aria . the wines of Joan d'Anguera. a winemaker dinner

Brothers Joan and Josep Anguera will be on hand to discuss their newest vintages, transition to biodynamic agriculture and new direction in the Montsant appellation.

Their father was an early pioneer, growing grenache, carignan & syrah, who helped define the Montsant growing region in Catalunya. Now Joan and Josep are carrying on the legacy and taking that vision to the next level with the release of the 2012 and 2013 vintage.

More about d'Anguera

Featured Wines:

Cava Avinyó, Nature NV
Do Ferreiro, Albariño, Rias Baixas 2013
Joan d'Anguera "Altaroses" Granatxa, Montsant 2013
Joan d'Anguera "La Planella" Carinyena/Syrah/Garnatxa, Montsant 2012
Joan d'Anguera "Finca L'Argata" Garnatxa/Syrah, Montsant  2012
Joan d'Anguera "Bugader" Syrah, Montsant  2012

aria . bouchard pere & fils wine dinner with luc bouchard

Featured Wines
Henriot But NV
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Beaune du Chateau Blanc 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Puligny Montrachet 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Savigny les Beaune 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Volnay Caillerets 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Beaune Greves L’Enfant Jesus 2010

About Bouchard Pere & Fils

The name Bouchard Pere & Fils is familiar to Burgundy lovers around the world.

Founded in 1731 in Beaune, the Bouchard tradition spans over 280 years and 9 generations.  In 1775, Joseph Bouchard acquired his first vineyards in Volnay in the famous “Les Caillerets” climat and started to develop the family’s vineyard holdings.

During the French Revolution, property belonging to the clergy and nobility was confiscated and put up for sale.  Joseph’s son, Antoine Philibert Joseph Bouchard, seized the opportunity to extend the family’s vineyard holdings in Beaune including the famous “Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus.”

Today, Buchard Pere & Fils wines are produced from 80 different Burgundian appellations with nearly 70 percent  designated as Grand or Premier Cru wines.

More about Bouchard Pere & Fils

About Luc Bouchard
Luc Bouchard, a ninth generation descendent of the Bouchard family, is responsible for the Americas for the distinguised Burgundian house of Bouchard Père & Fils.

Bouchard grew up in the vineyards of Burgundy and took part in the annual harvest since childhood. In fact, following family tradition, Bouchard was baptized with one of the house's most famous wines, the Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus . His love of wine developed early in life, as Bouchard spent his vacations in the house's extensive cellars, and later working in the vineyards of the Rheingau region of Germany.

aria . on the spanish wine route with nicole andrus

Featured Wines

Artadi, Santa Cruz de Artazu, Artazuri Rosado, Navarra 2013

Fillaboa, Albarino, Rías Baixas 2012

Palacios Remondo by Alvaro Palacios, Plácet Valtomelloso, Rioja 2011

Palacios Remondo by Alvaro Palacios, Propieded, Rioja 2010

Artadi, El Sequé, Alicante 2009

Vall Llach, Vall Llach, Priorat 2008

About Nicole Andrus

Raised in the Napa Valley of California where her parents founded Pine Ridge Winery in 1978 and Archery Summit Winery in Oregon in 1994, Nicole has done everything from pitch-forking grape stems and performing lab analyses to assisting her parents with sales and marketing in domestic and foreign markets. Through these experiences she developed a great interest in travel and new cultures and while in high school spent an exchange year in Switzerland, where she learned German and developed a love for the European lifestyle.  In college she helped her father out in his new venture, Archery Summit Winery, and during her Sophomore year decided to spend another semester overseas in Ecuador, where she developed a keen interest in the Spanish language, the Galapagos Islands and botany.  

Upon her return to the U.S., Nicole pursued an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Molecular Plant Systematics, where she studied the origin of a plant genus endemic to the Galapagos Islands at Miami’s F.I.U.  While she both enjoyed and excelled in her chosen field of botany, after time she yearned to return to her roots in the wine business and to once again live overseas.  She thus accepted a position in the research and development department at Bodegas Miguel Torres in Spain, combining her scientific background with her longtime affinity for wine. 

