Piero's Monthly Wine Dinners Gaining in Popularity

With four spectacular chef-designed entrees, paired with four pre-selected wines, Piero's Corner monthly wine dinners are fast becoming this area's most popular gourmet experience. Wine tastings are gaining in popularity, but this is even better.

Located in Herndon's Franklin Farm Shopping Center, this restaurant's new owner and chef Gian Piero Mazzi said, "I think all our wine events are special, but, it's always a treat when the wine maker himself decides to attend and explain the wines himself."

"In this case his name is Rodrigo Redmont from Talamonti Winery  in Loreto Aprutino, Abruzzo [Italy]" he said. "They specialize in the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grape and combine the state of the art techniques with the traditional method of vinification."

It is a fairly new winery for Italian wines—many have been in business for generations—and it was started in 2004. Some Abruzzo-area peppers were used in one of the sauces during the dinner.

Piero's Corner, formerly San Vito's, has been hosting these monthly dinners for the past four years, and it is easy to understand why they are so wildly popular. Chef Gian Piero socializes with his guests at the beginning of the evening, and at the end as well, eagerly answering many questions about the meal.

Our first course was Tagliere de Bruschetta, thin rounds of very fresh Italian bread topped with a wide assortment of marinated peppers, olives, fresh tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and spices. These were served family-style on large platters with crisp white, steel-aged Trebi wine, which is made from the same grape that cognac is made from.

After this first explosion of taste, I got pretty excited. Each course was punctuated by "talk" from the wine maker, as to how the wine was made, the grape, and a little background about that particular year's growing season. It was brief, interesting, and engaging, and seemed to perk your interest in the wine and entree to be served next. The 56 guests there were obviously enjoying themselves—it felt like one warm alumni party—served in long, formal banquet-style seating.

Each course appeared all at once, with a brigade of servers. Second course was a braised wild boar prepared two ways, one in a sausage, with infused garlic, and the rest in a robust, spicy fresh tomato sauce over macaroni alla Chittarra (a very thin pasta, thinner than angel hair). This portion was not too large, but yet large enough to further raise your expectations for the rest of the evening's delights. It was an engaging sauce, a bit of wild boar meat in one mouthful, a thick hearty tomato sauce, then the garlic and spicy sausage. It went perfectly with the Moda Montepulciano (2008) which was a dry red with a lot of character.  

The main event was a perfectly-grilled tender medium-rare beef tenderloin that appeared with a grilled slice of eggplant topped with Gorgonzola cheese, fresh asparagus, julienned zucchini and fresh herbs. It was surrounded by a rich tomato/beef/wine reduction sauce, and we were glad there was more hot fresh bread to mop up the extra sauce. 

But even better was the Kudos (2004)—a dazzling blend of 30 percent Merlot and 70 percent Multepulciano grapes, and aged in oak. This wine had depth and expansiveness of flavor, and was perfectly matched to its entree. This is a wine that even on the second or third sip, you were still discovering how good it really was.

Refills were generous and the service for the whole evening was exceptionally good and attentive. Wines from the vineyard could be pre-ordered that same evening at a substantial savings over retail value. 

The final performance of the evening was a homemade strawberry jam tart called a costata, served with a small dollop of whipped cream, alongside a balsamic honey reduction, which had a subtle wisp of rosemary flavor. This heavenly melt in your mouth creation was served with the restaurant's own sparking chilled Moscato, which was lightly sweet and refreshing.

Cost for this gourmet event is $65 per person, which includes everything. Gratuity is pre-set at $13 per person, so with tax the total bill is $81.25 per person. As this is a reservations-only event each month, to get on their email newsletter list, send an email Dorrzapf@verizon.net. 

Monthly wine dinners are only in the fall, winter and spring months, as they take a break in the summer, and the December dinner is rumored to be a formal event, with men in tuxes or suits and women in formal evening wear. One couple even celebrated their anniversary at the dinner last Tuesday evening