Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce our annual Christmas dinner. We’re featuring some of our favorite wines with our flavors of Christmas dinner. It’ll be an amazing 6-course menu paired with real Champagne to start, three different premium wines with dinner, our legendary housemade eggnog with dessert and a finale Manhattan nightcap thrown in for good measure.

Hope to see you here! Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested.

NOTE: Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian requests or extensive menu aberrations. Also, in the event any of the wines or food become unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute others of equal or greater value.

MENU

Starters:

Lobster Roll with Tarragon Dijon Aïoli | Tapenade on Olive Toast | Bacon + Chive Deviled Egg

Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne (4 oz. pour)

Soup:

Saffron + Browned Butter Seafood Bisque

2022 Dutton Estate “Kyndall’s Reserve” Chardonnay (4 oz. pour)

Poultry:

Truffle Roasted Game Hen | Cognac Flambéed Mushrooms

2022 Obsidian “Poseidon Vineyard” Pinot Noir (4 oz. pour)

Meat:

Rosemary Seared Lamb Chop | Duck Fat Steak Frites | Roasted Garlic Aïoli

2021 Juan Gil “Blue Label” Spanish Red Blend (4 oz. pour)

Dessert:

White Chocolate, Butterscotch + Macadamia Nut Blondie

WV&B’s Legendary Eggnog (4 oz. pour)

Nightcap:

Caramel Pecan Truffle

WV&B’s Quadruple Barrel Aged Manhattan (1 oz. pour)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

RSVP

Please RSVP by clicking on the “Contact the Host” button in the box on the top right and responding with the following information.

1. your cell number and best time to call so we can call you to update your credit card info if necessary

2. how many people are in your party, and

3. answers to the HEAD’S UP questions in the paragraph below if you’re a party of 1 or 2. 

HEAD’S UP

Seating is EXTREMELY limited. We have a very limited number of tables for couples who want to sit by themselves so please let us know if you’re willing to sit at communal tables as that will GREATLY increase your chances of getting in. We also have two firepit tables for two (https://www.winevaultbistro.com/fire-pit) available so let us know if you’re OK with those tables if you want to sit by yourselves. If you’re a party of three or more there won’t be a problem getting your own table. We are currently limiting party sizes to a maximum of six.

LOCATION & PHONE

Wine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upstairs terrace. Follow the black handrail up the stairs from the sidewalk to our front door. Our phone number is (619) 295-3939.

PARKING

On-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius and meters are also free on Sunday. You can also park in the lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed! If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s always LOTS OF PARKING on San Diego Avenue and the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street. So please don't drive yourself crazy endlessly going around in circles waiting to pounce on that perfect spot when there's TONS OF PARKING less than three blocks away!

WINE SALES

Although some wines may be in limited quantities, all wines poured at this dinner will be available for purchase at the restaurant until sold out. We reserve the right to limit sales of any rare or allocated wines at our discretion.

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES

Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne ~ $43

(France) Winemaker's Notes: 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay + 25% Pinot Meunier. Exuberant bubbles and a brilliant, golden color testify to the vibrancy of this Champagne. Lush aromas of ripe peach, apricot and pineapple cascade from the glass, chased by hints of vanilla and caramel, yeast, dried fruit and honey. Intense, complex flavors of fresh fruit and caramel that morph into a long, lingering finish.

2022 Dutton Estate “Kyndall’s Reserve” Chardonnay ~ $24

(Russian River Valley) Winemaker’s Notes: Nose of apricot, vanilla and caramel followed by a burst of vibrant apple and pear flavors on the palate complemented by the oak-infused hints of toast and baking spices. This wine elegantly balances its rich flavors and aromas while preserving a refreshing acidity, resulting in a medium-bodied and versatile Chardonnay that pairs beautifully with a wide range of dishes. Enjoy with a hearty salad topped with orchard fruits, barbecue chicken or your favorite assortment of creamy cheese. ~~~ Review by Wine Enthusiast ~ 94 points: The nose of this oak- and concrete-aged wine dances with the aromas of Vadouvan curry and lemon curd. Although the palate is broad and textural, vibrant acidity brings citric juiciness and depth to the generous finish. Drink now through 2030.

2022 Obsidian “Poseidon Vineyard” Pinot Noir ~ $34

(Carneros, Napa Valley) Winemaker's Notes: Fresh and approachable, this Pinot captures the classic character of the Carneros Martini Clone of Pinot Noir, which is to say a delicate, pretty wine with a medium body, fresh acidity and beguiling intricacy. Hungarian oak adds a warm spice and earth component to the fruit’s classic rose petal aromas and red cherry flavors, with whole cluster stem contact adding herbal and tea leaf notes.

2021 Juan Gil “Blue Label” Spanish Red Blend ~ $35

(Spain) Winemaker's Notes: 60% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon + 10% Syrah. This complex and elegant wine is made from selections from the oldest parcels, averaging 75 years old which are planted at 2,300 feet on sandy, chalky soils with extremely low yields. Parcels are fermented in small stainless steel tanks and then aged for 18 months in new French and American oak barrels separately before blending. This is a wine that will evolve over 2-3 years and drink well for many more. Blackberries and plums framed by licorice, vanilla and toast. Full-bodied and well structured, yet fresh with well integrated tannins that sculpt a long, lasting finish. ~~~ Review by Wine Spectator ~ 93 points: An aromatic thread of toast, licorice, vanilla and Mediterranean macchia winds through generous flavors of plum sauce and blackberry paste. Full-bodied but fresh and well-structured, this red is firmed by chalky, integrated tannins that sculpt the long, lasting finish.

WV&B’s Legendary Eggnog ~ $39 (750ml bottle)

We’re releasing our legendary Christmas eggnog early this year. Last year we made well over 300 bottles and still had to turn away orders so we’re getting a head start this year. It’s an addictive concoction I’ve been perfecting for over forty years now. It’s a decadent combination of super fresh eggs with bright orange yolks (instead of the typical pale yellow supermarket ones) from an organic farm, pure vanilla, cream and nutmeg aggressively spiked with two kinds of rum, cognac and bourbon. We sell it in recycled wine bottles for thirty-nine bucks. And, according to lots of research I’ve done lately, it will actually keep for 1-2 years as long as it’s continually refrigerated. And it mellows and gets better with age. I know that it just sounds so wrong to keep anything with fresh eggs and fresh cream for more than a week or two, but once a certain level of alcohol is introduced, (and we’re waaaay above that level) all bets are off and it will keep for a much longer period of time as long as it’s continually refrigerated. I kept some of last year’s batch until May and it was truly amazing but, out of an abundance of caution, I’ve somewhat arbitrarily listed the shelf life as end of January. But I’ve had customers tell me that they’ve just now opened some of last year’s nog and that it’s amazing a year later (But then again, you’d have to have the self-restraint to actually keep it for a year!)

WV&B’s Quadruple Barrel Aged Manhattans ~ $20 (200ml hip flask)

A magical blend of premium Bourbon, Antica Carpano Italian Sweet Vermouth, a touch of Rye and Luxardo Cherry Liqueur and a splash of special Old Fashioned Bitters all seamlessly aged together in four charred oak barrels solera style since 2020.

THE FINE PRINT

Due to fluctuations of supply, we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value in case any of the wines or foods become unavailable. Please, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ... even if your babysitter flakes out on you at the last minute!

Hope to see you here. Buon appetito and cheers!

Chris