Nicole worked at Torres for two and a half years, and then served as an independent wine consultant for various Spanish wineries interested in the US market.  In 2005, Rob Mondavi of Folio Fine Wine Partners contacted Nicole about his new company’s (Folio) interest in importing Spanish wines into the U.S.  Nicole was thrilled at the opportunity and by 2006 had helped Folio to negotiate agreements with eight estates from the Spain: Fillaboa, Palacios Remondo, Comenge, Vall Llach, Cims de Porrera, Capafons-Osso, Clos Dominic, Mas de l’Abundància, Artadi and Leda. Today Nicole serves as Folio’s Spanish Imports Specialist where she divides her time between liaising with producers and hosting groups in Spain, as well as travels to the U.S. to educate American accounts and consumers on Folio’s top-notch portfolio of Spanish estates. In tandem, Nicole is also co-founder of Niso Wine Tours (www.nisowinetours.com), a specialized Spanish wine tourism company.

aria . attack of the killer tomato festival

Learn about Georgia Organics & The Giving Kitchen

More info about Killer Tomato Festival & Purchase Tickets

aria . foggy ridge cider dinner with diane flynt

About Foggy Ridge

dining out for life . a benefit for OpenHand

We hope you will join us for the 22nd annual Dining Out For Life

On Wednesday, April 23, Aria will donate 25% of your dining check to Open Hand’s community nutrition & meal delivery programs.

Hope to see you then!

after a long cold winter . . . spring has arrived

aria . wine dinner | plumpjack & cade in partnership with canoe's cellar door

Wednesday January 8th at 7pm

Join us for our first wine dinner of 2014 featuring the wines of Plumpjack & Cade, along with guest sommelier Matt Bradford from Cellar Door, the new wine store from our sister restaurant Canoe.

Chef Gerry Klaskala will prepare 6 delicious courses to pair with 5 wines from these iconic Napa Estates.
$100.00 (includes tax and gratuity)

Featured Wines include:

Cade, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2012    
Plumpjack, Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2012    
Cade, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Cuvee 2009  
Cade, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2010    
Plumpjack, Syrah, Napa Valley 2011

We look forward to seeing you.  

aria . wine dinner | randall grahm of bonny doon vineyard

On Tuesday November 5th at 7pm, Aria welcomes the legendary Randall Grahm of California’s Bonny Doon Vineyard.
Chef Gerry Klaskala will prepare five courses to pair with five of Randall’s wines for a delicious evening.

$100.00 per person (includes tax and gratuity)

Limited seating; for reservations, please call 404.233.7673

Featured wines include:

¿Querry? Sparkling Hard Cider, California 2011
Albariño, Central Coast 2012
Le Cigare Blanc, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County 2010
Le Cigare Volant, Central Coast 2008
A Proper Claret, California 2012

A word about Randall Grahm:

Photography by Alex Krause

Randall was born in of Los Angeles and has been a champion of sustainable agriculture, and an ambassador of Rhone Varietals grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains since the mid 1980’s.  He released the first vintage of Le Cigare Volant (an homage to Chateaneuf-du-Pape) in 1986.  Since then, his passion and work have been recognized with multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, Wine & Spirits Magazine and Bon Appetit Magazine among others.
Randall lectures all around the country, writes a witty winery newsletter, and is the author of the book Been Doon So Long.

aria . wine dinner | quintessa, faust, and the great wines of Agustin Huneeus

Please join us on Wednesday May 15th at 7pm as we welcome Master Sommelier Larry Stone (estates director for Huneeus Vintners).  Chef Gerry Klaskaka will prepare a six-course menu paired with five wines from the Huneeus estates.

Featured wines include:

Ritual, sauvignon blanc, casablanca valley, chile 2011
Illumination, sauvignon blanc, napa valley 2011
Ritual, pinot noir, casablanca valley, chile 2011
Faust, cabernet sauvignon, napa valley 2010
Quintessa, napa valley 2009

$100.00 per person (excludes tax and gratuity)

To reserve your seat, please call 404.233.7673


About Agustin Huneeus:

Agustin and his wife, Valeria, founded the Quintessa estate in the Rutherford District of Napa Valley in 1990.  Today, the Huneeus legacy includes over ten different wineries from terrific vineyards in North and South America. Visit Huneuss Vintners.

About Master Sommerlier Larry Stone:

Larry Stone grew up in Seattle and became the 9th Master Sommelier in the US in 1988; that same year he became the first  American to win the title of International Best Sommelier in French Wines. He is also a James Beard Award Winner for his work at Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco.  See a recent profile of Larry on the Wall Street Journal.

