The ultra luxurious Bellagio Las Vegas, recognized by the aquatic acrobatics of its choreographed fountain, is setting up to kick off the 2013 Epicurean Epicenter series. To kick it off, world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will present a gourmet, multi-course with the help of the reinvention of Inglenook Vineyard. Founded in 1879 in the Napa Valley region of California, famed director Francis Ford Coppola has spent the last twenty-five years (his family, a total of 38 years) reuniting the Estates’ original vineyard and restoring its former caliber of winemaking..
The James Beard Award-winning Chef Vongerichten will work with Inglenook owner Francis Ford Coppola as well as the Estate Director Philippe Bascaules and Bellagio’s Director of Wine Jason Smith, MS to create flavors that will pair perfectly with wine offering as well as the first vintages released from Inglenook since 1964. Plates for the dinner will include Spicy Tuna Tartare served with black olive, cucumber and Shiso paired with a Blancaneaux, Rutherford 2011; Black Sea Bass with a spiced crust, winter vegetable vinaigrette complemented by Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 2009; and finished with Gorgonzola Fondue garnished with black bread, pear and pecan, flavors highlighted by Rubicon, Rutherford 1991.
Other plates will include Chipotle-cured Salmon, Seared Maine Scallops and Crème Fraîche Fritters, as well as Vongerichten’s revered Crispy Wagyu Beef Short Ribs with crunchy polenta and a red wine smoked chili glaze. The event not only celebrates world-class cuisine and wine, but also recognizes the nearly forty years of effort by the Francis Ford Coppola and his family have exhausted to restore Inglenook to its former esteemed position in the wine world. In many circles, the 1941 Inglenook vintage is still considered to be one the best Cabernet Sauvignons ever created.
The dinner will take place in the Bellagio’s Tuscany Kitchen on January 26th beginning at 6:30 pm. Tickets cost $350 per person. What’s more, the evening is an interactive experience, allowing guests to watch as Chef Vongerichten prepares the dishes in the restaurant’s high-tech exhibition kitchen.
