By The Glass
CHUCK FURUYA
Try unique, exciting wines
at ‘Taste of the Stars’ galaNeed an excuse to taste wines? As I always say, "I'm doing research!" You'll have a golden opportunity to do your own "research" at the "Taste of the Stars" event scheduled for Saturday at Leeward Community College.
All the main local wine distributors will be on hand to showcase and share a sampling of wines from around the world. I'm sure you'll come across a wine that you would not have considered before.
For instance, how about an organic Merlot or Chardonnay from Bonterra of Mendocino or a dry, lively, food-friendly Pinot Grigio from Venzia, Italy, called Danzante? Or maybe a fabulous, un-oaked Chardonnay from Trevor Jones or a juicy, tasty, un-wooded Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre red blend from Torbreck -- these are two of Australia's most exciting, en vogue wineries.
This event is also a chance to "research" the pairing of wines and foods. For your experimentation you'll have dishes from an all-star list of Hawaii chefs, among them Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Hiroshi Fukui, DK Kodama, Philippe Padovani, Russell Siu ... just to name a few. You'll have 18 "live" cooking stations to choose from.
To start with, try a tasty, intriguingly Mediterranean Sangiovese blend called Santa Cristina, from the legendary house of Antinori, with the Pepper-Crusted Ahi created by chef Randal Ishizu of Ihilani Resort and Spa. Ishizu finishes his dish with an apple-ohelo compote and port wine-balsamic jus.
Sounds GOOD, doesn't it?
Or taste Rosemount's rich and ripe "Hill of Gold" Shiraz with Mariposa chef Doug Lum's Kalua-Braised "Imu Style" Oxtail, served on roasted root vegetables with a red-wine reduction.
"Research" it is. With good eating and a lot of fun along the way.
See ya there.
Tickets to "Taste of the Stars" are $80, to benefit the LCC culinary program. Call 455-0392.
Chuck Furuya, president of Fine Wine Imports, is a member of the Board of Advisors for the LCC culinary program and one of the organizers of "Taste of the Stars."
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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