Angelina's wine dinner series is the passport to culinary adventure

Savor diverse flavors from around the world this summer in the comfort of a seat at Angelina's Ristorante. The restaurant's international wine dinner series will feature a different locale each month from April to October.

The Bonita Springs restaurant held two successful wine dinners last fall but took a break during the winter tourist season. "Both dinners sold out," says Ed Wagner, the general manager. "We see the demand there, but since this was our first season, we wanted to concentrate on making sure the restaurant worked well."

Now that the seasonal residents and winter tourists have departed and Angelina's is celebrating its first birthday — Thursday, April 16, is the official date — Mr. Wagner says the staff is better able to devote the time and energy required to produce topnotch wine dinners.

That planning began with developing a theme for each monthly event. The next step is wine selection, which sommelier Angela Robertson handles, with input from operations manager Ken Knief. Then executive chef Nick Costanzo designs a menu tailored to the wines and their regions of origin.

For the first dinner, set for April 29, the wine and food of Tuscany in central Italy will take center stage. All of the wines will come from the renowned Antinori winery, where more than 25 generations of the family have been making wine since the 14th century.

Here's a preview of the first dinner:

First course: seared diver scallop carpaccio with Sorrento lemon oil, radish, fennel and pineapple salad and crispy rock shrimp paired with Vermentino, a medium bodied white with floral and citrus notes and a crisp, clean finish.

Second course: pink peppercornrubbed salmon braciola rolled with wild mushrooms and fontina val d'aosta, bing cherry and cinnamon braised carrot mezzalune and charred Washington state ramps with Peppolli chianti classico, a medium-bodied dry red with cherry aromas and a mineral earthiness.

Third course: guanciale and herb-roasted red pork tenderloin, slow-cooked tomatoes, fingerling potatoes and red dandelion greens with smoked buffalo ricotta, served with Villa Antinori Red, which possesses red berry aromas and flavors and a smooth oak tannin finish.

COURTESY PHOTO Angelina's Sommelier Angela Robertson. Fourth course: Colorado lamb duet, consisting of balsamic braised lamb short rib osso buco and sea salt-seared lamb loin, truffled creamy polenta, caramelized cipollini onions and mulberry-brown butter demi glace, paired with Tignanello, a full-bodied super Tuscan with blackberry, raisin and spice flavors and a long, rich finish.

Dessert will be a surprise, says Chef Costanzo, but will likely be chocolate.

"At the end of a wine dinner, you typically have wine left in the glass," says Ms. Robertson, and chocolate pairs well with many reds. "It's a nice way to end a meal."

Subsequent dinners will include selections from various wineries, allowing her to select the best of each region. She promises all the wines will be excellent quality, high-scoring varieties with "at least one showpiece wine, a superstar" at each event.

Although all the details haven't been decided upon, the team is hard at work crafting menus that will make each one special.

COURTESY PHOTO Angelina's Chef Nick Costanzo. The South American dinner June 24, for example, will likely include ceviche and Argentinean beef to match the country's stellar wines. At the French dinner, planned for July 29, the wines of Bordeaux will star, while dessert will feature a topof the-line cognac or Armagnac. The Italian dinner, set for Sept. 23, will showcase wines and dishes from four regions, including Sardinia, an area Ms. Robertson says has been relatively forgotten but which produces magnificent wines from grapes that come from centuries-old vines.

Individual dinners are priced at $89, but those who attend two dinners at that price receive a $30 discount on a third, making it an economical way to visit three continents without a passport, luggage or jet lag.

Schedule of dinners

>>April 29: Tuscan wines >>May 20: Mediterranean wines >>June 24: South American wines >>July 29: French wines >>Sept. 23: Italian wines >>Oct. 28: American wines

Details

>>What: International Wine Dinner Series Where: Angelina's Ristorante, 24041 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs >>Cost: $89 per dinner; purchase two wine dinners and pay $59 for the third >>Call: 390-3187. Reservations required.