Kermit Lynch Italian Wine Tasting at The Edge Restaurant in the Four Seasons on Brickell

"Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures."

--- Michael Broadbent

We have been looking for a partner to host our wine tasting events with for a long time in Miami and it looks like we have found a perfect fit with the Edge Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell in downtown Miami.

After just a few meetings with the owners of the hotel, the Executive Chef and the General Manager of the Edge Restaurant we have come up with our first wine tasting event. 

This venue has a lot of potential for our events with so many different spaces available at the hotel we will have a variety of different themed events as well as winemaker dinners coming up here in the very near future. 

To get things started we will be setting up a series of tastings on every other Tuesday evening focusing on different wine regions our first stop on this journey through the world of wines will be Northern Italy with one of my favorite wine importers Kermit Lynch.

One of Kermit's foot soldiers in South Florida, Anthony Pannone of the Florida Wine Company will be showcasing eight wines from Liguria, Tuscany and the Piedmont.  We will also be giving you a taste of the Edge Restaurant with Executive Chef Aaron Brooks making a few small plates to accompany the tasting wines.  This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 35 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax for reservations call 305-358-3535 or e-mail maria.torres@fourseasons.com.

Valet Service at the hotel is $9 for three hours.

Kermit Lynch Italian Wine Tasting at The Edge Restaurant in the Four Seasons on Brickell

Featuring wines from Liguria, Tuscany and the Piedmont

Tuesday, June 12th
6:30pm - 8PM

Liguria

2009 Punta Crena Vermentino
Price: $27.75       Sale $24.42          Case $283

The tiny village of Varigotti sits on the Mediterranean, just a few rows of houses and restaurants on a pristine beach, with its back against steep hills. Climb up into the hills and you will discover neatly terraced vineyards on the slopes and in hidden clearings further up on the peaks. The Ruffino family has been tending these vineyards for over 500 years, hardly changing a thing as they pass their knowledge and wisdom from one generation to the next.

2009 Punta Crena Pigato
Price: $27.75       Sale $24.42          Case $283

Pigato is a genetic variation of Vermentino that developed around the 18th century and was probably named for its pighe—“freckles” in the local dialect, referring to its spotty skin. Today the two varieties are often confused because they are frequently planted together and cross-pollinate in the vineyards, but the difference is evident when they are kept separate, as at Punta Crena. In order to demonstrate this distinction scientifically the Ruffinos are planning to provide cuttings of their own vines to a local university for comparative genetic testing.

 
Monferrato

2004 Cantine Valpane Barbera del Monferrato “Valpane” 
Price: $28                             Sale $24.64          Case $286

Although the names Asti and Alba may be more widely recognized today, Pietro explains that the Monferrato provides more faithful expressions of Barbera. This is due in part to the warmer climate and longer hours of sunlight here, which allow the grapes to ripen completely and unfurl the full personality of the variety. The Monferrato is also still relatively untamed, and the forests and fields here benefit the area’s vineyards by providing a natural source of variety. At Valpane these factors combine to provide meaty Barberas that nevertheless offer plenty of lively fruit. Pietro then lets them sit in large oak botti and cement tanks for several years, depending on the cuvée, and releases them only when they are ready.  This bottling has 15% Freisa inthe blend and yes 2004 is the current release.
 
Barbaresco

2007 Silvio Giamello Barbaresco “Vincenziana”
Price: $43.25       Sale $38.06          Case $441

Silvio Giamello and Marina Camia. This fourth generation continues to make wine the only way they can imagine: all vineyard work is natural and chemical-free, and the vinification techniques are purely traditional.
La Licenziana remains the archetypal artisanal estate, with very small quantities produced entirely by the family.

 
Barolo

2010 Guido Porro Langhe Nebbiolo
Price: $28.50       Sale $25.08          Case $291

A very classic, old school producer Guido Porro makes delicious examples of the structured wines of Serralunga d’Alba but this entry level is ready to drink upon release.  Always a good indication of the quality of the vintage and the producer Langhe Nebbiolo in an excellent producer like Guido Porro is one of the best values to be found in all of the Piedmont.

