PIO CESARE WINERY DINNER - Updated (July 8 at 7:00 p.m.)

A taste of Italy will be venturing to Aria on July 8 as we welcome Pio Boffa of Pio Cesare Winery from Alba, Italy for our next wine dinner.

Pio Boffa is the great-grandson of winery founder Cesare Pio, who began producing traditional Piemontese wines five generations ago in 1881 in their ancient cellars. They combine modern winemaking techniques along with the traditional regional methods, ageing in large casks and barriques of different French oaks and bottle-aged before their release.

We are thrilled to experience these high quality wines with Pio Boffa present – it will be a pleasure to learn both about the legacy and philosophy that is behind the creation of these great Italian wines. The Cesare Winery Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and feature 6 wines paired with 5 courses. The dinner will be $100 (includes tax and gratuity) and reservations can be made by calling us at (404) 233-7673.

Reception: Cortese di Gavi DOCG, 2009

Amuse
Summer Black Truffle Deviled Egg

First
Seared New Bedford Jumbo Sea Scallop
lady peas, heirloom tomatoes, tarragon
Chardonnay, L’Altro, Piemonte DOC 2007

Second
Warm Capon Salad
black mission figs, thin beans, roasted red peppers, basil
Barbera d’Alba DOC, Fides, 2006

Third
Breast of Duck
wild rice, bacon, toasted almonds, georgia blackberries
Barbaresco DOCG, 2005

Entree
Roasted Rack of Lamb
ragu of eggplant, celery, cipollini, natural jus
Barolo DOCG, 2005

Dessert
Georgia Peach Tart
ginger brown butter and peach ice cream
Moscato D’Asti DOCG, 2007

- Next on our calendar: Ettiene Hugel from Alsace (July 19th at 7pm) and Susana Balbo from Argentina (August 24th at 7pm)

ST. INNOCENT WINE MAKER DINNER (Updated)

Mark your calendar - April 22nd will bring another very special wine dinner to Aria!
This time, winemaker Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery in Oregon will be joining us with a selection of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from terrific vineyards in the Willamette Valley.

Vlossak’s love for wine began as a young man, when he learned to taste and enjoy wines daily with his father, a wine importer. He started St. Innocent Winery in 1988 and has been producing small lot, handmade wines in the southeast corner of the Eola Hills in Salem, Oregon ever since.

St. Innocent’s philosophy is that the primary function of wine is to complement and extend the pleasure of a meal – a principle we couldn’t agree with more! Many of their wines tend toward higher acid levels with diverse and balanced flavors to enhance different food and flavor combinations, and we are excited to taste Chef Gerry Klaskala’s pairings with each one.

The St. Innocent Wine Dinner will begin at 7pm on April 22nd and will be $85 per person, five courses with wine pairings excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling 404-233-7673.

Menu Update: from the evening of April 22nd

Pacific Oysters

served warm with buttery leeks, lemon and chives

Pinot Gris, Vitae Springs Vineyard, Willamette 07

Pan Roasted Columbia River King Salmon

spring peas and beans, guanciale and thyme

Pinot Noir, Zenith Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills 07

Pappardelle with Niman Ranch Pork Bolognese

reggiano parmigiano

Pinot Noir, Temperance Hill Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills 07

Painted Hills 10 Hour Brisket of Beef

young collard greens, black truffle polenta

Pinot Noir, Momtazi Vineyard, McMinnville 07

Oregon Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

chocolate sauce and crispy chocolate

Oregon Hazelnut Shortbread

HAWKES WINE MAKER DINNER

On March 24th at 7pm, Aria will be opening its doors to Jake Hawkes of Hawkes Winery. Hailing from Alexander Valley (Healdsburg, CA), Hawkes is known for world class estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon.

For Jake's second visit to Aria, Chef Gerry Klaskala will be preparing a five-course dinner to complement the fantastic wines that Jake is bringing to the table. Specifically, the menu will feature three preparations centered around a whole spring lamb that Chef Klaskala is bringing in just for this event. Each of the three lamb courses, in turn, will be paired with a special '05 single vineyard Hawkes Cabernet brought to Georgia by Jake himself - again, only for this event. Along with dessert, we will taste a barrel sample of Jake's botrytis semillon.

Don't miss out on this perfect dovetailing of food and wine.
Call 404.233.7673 to make reservations - availability is limited!

Five courses with wine pairings: $90 per person (excludes tax and gratuity).

ARIA Wine Maker Dinner Series 2010

We kicked off our monthly wine maker dinners this year with the visit of a good friend; Alex Sokol Blosser. His wines showed beautifully and we were particularly fond of the Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2007. Thanks to Alex and all those who attended, we look forward to seeing you again soon.
In March we will welcome Jake Hawkes from Hawkes Winery in Alexander Valley and in April Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery in Oregon.

Here is a quick recap of our Sokol Blosser dinner menu:
All photography thanks to George Sanchez

Faux Gras Terrine
apple gelee, green apple salad

Evolution NV, American White

Thyme Roasted Prawns
endive, red grapefruit, tarragon

2008 Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills, Oregon

Crisped Breast of Naturally Raised Veal
roasted sweet red peppers, sugar snap peas, natural jus

2006 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon
2007 Pinot Noir, Estate Cuvee, Dundee Hills, Oregon

Roasted Tenderloin of Cervena Venison
oyster mushrooms, roasted shallots, celery & potato gratin

Meditrina NV, American Red

Bayley Hazen Blue
baby arugula, truffle vinaigrette

Red Bartlett Pear Tart
orange vanilla sauce

2007 Late Harvest Riesling, Columbia Valley

DINNER WITH ALEX SOKOL BLOSSER

Aria is excited to welcome Alex Sokol Blosser for an intimate wine dinner on February 18th, featuring wines from his family’s Sokol Blosser Winery in Oregon.

Since the family planted their first grapevines there in 1971, they’ve become one of the pioneering wineries in the region and continue to play a key role in shaping the Oregon wine industry.

Sokol Blosser has set strong standards in keeping their wine making program green; including farming organically and building an underground cellar to US Green Building Council standards. That made them the first winery in the country to earn the prestigious LEED certification!

Sokol Blosser produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Evolution (a proprietary white wine blend of nine varieties) and Meditrina (proprietary red blend), along with small quantities of Single Block Pinot Noirs in selected vintages. We are thrilled to welcome Alex and his excellent wines to Aria.

Six Wines/Six Courses $80.00 per person (excludes tax and gratuity).

FOOD TO WARM THE HEART

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and it’s not too late to make plans to treat your loved one to a special dinner here at Aria!

We will be offering a special four-course prix-fixe menu for $85 per person (excludes tax and gratuity). A draft of the menu is available here and the final copy will be available the week of Feb 8th.

For reservations, please call 404.233.7673, See you then!

New Year's Eve at ARIA

Our NYE menu is ready and we are busy preparing for a great evening.
We look forward to seeing everyone!

For reservations, call us at 404-233-7673