Avant Chamber Ballet Wine Tasting -

When I first heard about Avant Chamber Ballet‘s wine tasting featuring MontaguWines, I knew I had to work my week around the event. What’s not to love about supporting the arts while enjoying fine wine and charcuterie? That’s my kind of Wednesday!

The boutique ballet company based in Dallas, Texas is passionate about authentic dance, which I appreciate since I’m passionate about authentic food. Every part of last night was classy, elegant, and laid-back. We sampled four of MontaguWines’ offerings and we were treated to a casual ballet performance choreographed by Avant Chamber Ballet’s talented artistic director, Katie Cooper, and live music by a violinist. The event was packed but luckily I snuck in the front row to snap a few photos for you.

We started the evening with a taste of chardonnay. Up until this point, I have not been a Chardonnay fan. MontaguWines, a single vineyard winemaker named after the owner’s great-grandfather, changed that. The 2013 MontaguWines Chardonnay (buy a bottle here for $35) spent nineteen months in barrels and hails exclusively from the Corotto Vineyard in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. Finally I’ve found a Chardonnay that I enjoy! It paired beautifully with the appetizers.

Speaking of appetizers, Avant Chamber Ballet really knows how to throw a party! Let’s break down the tapas platter so we can all recreate this at home:

Here we have hearts of palm, roasted red peppers, chunks of Feta cheese, dolmas (grape leaves), assorted meats and olives, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, artichoke hearts, and rosemary for garnish. Say it with me now: these are a few of my favorite things! Also available were two large raw veggie and fruit platters, a cheese plate, and hummus.

Next I tried the 2013 Montagu Pino Noir and, if I’m honest, a second plate of charcuterie. Benefitting from optimal growing conditions at its Bacigalupi Vineyard in the Russian River Valley (buy a bottle here for $60), this fruity wine paired well with the fattiness of the charcuterie.

After the performance by the always exquisite Avant Chamber Ballet dancers, I sample the 2013 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorite wines so I was expecting to love it and I did. Deep with black cherry and blueberry notes (but a bottle here for $35), this gorgeous glass put a real pep in my step. Silver Ghost Cellars, owned by MontaguWines, is more widely available and produces considerably more cases than Montagu’s single vineyard wines.

We ended by sampling “The Baron” with dessert (buy it here for $125/bottle). It’s pricy, I know, but it’s worth it. Rich and chocolatey, you could absolutely taste the difference! Described by MontaguWines as “inky/purple-colored with notes of cassis, violets, graphite, mocha and a hint of the famous Rutherford dust,” the Baron is the kind of wine I’d like to curl up with on a cozy Friday night. There’s just something so sexy and luxurious about this wine.

I can’t wait for the next Avant Chamber Ballet event (get tickets to their remaining spring performances here) and I sincerely hope there are more glasses of MontaguWines in my future!