Varanese showcasing biodynamic wines at Grgich Hills Estate dinners, Jan. 18-19

Biodynamic wines from Grgich Hills Estate will flow for two nights at Varanese, where a pair of six-course dinners will be offered on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19.

Grgich vineyard manager David Bos will be the guest speaker for each evening and talk about the work, the virtues and pleasurably drinkable rewards of biodynamic winemaking.

Though Louisville restaurants have done a remarkable job with wine-pairing dinners, lend this one a bit of significance given not only the quality of Grgich wines, but the fact that they come from one of just a few dozen certified biodynamic vineyards in the U.S.

While organic winemaking is a terrific, biodynamics pushes the “natural” edge even further by creating a holistic farming system that, according to Grgich’s website, “treats the vineyard as a living organism and uses the earth’s natural cycles and organic preparations to grow balanced, healthy vines.”

Sounds like some happy-sunshine-smiley PR, right?

Honestly, there’s much more to it. Biodynamic vineyards are actually farms that grow cover crops, trees and bushes that attract beneficial insects, use chickens to eat the bad pests, and, you guessed, it, produce manure that adds natural fertilizer to its soil. The result is not only fantastic wine, the long-term effects include healthier soil grapevines that live up to a century as opposed to 10 to 20 years. Have a peek at this video for more info.

Bos, who spoke at last year’s Varanese-Grgich dinners, said he’ll talk briefly during this year’s events about biodynamic winemaking, but stick mostly to a discussion of the six wines he’ll pour.

“I always touch on it some without being too technical in areas like (soil) preparations, since these audiences aren’t usually farmers,” Bos laughed. The U.S., he added, lags only France in the number of certified biodynamic vineyards. “The points I like to focus on are those that set biodynamic farming apart from conventional or organic farming. But mostly I like to talk about the fact that our grapes are estate grown only, and the history of Mike Grgich.”

If you know anything about Grgich’s founder, you likely have seen the movie “Bottle Shock.” The tale is charming and inspiring and based loosely on the true story of how American wines from California upstaged French wines in a late 1970s judging in Paris. Mike Grgich, was then winemaker for Chateau Montelena at the time, but founded Grgich shortly after.

Though entertaining, “Bottle Shock” plays fast and loose with the facts, and Bos promised to share several entertaining stories that shed light on what really happened. (So there’s your homework, peeps: Rent the movie before you go to these dinners.)

“I have yet to meet a cellar intern that looks like that,” Bos said, referring to Rachael Taylor, a Venusian visage written into the story. “Though it’s historically inaccurate, at least it’s fun. I’ve got lots of good stories to share about that.”

This will be the third time Varanese has featured Grgich Hills wines at one of its dinners. I was lucky enough to attend the first in 2010 and was impressed with its approachable, yet complex wines that are admired by amateurs and oenophiles alike.

Given that Grgich wines average between $40 and $70 a bottle, you can bet there aren’t any in my humble cellar—at least not frequently. A glass of any Grgich is likely to fetch $8 to $12 in town, so the $75 per person price for six courses and six pours is a ridiculous bargain. (Tax and gratuity are extra.)

Have a look at the menu and just accept a suspension of your New Year’s diet resolution for that day.

First course: jumbo lump crab and tangerine timbale topped with arugula-citrus vinaigrette, paired with Grgich Fume Blanc

Second course: butternut squash and apple bisque topped with a camembert cheese crostini garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds, paired with Grgich Chardonnay

Intermezzo

Third course: oven roasted bacon-wrapped sweet onion stuffed with wild mushrooms and bacon served with braised pork belly in a French onion broth, paired with Grgich Petite Sirah

Fourth course: Broken Arrow Ranch cherry barbecued quail legs served with a crispy fried potato medallion topped with loaded whipped potatoes garnished with grilled scallions, paired with Grgich Merlot

Fifth course: Fox Hollow Farms herb and salt-crusted strip steak served with braised greens and carrot flan finished with a dried cranberry demi, paired with Grgich Cabernet

Sixth course: chocolate cream pie with raspberry mousse served with strawberry-black pepper ice cream topped with blueberry sauce, paired with Grgich Zinfandel

I likely write this too often for some readers, but events like this compel me to repeat it: Like every other wine dinner I’ve attended in town, this is a bargain. If all you did was eat out once weekly and made it a wine dinner in Louisville, you’d live large (and likely become large, but that’s another matter) and learn a ton about food and wine.

Want veggies only for dinner? Varanese can do that. Want to skip the wine? They’ll do that, too. Call 899-9904 to make reservations.

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