Dining Out for Open Hand

The 21st annual Dining Out to benefit Project Open Hand is this coming Wednesday, April 24th .  

Open Hand prepares, packages, and delivers 5000 meals daily (2 million a year) to people in metro-Atlanta with health complications which impair their ability to prepare meals for themselves.

On this evening, Aria will donate 25% of your check to Open Hand. 

- We hope you will join us!

To make reservations please call 404.233.7673

James MacPhail - Wine Maker Dinner

On Wednesday February the 20th at 7 p.m., we will proudly welcome acclaimed Pinot Noir producer James MacPhail from Mac Phail Family Vineyards and Sequana Vineyards.

After working with California Pinot Noir leaders like Merry Edwards and Garry Farrell, and with a firm belief in traditional, old world techniques and minimal intervention, James launched MacPhail Family Vineyards in 2002 focusing on the cooler regions of the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley in Mendocino County.

Later in 2007, he launched Sequana Vineyards to focus on Pinot Noir from the Green Valley of Russian River Valley, and Santa Lucia Highlands.

Featured wines include:

MacPhail Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2011
Macphail Gap’s Crown’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2010
Sequana Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, Green Valley of Russian River Valley 2010
MacPhail Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2010
MacPhail Wildcat Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2010

Guest will enjoy five courses prepared by Chef Gerry Klaskala paired with each wine.

Cost is $100.00 per person (excludes tax and gratuity).  To reserve your seat, please call 404.233.7673.

We look forward to seeing you.

Bouchon Bakery Book Signing and Tasting with Thomas Keller & Sebastian Rouxel

On Monday, December 3, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., we will welcome Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Per Se, Ad Hoc, Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery for a meet and greet to celebrate the release of his fifth book, Bouchon Bakery, which features recipes from the bakery’s five locations in California, New York and Las Vegas.

Co-Author Sebastien Rouxel, who is the executive pastry chef for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, will also be in attendance and will join Aria Pastry Chef Kathryn King to prepare some sweet treats found in the cookbook. King is highly regarded for creating innovative twists on classic American desserts, and, as one of the city’s top pastry chefs, she produces a memorable grand finale at Aria.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet Keller and Rouxel while enjoying their pastries and desserts along with bubbly and coffee. The cost to attend this event is $35, which includes pastries and beverages. Copies of the book are available for purchase at the event for $50.

To purchase tickets, please visit Xorbia.com!

Released on October 23, Bouchon Bakery (Artisan Books) is a dazzling amalgam of American and French baked goods, including all the classics that Keller fell in love with as a young chef apprenticing in Paris.

“I do know this: a bakery is an anchor; it draws a community around it. Whether we visit them for croissants in the morning or for cookies and an afternoon coffee, bakeries have a central place in our lives.” – Thomas Keller

Neil Ellis Wine Dinner on May 23

Please Join us at Aria for an evening of delicious food and wine as we experience the wines of the South African districts of Stellenbosch and Elgin with wine maker Neil Ellis.

Wednesday May 23 at 7pm.

Neil Ellis began his career at Groot Constantia Estate and Zevenwacht, and before at KWV, a South African co-op.  In 1986, he set out on his own as a negociant, buying and vinifying grapes,  and selling  the wines under his own label .  That same year, Hans Schroder purchased Oude Nektar Farm, 98 acres of vines in the deep, red clay soils of Jonkershoek , Stellenbosch.

In 1993, after great demand and accolades, Neil and Hans formed a joint venture to produce Neil Ellis Wines.  Today Oude Nektar is the primary source for Neil Ellis reds.

Reception

Groenkloof, Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Dinner

first course

Georgia White Shrimp

georgia peach, vidalia onion salad

white balsamic vinaigrette

Elgin, Chardonnay 2009

second course

Pan Roasted Carolina Quail

foie gras and brioche

Stellenbosch, Pinotage 2008

third course

Garganelli with Ragu of Wild Boar & Mushrooms

reggiano parmigiano

Elgin, Shiraz 2008

entree

Porcini Crusted Loin of Spring Lamb 

creamy leeks and fava beans

Stellenbosch, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

dessert

Blueberry Creme Fraiche Cake

lemon custard  buttermilk ice cream

------

Dinner will be $100.00 per person (includes tax and gratuity).
For reservations, please call 404.233.7673.

We hope to see you then.

