Darioush Wine Dinner at the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale

This is one of my favorite wineries in Napa Valley and we have conducted several events over the years with Darioush winery and send hundreds of people to the winery to experience its beauty and the quality of the wines produced under the guidance of Steven Dewitt. 

For those of you that have not experienced a wine tasting at the Ritz Carlton on Fort Lauderdale Beach, you are missing out on one of the most exciting food and wine venues in South Florida.  The concept here of the walk around stations is very different than your average sit down four or five course tasting menu.  One of the most exciting things about this kind of theme is that you get more of a chance to interact with the winery personality and the rest of the wine drinking people at the event.

Rather than being stationary for the evening you will be walking from station to station experiencing not only the different wine and food pairings but you will also get a tour of the restaurant's outdoor terrace, the main bar area and then finishing up in the wine room at the end of the tasting. 

Winery Attaché, Allen Papp will be joining us this evening to discuss the wines.  The fee for this event is $99 + tax + gratuity, for reservations call 954-302-6460.

Darioush Wine Tasting at The Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale
Thursday, June 30th
7pm

Menu

(Station 1)
Yellowfin Tuna Crudo, Fennel Cole Slaw, Gazpacho Injector

Darioush Signature Viognier Napa 2010
Price: $42.75       Sale $37.62          Case $436

Our estate grown Viognier derives its unique style from a four-acre vineyard site in the Oak Knoll appellation. The cool micro-climate of the vineyard allows this temperamental varietal to slowly develop robust and concentrated floral and fruit characteristics. The fruit, and resulting wine, is minimally handled to express its pure and fragrant nature.

(Station 2)
Rabbit Rillette, Grilled Ciabatta, Pickled Morels

Darioush Chardonnay Napa Valley Signature 2008
Price: $47.25       Sale $41.58          Case $482

Fruit sourced from Darioush’s cool vineyard sites in Napa Valley, Oak Knoll and Carneros supports slow, even ripening which results in a wine that balances light acidity and gorgeously textured fruit. Cool climates with very little rainfall in 2008 resulted in our lowest Chardonnay yield this decade— an ideal balance for a wine that is celebrated for its distinctive combination of ripeness, texture and fruit intensity.

(Chef Action Station 3)

Cuddle Fish Carbonara, English Peas, Double Smoked Bacon, Orange Gemolada

Darioush Pinot Noir Russian River 2008
Price: $56.25       Sale $49.50          Case $574

The highly acclaimed ‘Gold Ridge’ soil series along Vine Hill Road in Russian River is home to our four-acre estate Pinot Noir vineyard. We find this locale yields wines with a keenly defined, multi-layered flavor profile reminiscent of Côte de Nuits. A large portion of the berries are whole cluster fermented, an old-world tradition, to reveal a finished wine with great character, complexity and poise.

(Chef Action Station 4 )

Grilled Domestic Lamb Loin, Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi, Lavender Demi

Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Price: $81.25       Sale $71.50          Case $829

Inspired by the complexity and style of Bordeaux’s cooler-climate wines, Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies how meticulous farming in southern Napa Valley’s fog-influenced districts and hillsides results in powerful, personality-driven Cabernet Sauvignons with extraordinary character, depth and poise.

(Passed Station 5)
Valrhona dark Chocolate Mousse, Date and Marcona Almond Cake

Darioush "Shahpar" Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
(available at the winery)

A special dessert wine that is only available at the winery and for tasting at special events like this one.

The fee for this event is $99 plus tax and gratuity.  For reservations call 954-302-6460.

A bit of information about Darioush Winery:

Darioush Khaledi grew up in Shiraz, one of Iran's prominent wine-growing regions. His father was a hobbyist winemaker and as a young boy, Khaledi used to sneak sips from the barrel; as a young adult he became a devoted collector of fine wines.

"The opening of the new winery and visitor center is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting moments in my life. Ever since I was a young man, when I began my passion for great wine, I dreamt of this day."