2006 Guido Porro Barolo “Vigna Lazzairasco”
Price: $47.50       Sale $41.80          Case $485

The limestone-heavy soils of Serralunga d’Alba are known for providing the most long-lived and full-bodied Barolos. Porro’s vineyards are located here in the Lazzarito cru, a gorgeous amphitheatre that faces south-southwest and offers the grapes full sun exposure and protection from the wind. The sub-zones of Lazzairasco and Santa Caterina are both monopoli and share the same soil and similar exposition and altitude, although the very old vines in the former give a more powerful, masculine wine, while the latter brings out the delicacy and elegance of Nebbiolo.
 
Montalcino

2009 Sesti Monteleccio
Price: $28.50       Sale $25.08          Case $291

A light and easy drinking style of Sangiovese with soft tannins and distinct Tuscan earth but this wine is fruit forward and ready to drink upon release. 

2009 Sesti Rosso di Montalcino
Price: $43.75       Sale $38.50          Case $446

While helping out at neighboring estates Giugi observed that simplicity and careful attention were the most important factors in producing great wines, while chemical intervention skewed their delicate balance; so he determined to make entirely natural wines right from the start. He even took a pioneering extra step by applying his prodigious knowledge of the moon’s influence on living things to his vineyard management and winemaking. Today the family continues this thoroughly eco-friendly philosophy (although no official certification currently meets their personal standards), and Elisa’s primary concern is the materia prima, or raw material, that goes into the wine.  Both of these wines are 100% Sangiovese so an interesting comparison.

Menu

First Course

Georges Bank Scallop Tartare, Fried Sage, Meyer Lemon Aioli, Fennel and Arugula Salad

Second Course

Slow Braised Beef Short Rib, Saffron Polenta, Red Flame Grapes, Sweet English Peas

Check out the dinner menu at the Edge restaurant on the web page at http://www.fourseasons.com/Miami

Specialties
The contemporary American menu highlights seasonal ingredients sourced by top local producers complemented by spices and herbs from the restaurant’s garden. EDGE offers a well-priced menu of beautifully prepared meats and seafood, signature main dishes, tempting appetizers and sides, raw bar offerings that include several tartares, and mouthwatering desserts.

Outdoor terrace
The expansive outdoor oasis at EDGE Steak & Bar overlooks the Hotel’s two-acre pool area and sweeping vistas of downtown Miami and glittering Biscayne Bay. This fully landscaped terrace – protected from the elements by a trellised canopy – offers serene gathering spaces: lounges for small groups, communal tables ideal for mingling, and romantic retreats that ensure a memorable date night. Fire pits, shimmering candles and lush greenery further enhance the ambience.

Farm to Table
EDGE is a firm believer in the farm to table philosophy, which embraces a sustainable approach to agriculture and dining. At its heart the concept is very simple: farm to table food is fresher, healthier and less burdensome to the environment.
EDGE sees value for all in eating locally, which is why Chef Aaron Brooks grows and harvests produce directly from his garden located on the two-acre pool terrace.

A bit about the importer Kermit Lynch:

Kermit Lynch was born and raised in California. From his youth he remembers that his father and uncle worked for a winery, but he has no memory of anyone in his family drinking wine.

The Lynch family was rich in preachers, too, but at communion they served Welch's grape juice, even though, as Kermit points out, Jesus turned water into wine, not grape juice.

In 1972 he opened a retail wine shop and later began importing and distributing nationally. In 2000 he was named Wine Professional of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, in 1998 the French government presented him with the Ordre de Mérite Agricole award, and in 2005 named him Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. His book, Adventures on the Wine Route, won the Veuve Clicquot Wine Book of the Year award, and is still in print 21 years later. His second book, Inspiring Thirst, was published in 2004.

In 1988 he planted his little terraced hillside near Bandol with Mourvèdre vines. The juice now goes into Domaine Tempier’s famous La Migoua cuvée. In 1998 he purchased the historic Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas in partnership with his friends the Bruniers of Vieux Télégraphe.

With his wife, photographer Gail Skoff, and their two children, he lives part of the year in Berkeley, and part in Provence, "near enough to Domaine Tempier that I can fill up the trunk of my car whenever I need to."