You Determine Which Wines Win: The Battle of France versus California Wine Pairing Event at Carmel Café & Wine Bar

Carmel Café & Wine Bar, 2548 N McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL | Get Directions »
$69.95

You Determine Which Wines Win at Nov. 15 Tasting Event Featuring Mod Med Cuisine Paired with Wines from France and California 

Make Reservations Now for this Popular Wine Dinner at Clearwater, Carrollwood and South Tampa 

Carmel Café & Wine Bar Restaurants  

Carmel Café & Wine Bar’s November wine dinners showcase French and California wines in honor of the famous 1976 Taste of Paris, which inspired the movie “Bottle Shock.” Guided by a certified sommelier, you will blind taste and score three Chardonnays and three Cabernet Sauvignons from the storied vineyards that participated in the original Taste of Paris that changed wine in America forever.

In 1976, English wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a Paris wine tasting publicity stunt thinking the French wines would win.  The outcome was not what Spurrier imagined. 

The Thursday, Nov. 15, wine dinners will be from 6:30-8 p.m. at all Carmel Café locations.  Cost is $69.95 per person (tax and gratuity not included) and reservations are required.  Raffles will offer Carmel Café gift cards and copies of the DVD “Bottle Shock.”

Carmel Café Executive Chef Steve Cook will complement these wines with the restaurant’s Mod Med cuisine.

Au Debut
Champagne
Let the blind tasting begin – French or American? 

Carmel Pairing: 
Small Plate:  Caviar with housemade Blini

Blanc:
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (vineyard won the white category at the 1976 tasting) 

Olivier Leflaive Les Setillrs (famed Domaine Leflaive was an original participant in 1976 tasting)

Mer Soliel Silver Chardonnay (from the storied house of Caymus Vineyards of Chuck Wagner)

Carmel Pairing:
Salad:  Crispy Goat Cheese, Arugula, Green Apples, Vinaigrette

Small Plate:  Cedar Plank Hog fish, Artichoke & Pepper Taponata 

Rouge:
Stag’s Leap Cellars Artemis Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Heitz Vineyards Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (Heitz, an original particant, won the Red’s category at the 1976 tasting)

Clarendelle Bordeaux Rouge Bordeaux (from world renowned owners of Chat´å¨x Haut-Brion)

Carmel Pairing: 
Small Plate:  Short Rib “Rossimi” Yukon Potato Gratin
Sweet:  Signature Truffle 
Ginger, Chili, Sicilian Sea Salt

In addition to dinner nightly after 5 p.m., Carmel Café restaurants offer a prix fixe dinner menu Sundays and Mondays and weeknights an “After 5 @ Carmel” menu from 5-7 p.m. that features select wines, martinis and small plates for $5 each.  Two-for-one well drinks are also served from 5-7 p.m. weeknights.  The prix fixe “Dinner for Two” offer available Sundays and Mondays lets two guests create a customized four-course meal, for a combined cost of $24.95.

The MenuPad app developed for Carmel Café enables guests to completely customize their dining experience using tableside iPads to review photos and descriptions of each dish, control the preparation and pacing of their dining experience and identify the perfect to wines to pair with the food.  Dishes are available in both small and large plate options and pair well with the selection of wine and specialty cocktails available at the full-service bar.

Carmel Cafe restaurants are open for lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, brunch from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, as well as dinner 5 - 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 – 9 p.m. on Sunday.  

Carmel Café & Wine Bars are located at: 2548 McMullen Booth Road (Northwood Plaza) in Clearwater, 14306 North Dale Mabry Highway (Landmark Plaza) in Tampa and 3601 West Swann Avenue in South Tampa. 

For more information, go to: www.carmelcafe.com