Cheers

Peay Vineyards Wine Dinner on March 26

A tremendous thank you to Andy Peay and to everyone that joined us on Monday, March 26 for our Peay Vineyards wine dinner; what a great evening!

reception

Rosé of Pinot Noir, Cep Vineyards, Russian River Valley 2011

first course

Seared New Bedford Jumbo Sea Scallop

passion fruit, serrano and red onion

Sauvignon Blanc, Cep Vineyards, Hopkins Ranch
Russian River Valley 2011

second course

First of Spring White Asparagus

butter poached maine lobster and blood orange hollandaise

Chardonnay, Peay Vineyards, Sonoma Coast 2009

third course

Slow Braised Berkshire Pork

green olives, preserved tomatoes and crispy egg

Pinot Noir, Peay Vineyards, Scallop Shelf
Sonoma Coast 2009

Pinot Noir, Peay Vineyards, Ama
Sonoma Coast 2009

entree

Grilled Sliced Kobe Flank “Cheese Steak”

portabello, aged gruyere, celery hearts &  chips, syrah foie gras sauce

Syrah, Peay Vineyards, La Bruma, Sonoma Coast 2009

dessert

Early Georgia Strawberry Angel Cake

peppermint ice cream

Our next wine dinner will be on May 23 with South Africa's own Neil Ellis.  Hope to see you then.

From the Cellar: Nicolas Girard, Menetou-Salon 2010

Located in the heart of France, on the banks of the Loire River is the tiny village of Menetou-Salon. Specializing in producing elegant and mineral driven whites wines from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. 

We are featuring Domaine Nicolas Girard and his 2009 Menetou-Salon. The wine is made from 100% estate grown grapes, and a tiny estate it is, coming in at just 1.2 acres in Menetou-Salon and an additional 2.4 acres in Sancerre. This tiny amount of production allows the winemaker to take the utmost time and care in making the wine. 

Try it with Chef Gerry's flash fried Beau Soleil oysters with whole grain mustard remoulade and pickled shallots.

jacob gragg - certified sommelier

aria wine team

Buckhead Restaurant Week 2012

It’s time for Buckhead’s restaurants to shine during Buckhead Restaurant Week from Saturday, February 25 to Sunday, March 4!

Visit Aria throughout the week to enjoy a three course, prix-fixe menu for $35 per person.  (Our regular nightly dinner menu will be available as well). Be sure to call us for reservations at 404-233-7673.

And remember that when you dine at the bar, you receive 20% off your food bill.

Hope to see you this week!

Eyrie Vineyards Wine Dinner

It’s time for our first wine dinner of the year, and we’re pleased to feature Eyrie Vineyards on February 22 at 7 p.m.

After earning a degree in viticulture and enology from U.C. Davis, 25 year old David “Papa Pinot” Lett planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley back in 1965. Since 1970, Eyrie Vineyards has been producing wonderfully classic wines, all based on the philosophy of trying to interfere as little as possible with what nature had in mind.

We’re proud to have David’s son, Jason Lett, joining us for this wine dinner.  Jason took over his father’s role as winemaker and vineyard manager in 2005, and we look forward to hearing firsthand about his family’s legacy.

Featured wines include:


- Pinot Blanc, Estate, Dundee Hills 2009
- Pinot Gris, Estate, Dundee Hills 2009
- Chardonnay, Original Vines Reserve, Willamette Valley 2009
- Pinot Noir, Original Vines Reserve, Dundee Hills 2009
- Pinot Noir, La Luz, Oregon NV
- Equation of Time vII (A blend of 40 vintages of Chardonnay)


Chef Gerry is pairing five special courses with these fantastic wines.
Dinner will be $100.00 (excluding tax and gratuity). Call us at 404-233-7673 for more details or to make your reservation.

Hope to see you then!

Aria - Bravo, February!

Hope to see you this month at Aria!

From the Cellar: Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol Rouge 2005

From one of the oldest and most traditional wine estates in Bandol (which is itself one of the oldest growing regions in France) comes this week’s highlight from Aria’s wine list.

Offered on half bottle (375mL), this bottling from Pradeaux is made almost entirely from Mouvedre, and from vines which have been under the careful watch of the Portalis family since before the French revolution.

The wine has a core of ripe fruit, tempered with smoked meat under tones and firm tannin.  Fantastic with Chef Gerry’s braised beef short ribs. Cheers!

andrés loaiza – certified sommelier
aria wine team