DETAILS: Get ready to be dazzled during this exclusive wine dinner featuring the Rioja wines of Lopez de Heredia, paired with delicious 7 courses from acclaimed culinary duo, Chef Damian Sansonetti and Chef Ilma Lopez of Chaval. Lopez de Heredia is recognized as one of the all-time greatest Rioja producers, a legendary winemaking family that has been making wine the same way since it began in 1877, now in the hands of 4th generation winemaker Mercedes Lopez de Heredia. Not only will you have the opportunity to taste a portfolio of these incredible wines (which also happen to be one of the Chefs’ favorites), you’ll savor them with delicious dishes inspired by Spanish flavors and flair, featuring regional and local ingredients, with an exquisite touch. Seating is limited to only 10 people seated in their intimate private dining room.
FEATURED WINES:
2011 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Gravonia, Rioja Crianza Blanco, Spain
2010 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Rioja Reserva Blanco, Spain
2012 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Bosconia, Rioja Reserva, Spain
2007 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Rioja Reserva, Spain
2006 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Rioja Reserva, Spain
2005 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Rioja Reserva, Spain
2001 R. Lopez De Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Rioja Reserva, Spain
RESERVE: Via email reservations@chavalmaine.com
PRICE: $199 plus tax and gratuity
LINKS: Chaval, Ugly Duckling
Portland Wine Week is Presented by Wine Wise with Partner Sponsors Bangor Savings and Buoy Local.
BIOS:
Before Chef Damian Sansonetti was the acclaimed chef de cuisine at the uber-French Bar Boulud in New York, co-owner Damian Sansonetti grew up savoring his mother's and grandmother's cooking from handmade pasta to grilled fish to learning how to cure meat and make sausages with his grandfather. A career in food was practically his birthright. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Sansonetti worked at Nantucket’s Brant Point Grill and Pittsburgh’s Steelhead Grill, moving to New York to open Heartbeat in the W Hotel. Sansonetti met Daniel Boulud while working at Shallots in Midtown and eventually took a position at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne. Sansonetti was a 2022 finalist for the James Beard Award, Best Chef Northeast.
Chef Ilma Lopez has worked in some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. When she left New York City to the quieter reaches of Maine, Lopez found a new terrain she couldn’t resist. Arriving with a mastery of colors, flavors, textures, and spices—and a seasoned ability to work under pressure—Lopez makes classic dishes her own, with attention to micro-detail and thoughtful twists. For her work, Lopez earned a 2014 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award, Has been a multiple-time James Beard top-Chef finalist, and you may have seen her name in the September issue of Bon Appetit Magazine highlighting her incredible talents when naming Portland, Maine as their pick for Restaurant City of The Year. You can find her daily at their new bakeshop and luncheonette The Ugly Duckling.
