Wine Dinner at Baur’s Ristorante 11 March 2008

Last Tuesday night, we had the opportunity to attend a wine dinner with Bob Bertheau, head winemaker from Chateau Ste. Michelle, at Baur’s Ristorante. Many thanks to our friend Derek Bennington of Vine Catcher for the invitation.

Baur's is located at 15th and Curtis St. in downtown Denver, about a block from the Denver Center for Performing Arts. There is an RTD Light Rail station next to the DCPA, so we took the train downtown after work. The restaurant is in a building that used to be home to Baur's catering, restaurant, and candy shop since 1891. Current owner Jimmy Lambatos opened this restaurant last fall. Our wine dinner was in the elegant "Venetian Room" for private parties.

I should mention that since I'm lactose intolerant, I had made arrangements to have whatever modifications/substitutions made for my meal, in order to avoid any dairy. The staff at Baur's were most accommodating, and made sure that everything they brought me was dairy-free. I'll only mention the regular menu items below, although I was served something slightly different in a few cases.

Before the dinner began, we were treated to several glasses of Chateau Ste. Michelle's exquisite 2006 Eroica Riesling. It made a wonderful start to the evening. The Eroica Riesling is very light and refreshing, with the hints of citrus and and subtle mineral note. The Eroica is produced as a partnership between Chateau Ste. Michelle and German winemaker Dr. Ernst Loosen. Dr. Loosen's Blue Slate Riesling is Jeannette's favorite, so we both enjoyed the Eroica immensely.

The dinner was served in five courses, each accompanied by a different wine. It began with a "Dinner Amuse" course of Honey Smoked Salmon, Baby Fennel, Chive, and Créme Fraiche, paired with the 2006 Eroica Riesling.

The Appetizer was a Vadouvan seared Diver Scallop, served in a shallow bowl of Watercrest Soup with Spring Peas and crisp bacon. It was paired with the 2006 Horse Heavan Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was light and crisp, with a subtle citrus component.

Next came the Salad course, with Prosciutto Di Parma, baby Arugula, candied walnuts and shaved Parmesan, served with the 2006 Indian Wells Chardonnay. The warm and buttery oak flavor paired quite nicely with smoky Prosciutto.

The Fish course included a grilled Alaskan Halibut, with Chantrelle Mushroom crust, white asparagus and Fava beans and smoked corn. The wine was the 2005 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot. While I was a bit surprised to see a red wine with a white fish, the mellow Merlot actually paired nicely with the Halibut.

A Meat course followed the fish, bringing a Muntok Pepper-crusted Bison Tenderloin, accompanied by a Goat Cheese and Shallot Bread Pudding and a sour cherry sauce. The Bison was fabulous! It was so tender that you could pull it apart with your fork! The pepper and sour cherry flavors were enhanced by the 2004 Ethos Syrah, which brought warm earthy tones and dark fruits.

For the Dessert course, we had a brown butter Financier with vanilla poached pears, and a Riesling Sabayon custard. It was served with the 2005 Ethos Late Harvest Riesling. This wine was more intense than the Eroica, with rich honey and apricot flavors. It was delightful!

Between each course, Bob Bertheau gave us some history of the winery, some of his background, and a few stories about picking the frozen grapes for the 2006 ice wines on Halloween night and working with Dr. "Ernie" Loosen. The food was fabulous, and the wines were wonderful!

The staff at Baur's did a great job of delivering the food and wine quickly and unobtrusively, and whisked away the remains almost without notice. As I mentioned earlier, they paid special attention to my dairy-free diet, and were careful to mention with each course that my serving had been specially prepared so that I didn't need to worry. We had a wonderful evening, and are looking forward to their next special event!