Trained as a civil engineer and with a career in construction, Darioush left Iran in the late 1970's and emigrated to Southern California where he was faced with the challenge of rebuilding his life. Darioush and his brother-in-law pooled their resources and purchased a failing grocery store in the city of Los Angeles. Now thirty years later, together they operate one of the most successful independently owned grocery businesses in the United States, which alone employs over 1500 people.

As the success of his grocery business grew, his passion for fine wine transformed from collector to producer. No longer was Darioush interested solely in collecting the world's finest wines he was driven to create hand-crafted wines with the highest quality standards.

Darioush sought out one of the most talented winemakers in Napa Valley, Steve Devitt.  Steve was working next door at Signorello Winery so he know the area like the back of his hand and today Steve is both the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager of Darioush.

Steve manages all winemaking and viticulture activities at Darioush. His understanding of microclimates, the local soils and the wines they produce enable him to create Estate wines that best express the character of each individual vineyard.  As a winegrower, he believes that the best winemaking begins in the vineyards.  Steve personally manages the Estate's extensive new vineyard developments and all aspects of the Estate's wine production.

Focused to the limited production of red Bordeaux varietals and small lots of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Shiraz, Darioush employs minimal intervention or 'ancien' winemaking techniques. The Darioush Estate is committed to hand harvesting and hand sorting each grape cluster prior to crushing. This is a meticulous and labor-intensive method, but it ensures that only the finest, fully matured grapes are used in our Darioush wines. This approach includes small lot whole cluster pressing, destemming, cold soaking, extended maceration, barrel-to-barrel racking and bottling without filtration.

This minimalist approach preserves and expresses the true varietal character of Darioush Signature wines. The main focus at Darioush is to grow a classic red Bordeaux blend that displays the finest qualities of the Estate's unique soils and microclimate.

Darioush welcomes guests to its new visitor center and winery beginning August 16, 2004.  The new architectural building comes after five years in the making, and combines materials, castings, and furnishings from distant lands and exotic locations. The 22,000 square foot winery, the first in America to combine architecture, design and Persian culture, provides a unique and exhilarating experience in California’s most renowned wine destination. Reminiscent of the great noble architecture that once existed, the imagery of the Darioush building evokes Persepolis, the illustrious capital of ancient Persia.

The Khaledi's Persian heritage is the inspiration and vision for the winery, designed by architects Ardeshir and Roshan Nozari, incorporating clean, contemporary lines with historical references to Persia’s ancient capital city. One of the most important aspects of the Persian culture is hospitality, and the winery is designed to create a welcoming, enjoyable as well as a rich and intriguing environment for guests. Visitors will receive unparalleled service and a sensational experience.

“The juxtaposition of modern clean lines and historical references represent the philosophy of our office,” states Ardeshir Nozari, who incorporated many intriguing architectural elements throughout the building. Among the design features of interest are the 16 monumental 18’ freestanding columns with capital bulls, which act as stone trees at the entrance of the winery, elevating visitor expectations. Richly textured travertine-stone cladding surrounds the entire building. This yellow stone was quarried near the region of Persepolis and exported to Turkey and Italy for cutting and tumbling before it reached the Silverado Trail in Napa. Additional design features include pre-cast moldings, furniture, fireplaces, ironwork, lighting, cellars, and an amphitheatre for performances and events.

The Visitor Center boasts a state of the art facility offering a unique one-on-one experience to taste the complete line of signature wines with options for indoor and outdoor seating. Six outdoor water features with fountains and one indoor rolling wall of water comprise some of the sights and sounds of the guest experience. Lush and varied landscaping creates a sequence of continuous gardens, which lead the visitors to the winery.

Darioush is the culmination of the worldwide search for the ultimate vineyard estate. The Darioush Estate's ninety-five acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Viognier. Darioush is the culmination of this search. Inspired by the complexity and style of Bordeaux’s cooler-climate wines, Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies how meticulous farming in southern Napa Valley’s fog-influenced districts and hillsides results in powerful, personality-driven Cabernet Sauvignons with extraordinary character, depth and poise