Coast road trip to share the wines, share the stories and share the fun.
Of course, the winery’s fun-loving partner and storyteller Andy Wilcox will be in attendance! And, all wines will be available for retail order the night of the event.
The evening features a stunning line up of Lambert Bridge wines, as well as a fabulous menu crafted by Chef Matthew Roher of Cha Bella.

Walker Farms celery and potato puree, Duck rillette, potato tuile
2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley

Maine lobster gnocchi, Baby Vidalia, grilled lettuce, meyer lemon butter
2006 Chardonnay, Sonoma County

Local organic citrus salad, Gorgonzola dolce, tangerine balsamic
2007 Viognier, Sonoma County

North Carolina scallops, pastured pork belly, King trumpet mushrooms, roasted local carrots
2005 Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

Dark chocolate-wasabi torte, Ginger-hamlin orange marmalade
2007 Maple Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley