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Hawaii Public Radio's annual wine auction has undergone a transformation, picking up a new name and a renewed sense of purpose. Sheraton-Waikiki hosts
HPR wine auction
Star-Bulletin Staff"Uncorked: A Celebration of Wines" will be held March 10 at the Sheraton-Waikiki's Grand Ballroom and will include a tasting of 120 wines, seminars, and live and silent auctions.
If you've ever been to one of these mass wine-tastings, you know they can be intimidating affairs, with dozens of wines out there with no particular guidelines. You sample around until you max out, hoping you didn't miss anything great.
This year's Grand Tasting will be presented so that tasters may circle the room, sampling wines from lightest to deepest, considered the best way to appreciate a variety of vintages and varietals.
On top of that, you'll be able to taste certain wines with dishes paired to match them by some hotshot chefs including Jackie Lau of Roy's Waikoloa, Hiroshi Fukui of L'Uraku and Ivan Pahk of Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar.
And on top of that, you can learn something about what you're drinking from a hotshot panel of winemakers:
>> Christophe Davis of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates will explain "how to achieve culinary epiphany" in pairing wine to food, $25.
>> Ehren Jordan of Turley Wine Cellars will lead a tasting of Turley's acclaimed Zinfandels, $50.
>> Gary Patzwald of Kendall-Jackson Great Estates will lead a blind tasting of Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays, $100.
>> Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellar will offer a tasting of his exclusive collection of Cask 23 Cabernets from 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998, $100.
Seminar fees are on top of general admission, which is $65 ($55 for HPR members). The Grand Tasting runs noon to 3 p.m., followed by the auction, 3 to 5 p.m. Seminars begin at 11 a.m. and seating is limited. Reservations, 955-8821.
Manele Bay loses chef
Edwin Goto, the award-winning chef of the Manele Bay Hotel on Lanai, has gone island-hopping, taking over as executive chef of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Big Island.Goto's prestigious résumé includes the Lodge at Koele, also on Lanai, La Mer at the Halekulani and, in San Francisco, Les Celebrites, Park Grill and 1001 Nob Hill.
At the Mauna Lani he will oversee the flagship CanoeHouse and five other restaurants.
Special events
First anniversary: Roy's Kihei celebrates its first birthday with a cocktail party on a huge scale, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Featured chefs, along with Roy Yamaguchi himself, will be Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani of Terra in Napa Valley. Hawaii chefs joining the celebration are Alan Wong, DK Kodama (Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar), Hiroshi Fukui (L'Uraku), Chai Chaowasaree (Chai's Island Bistro), George Gomes (Sarentos and Nick's Fishmarket) and Roy's chefs Jackie Lau, Joey Macadandang and Ronnie Nasuti.Along with live food stations, the event will include wine and sake stations (serving Roy's label Y sake) and Roy's signature beer. Entertainment will be by the Project. Cost is $85. Call 808-991-1120.
Girl's Day Festival: Furusato Japanese Restaurant is upscaling the bento lunches traditionally served at the Hina Matsuri celebration at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. In fact, the humble bento has been renamed "gourmet boxed lunch" this year. The festival runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Sunday, but reservations for lunches must be made by Thursday. Cost is $16 adult, $11 children, including beverage and mochi dessert. Call 945-7633.
Sous chefs get their due
The sous chef is the workhorse of the kitchen, the right hand of the executive chef. It's the sous chef who keeps the place organized, for little credit.Bertolli Olive Oil calls sous chefs the "unsung heroes of the culinary world" and seeks to recognize the best of them through a nationwide competition.
Nominations are being accepted through April 12. Résumé, references, personal statement and a recipe using olive oil must be submitted. Ten finalists will be flown to New York for the awards reception. For details, call Jaime Marland, 212-554-7428 or e-mail jmarland@vorhaus.com.
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