This intimate Stoke wine dinner experience is perfect for date night or a refined night out

Everyone knows about Stoke’s status as an Uptown cocktail mecca. But if you haven’t yet tasted Executive Chef Chris Coleman’s wood-fired delicacies or imbibed at the restaurant’s adjacent boutique wine outlet, The Bottle Shop, consider this a save-the-date for Thursday, June 22 — the second installment of Stoke’s “Wine and Dine dinner.”

Though the courses will change with each wine dinner, you can count on the artistry of each dish and the pairing. Our salmon crudo with shaved fennel citrus and pistachios was paired with a bright sparkler perfect for seafood. The smoked pork shoulder was accompanied by a robust cabernet, and the dinner concluded with a bold Grenache-Syrah blend that complemented the savory and sweet flavors of the dessert.

Stoke Executive Chef Chris Coleman’s salmon crudo with shaved fennel citrus and pistachios was paired with a bright sparkler perfect for seafood.

The setting for the March 14 dinner, in collaboration with Ascent Wines, was intimate. There were 12 of us, including Tim Ford, a representative from the featured vineyard from Southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region.

The night had a quiet energy — really fun but not crazy. We had enough time to savor the food and drink, but not enough time to needlessly slow down the experience. We clinked glasses, toasted to delicious food, good wine and the fact that, yes, you are supposed to slurp (Ford actually corrected me for not doing it).

Having Chef Coleman table-side to present each course was a great touch. And having the vineyard representative added a layer of authenticity to the whole experience — the second-best thing to doing a vineyard visit in person.

The June 22 wine dinner will take place inside The Dock, the speakeasy bar at the Marriott which is only open to the public on Saturday nights. (You access it through the hotel’s loading dock.)

For the second event in the series, Coleman will prepare a six-course tasting menu featuring wine pairings from Trefethen Family Vineyards, one of Napa Valley’s most well-known vineyards and wineries. Hailey Trefethen, granddaughter of the vineyard’s founders, will be presenting two reserve wines previously only available at the winery, as well as current releases.

For reservations, call 704-358-6558.

Photos: BlueSky by Cass Bradley 

This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 12:42 AM with the headline "This intimate Stoke wine dinner experience is perfect for date night or a refined night out."