Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce our annual New Year's Eve dinner. In years past we’ve always done an early plus a late seating but things tended to get a little frantic and a bit too rushed with two seatings. So this year we’re just going to host one leisurely paced seating ... and what an amazing dinner it will be! Chef pulled out the stops on this six-course menu and we’ve done the same with the wines!

We’ll start with salmon tartare paired with Champagne followed by lobster bisque paired with a rare Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (think “fireplace white!”). Then we’ll transition into the reds with a complex Pinot from Brewer-Clifton paired with duck raviolo followed by Asian-inspired ribs paired with a premium Turley Zin. The main finale will be a wagyu beef dish paired with two vintages served side-by-side of winemaker extraordinaire Chris Ringland's "Clio" which I've been sandbagging for over a year just for this dinner. (Yes, we will have limited amounts of both vintages of this difficult-to-obtain wine available for purchase.) Dessert will be a refreshing pear semifreddo with orange brandy followed by an eggnog nightcap. Should be a dinner (and wine pairings!) for the record books!

While there’s definitely going to be lots of fabulous menu items paired with lots of fabulous wines, we envision this to be a relaxing, leisurely-paced dining experience spanning the course of about three hours. So you’ll have plenty of time to get home to ring in the new year in the comfort and safety of your own home or, for the more adventurous, to get to another celebration!

Either way, we 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 are unable to accommodate vegetarian requests or extensive menu aberrations.

MENU

Starter:

Salmon Tartare | Taro Chips

Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne (5 oz. pour)

Soup:

Lobster Bisque

2023 Famille Perrin “Les Sinards” Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (3 oz. pour)

Poultry:

Truffled Duck Raviolo | Wild Mushrooms | Garlic Braised Spinach

2022 Brewer-Clifton “Sta. Rita Hills” Pinot Noir (3 oz. pour)

Pork:

Ginger + Garlic Glazed St. Louis Ribs | Charred Eggplant Stir-Fry

2022 Turley “Del Barba” Zinfandel (3 oz. pour)

Beef:

Wagyu Steak au Poivre | Hasselback Potatoes | Blue Cheese Stuffed Smoked Tomato

2021 Clio Spanish Red Blend (3 oz. pour)

  vs.

2022 Clio Spanish Red Blend (3 oz. pour)

Dessert:

Bosc Pear Semifreddo

Magdala Spanish Orange Brandy (1 oz. pour)

Nightcap:

WV&B’s Legendary Eggnog (3 oz. pour)

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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. 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 REVIEWS & PRICING

Mumm Grand Cordon Brut Champagne ~ $45

(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.

2023 Famille Perrin “Les Sinards” Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc ~ $56

(France) Winemaker’s Notes: Clairette, Grenache Blanc + Roussanne. Elegant golden color with shiny reflections. Subtle and delicate nose reveals a seductive bouquet of juicy pears and quince highlighted by a touch of honey. Roundness, opulent and well-balanced palate offers superb aromas of juicy fruit which extend into a long finish supported by a delicate bitterness. An elegant wine of great finesse and roundness, revealing beautiful freshness and lots of aromatic persistence with notes of acacia, peaches and citrus fruit. Ready to drink now (barely) or cellar up to a decade.

2022 Brewer-Clifton “Sta. Rita Hills” Pinot Noir ~ $48

(Sta. Rita Hills) Winemaker’s Notes: Aromas of pomegranate, white tea and raspberry. Flavors of dried fig, white truffle and ripe cherry with a savory texture. ~~~ Review by Wine Enthusiast ~ 96 points: Lovely and bright aromas of red fruit and rose petals are lifted by minty herbs and peppery spices on the nose. A ripe cherry core enlivens the delicious palate, which is refreshing and engaging through zesty waves of green herb and black spice. ~~~ Review by James Suckling ~ 95 points: A suave, composed and subtle wine with great mellow fruit, spices and woodsy, savory accents. Medium-bodied, moderately tannic, aged in neutral barrels that Greg Brewer calls "exhausted." Hardly soft, though, it is alive with fresh acidity and lifted by fine-grained tannins.

2022 Turley “Del Barba” Zinfandel ~ $45

(Contra Costa) Winemaker’s Notes: Contra Costa is a delta where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers meet. These head-trained vines are planted in deep sand made of decomposed granite coming down from the Sierra Mountains. The resulting wine embodies the best the delta has to offer: silken textures, ultra fine tannin and dark saline fruits. Engaging on the nose, with lifted aromas of dusty ripe red fruits, gingerbread spices and pomegranate. Overall bright and lively. A rapturous wine with an utterly vibrant texture on the palate that’s just downright delicious. ~~~ Review by Wine Advocate ~ 93 points: Sourced from head-trained vines planted in 1980 on sandy soils, this wine is a light, elegant and approachable expression of Turley's substantial Zinfandel collection. Medium ruby in color, it is initially coiled and opens slowly into a bright, inviting nose with aromas of Earl Grey tea, licorice and red cherries. The palate is medium-bodied, deeply red-fruited and lined with spicy, floral accents. The finish is long and perfumed, framed by clay-textured tannins and lifted, juicy acidity harnessed with an understated elegance.

2021 Clio Spanish Red Blend ~ $53

(Spain) 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre) + 30% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 24 months in French and American oak. Deep ruby with a garnet rim. Aromas of succulent black fruit from fresh to preserved and suggestions of caramel and toffee, with hints of toast, cocoa, distinctive tobacco and coffee. In the background, some earthy and mineral nuances. Fruit and freshness define the palate complemented with exotic touches of spices, violets, some vegetal nuances, some toasted notes and deep mineral undertones. Huge, powerful and savory, yet it shows a distinctive elegance. A linear, steely acidity with ripe tannins and very long finish.

2022 Clio Spanish Red Blend ~ $53

(Spain) 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre) + 30% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 24 months in French and American oak. Nose of dark red fruits, incense, balsa wood, dark florals and a touch of scrub brush and light minerality. The palate starts with dark red fruits enveloped in a viscous mouthfeel moderated by forward tannins and acidity. Notes of cherry cola, raspberry coulis and red fruit leather with hints of scrub brush, light spice, garden soil and a touch of minerality come next. Lean and focused with incredible depth. Fruit forward with deeply expressive secondary and tertiary elements creating a chorus of support for its complex body.

Magdala Spanish Orange Brandy ~ $35 (750ml bottle)

(Spain) A Mediterranean orange liqueur made by steeping lots of orange peels in grape brandy carefully distilled in small batches at the Torres distillery in Barcelona. Ageing in old oak casks produces an aromatic elixir, silky in texture and exceptionally elegant. 

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

A highly addictive concoction we’ve been perfecting for over forty years now. It’s a decadent combination of super fresh eggs with bright orange yolks from an organic farm, pure Tahitian vanilla, cream, sugar and a pinch of 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 for six months and it was truly amazing but, out of an abundance of caution, I’ve somewhat arbitrarily listed the shelf life as the 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 was amazing a year later. (But then again, you’d have to have the self-restraint to actually keep it for a year!)

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