Wine and All That Jazz For Our Valentines

By Kathy Ward

"Come taste the wine, come hear the band...
Start celebrating, right this way your table's waiting."

It's time for a holiday and we'd like you to be our Valentine for a special February 14 cabaret-like party. We'll welcome you with sparkling wine, woo you with a lovely array of reds, wow you with decadent desserts, and entertain you jazzily as well.

Table wine selections for this event all hold the distinction of being Northwest Wine & Food Festival award winners. The Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays include a variety of familiar favorites and perhaps a few first-time tastings for some.

A bubbly toast with Saint-Hilaire Blanc de Blancs starts the evening, and a finale of dessert wines closes.

For a sprinkling of romance, food courses are reminiscent of Italy. (Ask any Italian about romance!) Executive Chef Glenn Sablan of the Fairwood Golf & Country Club will be preparing a festive specialty enjoyed by members and guests at the private dining facility in Renton.

Cannelloni topped with a light sauce of crème, capers and sun-dried tomatoes will be accompanied by a salad with the chef's signature sweet-tart dressing flavored with poppy seeds, cranberries and hazelnuts. He also plans two kinds of handmade breadsticks to complete the plate.

Chef Sablan, a Northwest native who has been with the Fairwood club for 12 years, apprenticed at Gerard's in Bothell for six years, opened Landaus in Bellevue and has worked for Hewitts Catering Service.

Varieties of cheeses and breads will tease your appetite. And a delightful dessert of Mousse-filled Chocolate Cake has been selected for all our sweeties.

That's Entertainment!

Wine.com notes that words such as dramatic, momentous, surprising and exhilarating are often associated with great music. Coincidentally, the same words describe great wines. From Monterey to Melbourne, wine and music — particularly jazz — make a festive combo. Australians even have an appreciation society dedicated to this duo. We'll try it ourselves, sipping wines and dancing or toe tapping all evening to the sounds of local jazz vocalist Greta Matassa.

A versatile and popular entertainer and recording artist, Greta has a style that's been compared to Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Audiences consistently sing her praises. Seattle's Earshot Jazz organization several times voted Greta the Northwest's best jazz vocalist. Critics laud her ability to "find the groove and swing it" and croon ballads "that will break your heart."

So, what good is sitting alone in your room? Come out and celebrate Valentine's Day with us. Life is a Cabernet, old chum. Enjoy it!