A great article in The Courier Journal

July is a 'wine' time to visit The Oakroom
Two notable wine-centered events will take place at The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton (500 S. Fourth St.) in July. One is a dinner Friday based on wines from France's Rhone Valley, while the other is a Quintessa wine tasting at a steal of a price.
Oakroom director and sommelier Ashley McClane and chef de cuisine Bobby Benjamin have matched an American menu with terrific French vintages dating back more than a dozen years. McClane said not only are the wines she's chosen peaking in flavor now, but "wines from the Rhone are just so friendly and approachable."
Among her choices are a 1996 Crozes Hermitage (Paul Jaboulet Aine, Domaine de Thalabert), a 1997 Crozes Hermitage (Paul Jaboulet Aine, Domaine Raymond Roure) and a 1996 Saint Joseph Reserve.
"The 1996 Muscat Beaumes de Venise (Paul Jaboulet) we're having for dessert will knock your socks off," she added.
The menu includes a course of Saint Marcellin cheese, another of Copper River sockeye salmon with beets and summer truffles, an entree of Kentucky bison steak with fingerling potatoes, saffron aioli and smoked shallots, and a dessert of white chocolate cake with honeycomb, black walnut tomato jam and basil ice cream.
Price is $100 (tax and tip included). Want to stay the night? The Seelbach is offering a room rate of $79 for those who attend the dinner.
The Quintessa tasting will be July 30 in the hotel's new Wine Bar. Participants will receive four 2-ounce tastings for the bargain rate of $50. Bottles of Quintessa commonly cost $130 or more at wine shops and double that in restaurants.
"A single glass of this normally costs $60," McClane said. "We want to bring people down to see our new Wine Bar, and I felt this would be a good way to do that. It starts at 5 p.m., and we'll go as long as people like."
To make reservations for the Rhone dinner, call 807-3463.



A special thanks to Steve Coomes.