This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you just don’t have room for a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy!
WHAT: Let the vino flow in SoFlo.
A new dinner series is bringing some of Napa Valley’s most lauded wines and winemakers to Calusso restaurant at Fort Lauderdale’s Pier Sixty-Six resort.
The Calusso Wine Dinner Series will launch the first of its four evenings at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, with Jarvis Estate, which bills itself as the country’s first fully underground winery.
Limited-production, estate-grown vintages will be paired with a multi-course menu from Calusso’s executive chef, Jonathan Kaiser. (You may know that name from Michelin-starred MAASS on Fort Lauderdale beach or possibly two-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.)
“We’re incredibly proud to bring some of Napa Valley’s most celebrated wineries and winemakers to Calusso, giving our guests the chance to experience wines that are typically only available through a visit to the winery itself,” Kaiser told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“For me, what makes this dinner series so special is the opportunity to build a menu around each winery’s unique story and wines, creating something that feels far beyond a traditional wine pairing. Calusso is continuing to raise the bar for Fort Lauderdale’s culinary scene, and this series is another great example of our creativity and what’s possible through meaningful collaboration.”
WHEN: All the dinners start at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21, with Jarvis Estate: The winery’s ambassador, Sil Coccia, will guide the evening.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, with PlumpJack + CADE
• Wednesday, Dec. 2, with Favia Wines: Andy Erickson will help you explore his boutique wine label, which he created with his viticulturist wife, Annie Favia.
• Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2027, with Hundred Acre: This major Napa label from vintner Jayson Woodbridge is a favorite of wine critics and oenophiles (and yes, the name references Winnie the Pooh).
WHERE: Calusso at Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale
COST: $395 per person
INFORMATION: calussorestaurant.com
EXTRA TIDBIT:
• After being welcomed to the Jarvis Estate dinner with a Lake William Red Blend, Napa Valley 2019, guests will feast on a first course of roasted beet with pickled blackberry and hazelnut elderflower vinaigrette paired with Reserve Merlot, Napa Valley 2016.
• The second course will be chestnut linguini with parmesan foam, aged balsamic vinegar and black truffle, paired with Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley 2021.
• The third course will feature confit duck with roasted fig, grape leaves and a verjus reduction, paired with Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2019.
• The dessert course will be vanilla mousse and roasted pear with almond praline, paired with Finch Hollow Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2021.
Pier Sixty-Six
Calusso’s executive chef, Jonathan Kaiser. (Pier Sixty-Six/Courtesy)
Jarvis Estate
Jarvis Estate wine barrels and waterfall in Napa Valley. Jarvis Estate bills itself as the country’s first fully underground winery. (Jarvis Estate/Courtesy)
Pier Sixty-Six
Calusso restaurant at Pier Sixty-Six resort in Fort Lauderdale will host a wine dinner series, starting Wednesday, Oct. 21. (Pier Sixty-Six/Courtesy)
Pier Sixty-Six
The entrance to Calusso restaurant at Pier Sixty-Six resort in Fort Lauderdale. (Pier Sixty-Six/Courtesy)