Silver Celebration Features Wine, Sans Souci and Windsong

By Kathy Ward

Tasting Card • Sans Souci • Windsong

Put an extra gleam in your holiday merriment this year. Pull out the party garb and plan to attend a Silver Celebration.

Follow our leaders who advise pursuing normalcy in light of recent national events. Come single or gather with friends. Come make new friends. Enjoy this annual holiday happening. It's your Enological Society party.

A Sparkling Wine toast with appetizers will lead off the evening. The Berlène 1998 Blanquette de Limoux is made in the traditional méthode champenoise way in a village of southwest France, in a region that claims an even older heritage than that of Champagne.

Chardonnay complements the salad. Merlot matches a Cannelloni entrée. Cabernet accompanies an espresso-flavored dessert. And Fonseca Vintage Porto - a Wine Spectator whopping 96-point wine - will be an elegant finale sipped with a bit of chocolate.

Table wines - all medal winners - will be a mixture of specially selected Northwest favorites. To commemorate the shiny occasion, the Cabernets are Silver Award wines judged at the Society's Festival 2001. Like a Christmas gift surprise, every wine will be a delight!

The wine and food service will work similar to the Valentine's Day program this year. As soon as a table is filled with eight people, the server will bring out cheese spreads and tapenade with a bottle of Sparkling Wine so the group can begin appropriate toasting and tasting and get-acquainted rituals. The salad, entrée and dessert courses will each have accompanying bottles of wine for a table to share. Then, as you sit back and relax, we'll pour you some post-dessert Port.

Bardinelli is Back

Many may recall Luciano Bardinelli and his famous Settebello ristorante in Seattle in the 1980s. He was first in town to feature authentic Northern Italian cuisine, and well received it was.

Luciano and his wife, Jodi, now have a new place at Bellevue Place, across from Bellevue Square. Their Sans Souci (which means "no problems") is a bistro of the two rivieras, with a classic menu of French and Italian fare. Think Cannes, terraced cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, dazzling sun-drenched scenery and you will have no problem forgetting soggy Seattle winter for a few hours.

Nominated for Best Eastside Restaurant, Sans Souci placed among the top five in Best of Citysearch 2001. Luciano, a supporter of Northwest wines since the early 1980s, has featured them on the menu at all his restaurants.

Another staple at Sans Souci is the Chopped Salad, which has been on every menu Luciano has designed. This traditional favorite features romaine, garbanzo beans, salami, tomatoes, cheese and onions. Their Cannelloni Savoiardi is an elegant pasta dish made with meat and vegetables, covered with both a white béchamel and a red tomato sauce. The Profiterole is miniature cream puff filled with espresso cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Also in the food service will be CIBO Naturals assorted cheese spreads and olive-garlic tapenade. Their Basil Roasted Walnut was a two-time winner for Best Cheese Spread judged by the American Cheese Society. Garlic Sun-dried Tomato, Smoked Jalapeño, and Fresh Herb & Garlic also will be served.

Millstone coffee will be available throughout the evening. Sample their seasonal blends of Jingle Java and Holiday Peppermint.

Music by Windsong

Also classic is the Windsong Classical Trio, an ensemble that has been entertaining at weddings and social events in the greater Seattle area since 1980. Creating an ambience with appropriate music selections, they will play throughout the evening with an extensive holiday season repertoire. Ranging from lively and bright to soft and sentimental, the numbers include "Deck the Halls" and "Silent Night" as well as early English madrigals and more modern favorites such as "Chestnuts Roasting" and "Sleigh Ride."

Megan Imrie, Windsong founder and performer, says the trio looks forward to the musical change that comes with December and the opportunity to bring a bit of holiday spirit to groups. She adds that music can help heal and notes, "We'll be particularly delighted to be playing this year in light of September 11th. We've performed a few benefit concerts recently and found it not only soothing for our souls, our audiences have seemed appreciative of the musical respite as well."

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