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Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2010 > May > 23
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Fleurs et Vin hits another one out of the (Carillon) Park
(For a photo gallery of shots taken at the Fleurs et Vin by Dayton Daily News photographer Teesha McClam, click here. There’s some good stuff here!)
Basking in the glow of some lovely spring weather — or was it early summer? — the Fleurs et Vin served up another fine Sunday afternoon of wine tasting and food sampling on Sunday, May 23.
The weather helped attract a strong crowd of 1,270 people — that’s a preliminary estimate that may go up — who chose from among 300-plus wines to taste and from the food samples of more than 20 Dayton-area restaurants and caterers.
Please do let us know what you thought of the event by posting a comment. As usual, I’ll jump in first:
The wines were a notch above many previous Fleurs et Vin/Fleurs de Fete events. I was surprised to see wines such as Clarendon Hilols 2004 Grenache and Louis Martini’s flagship wine, the 2005 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon, being poured virtually side-by-side. Both bottles retail in the $75 range, according to the person pouring the wines. I’ve had previous vintages of the Clarendon Hills, and it’s one of Australia’s finest — the ‘04 was a monster, too.
Other highlights: a Domaine de Pellehaut Vin de Pays des Cotes du Gascogne white blend that was full of flavor, a fine summertime white for the bargain price of $9.99. Two 2008 German rieslings — Trullo and Dr. Loosen Riesling — struck just the right balance of fruit and acidity for the first steamy day of the year. And a Gramona Gessari white blend of Gewurtztraminer and two types of Muscat was a mouthful of exotic fruit that started sweet and finished dry. Wonderful stuff for $18.
In recent years, this event has become just as much a food event as it is about the wine, and this year was no exception. Carver’s delivered with its signature Fleurs dish of beef tenderloin tips with a creamy whiskey-peppercorn sauce, and will offer $10 off an entree for those presenting a Fleurs et Vin ticket stub. The Oakwood Club’s grilled salmon was spot-on, and Jay’s Restaurant’s oyster shooters were a crowd favorite. The Little Store offered rare beef on a slice of baguette with a creamy horseradish sauce and a dollop of orzo. L’Auberge offered a refreshing seafood dish of calamari, bay scallops and langostinos, I believe, and it was served cold — perfect for the weather. And Thai 9 offered a fine minced chicken with cilantro and a spring roll. I missed many others (a little help from other attendees, perhaps?)
It was tight at times, but the addition of the second tent is a godsend for this event, and the crowd seemed to disperse to the outdoor tables and silent auction areas more quickly, which made it easier to get around. Organizers split up some of the most popular food destinations that ring the outside of the huge tent, which helped with traffic flow.
The live auction was lively: a chef’s dinner for eight at Rue Dumaine with wine provided by Heidelberg Distributing sold after spirited bidding for $2,000. And bidding on a Hide-a-Bar cabinet from Bruning’s Clock & Home Accent Store & Bruning’s Wine Cellar reached $3,700.
Nitpicks: Many red wines were served several degrees too warm, although some pourers were wisely chilling some of their reds briefly in ice. As the event was winding down, well-chilled bottles of water were scarce, and later the bottled water disappeared from some stations entirely. That’s just when it’s needed and desired most.
But all in all, this was, once again, a well-run, well-attended, thoroughly enjoyable event. With an admission cost of $60, given the wine selection and the food served, the Fleurs et Vin is a relative bargain. And it benefits two local charities: Culture Works and the AIDS Resource Center of Ohio.
I’m already looking forward to next year.
But that’s just me. What did you think of the Fleurs et Vin?
(Photos by Mark Fisher)
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