November 10 - A Tuscan Grand Wine Dinner @ Solare! –San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival

An Evening in Tuscany with Antinori Estate, Italian Truffles, and authentic Italian Cuisine

A Tuscan Grand Wine Dinner Highlighting the wines of Antinori Estate – and Italian Truffles!

This dinner is happening at Solare … and it is a part of the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival. 

Spend an evening in Tuscany with Antinori Estate and Solare Ristorante!   Join this Italian wine and cuisine focused Grand Wine Dinner highlighting legendary Tuscan wines such as the Tignanello Estate Super Tuscan and the Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino.

This dinner is happening at Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station.  Solare was recently added to the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant – and in 2022 was named Best Service, Best Italian Restaurant, and Best Wine List by San Diego Magazine.  The right three awards you want for this Grand Dinner! 

an in-depth exploration of the amazing wines from Tuscany with each course carefully designed to pair with the wines.   Solare Ristorante has carefully selected 5 great Antinori wines.  Note that it is Italian Truffle season – and truffles are included on the menu.  Silvio di Silvio (Antinori Estate) and Randy Smerik (Solare Ristorante) lead the dinner designed by Executive Chef Denice Grande.  The team at Solare is excited to share their passion for Tuscan wines and great Italian cuisine with you.

Dinner at 6:30pm. Tickets to this dinner are sold by the SD Bay Wine + Food Festival, and click here to purchase. Seating is limited – get your tickets today.

-Randy and the Solare Team

November 05 - Secrets of the Sommeliers – Masterclass in Italian Wine

Saturday evening in the Solare Private Room.   8 spots remain.

Join Petra and 3 other (amazing) sommeliers I know well for a very special Masterclass in Italian Wine.

Secrets of the Sommeliers: An Insider’s 4-Course Tasting Dinner with 8 Italian Wines at Michelin-recommended Solare Ristorante.

Details:

• Saturday, November 5th, start at 6pm sharp in Solare Ristorante’s private room
• Limit 18 persons for the Dinner.
• Join 4 professional sommeliers for a highly entertaining and insightful tasting dinner featuring 8+ spectacular Italian wine selections from different regions, grapes and producers.
• $175pp all inclusive, with 4 course dinner, 8 wines, sommelier-guided tasting in our private room
• Parking is free, and the price covers tips and tax and everything.
• Petra and Nina – raised in Italy draw personal favorites from their latest discoveries that just arrived from Italy.  
• Veteran sommeliers Joey and Adam will narrate and examine all wines in detail.
• Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of authentic Italian dining, tasting, and insight.

The wine line-up includes select Barolo, Amarone, Taurasi, Brunello, Super Tuscan, and more.

Here’s the link for the tickets:

https://www.docgimports.com/product/Secrets-of-Somm-Guest-Ticket-Nov-5-2022?sortBy=ProductBrand&maxRows=20&searchText=secrets&

Salute!!

-Randy and the Solare Team

October 24 - Italian Wine Dinner – San Felice in Tuscany – Leonardo Bellacini is here!

Very special guest!  Winemaker Leonardo Bellacini of San Felice Winery is here for one day only this Monday, October 24.

You are invited to join an epic Italian Wine Dinner with Leonardo – and we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary Release of their historic Vigorello Super Tuscan.

Wine Spectator just confirmed that Vigorello was Italy’s first Super Tuscan ever when it was released in 1968.

San Felice Winery and Leonardo are top (top!) favorites of Solare. We are so lucky to have Leonardo here for this exclusive Release Dinner in San Diego.

RSVP asap by calling 619-270-9670 or clicking here.

Here are all the details:

• Monday, October 24
• 6:30pm Reception followed by Dinner
• Limited Seating
• Includes their 2018 50th Anniversary Release of the Vigorello Super Tuscan
• Leonardo Bellacini leads the dinner – a longtime wonderful friend of Solare
• Leonardo can sign your bottle of 50th Anniv Vigorello Super Tuscan
• There will be a Raffle!! San Felice has donated a 5 liter (big!) bottle of San Felice “Il Grigio” Chianti Classico for the dinner – and more
• Click here for more details.
• $97/guest includes the 4-course dinner, 6 select San Felice Estate wines
• RSVP right away if you are interested

Here is a beautiful video of the San Felice Estate narrated by Leonardo.  We should travel there together sometime – I am serious, we should.

Hope you can join us on Monday!

-Randy and the Solare Team

October 20 - Solare at Taste of Point Loma

We are delighted to announce that we will be at the annual “Taste of Point Loma”. Join Solare and the San Diego Yacht Club for the 11th annual Taste of Point Loma featuring food and drink from many of the local favorite restaurants, wineries, breweries and more. The event goes from 5pm to 8pm. Solare is participating!   Click here to purchase a ticket.

October 19 - POSTPONED – Italian Wine Dinner with Avignonesi Estate in Montepulciano, Tuscany

Important – This Wine Dinner is Postponed till January.  We will announce the new date asap.

-Randy

Learn all about the wines from the Avignonesi Estate in Montepulciano, Tuscany – and how they pair with Solare cuisine.

Click here to reserve your table.

Learn all about Montepulciano and enjoy one of the very best wines from the region, the 2016 Grandi Annate.    The 2016 vintage in Tuscany is incredible!

Meet Davide Visentin of Avignonesi Estate as he leads this evening featuring select Sangiovese and other grapes from the winery. 

Avignonesi is extremely focused on biodynamic farming and you will see why with this pairing of Solare cuisine!

This will fill up very quickly. Call 619-270-9670 or click here to RSVP.

Wine Dinner Details:

• Wednesday, October 19
• 6:30pm Reception & 6:45pm Dinner
• $96 includes the 4-course pairing dinner and 5 select wines
• Focus on Italian Sangiovese from Montepulciano
• Reserve your table asap – limited seating

RSVP by calling 619-270-9670 or clicking here to send us an email.

Hope to see you at one of our two evenings for this very special pairing of Avignonesi wines with Solare cuisine ~ you’ll love it!

-Randy and the Solare Team

October 16 - Italian Dinner – Barolo and White Truffles with Fontanafredda Wine Estate

Very special announcement – Solare Italian Wine Dinner (Barolo!) and Italian White Truffles – this Sunday, October 16. Both in one magical evening!

Yes!!  The dinner is focused on the Piemonte legend, Fontanafredda Estate, founded in 1858. Incredible wines from the heart of Barolo.

Based on the amount of “fresh from Piemonte” White Truffles I am able to get – the Dinner is strictly limited to 25 guests.  RSVP asap by calling 619-270-9670 or clicking here.

Here are all the details:

Barolo: We are delighted to have Riccardo Legnaro leading the Barolo Wine Dinner with select wines from Fontanafredda Estate in Piemonte, Italy. This is a 4-course dinner (truffles!) with 5 select Fontanafredda wines including their epic 2013 Fontanafredda Cru Barolo and their 2016 Serralunga Cru Barolo. Both fabulous vintages.

White Truffles: The first White Truffles of the season are now available – and we have a great source from the Langhe in Piemonte, Italy. In fact, I just had a Zoom meeting with the folks we know that buy directly from the truffle hunters to confirm everything.  The white truffles we are having on Sunday were in the ground this morning their time – then gathered and flown to us just hours ago – to arrive at Solare on Friday.  No pressure on supply chain!

The price of the evening is higher than normal at $225/guest due to the White Truffles and the amazing Barolo wines we selected.  Note that this dinner is actually $100 less than it should be thanks to partial sponsorship of the white truffles that Riccardo and the fine folks at Fontanafredda Estate are providing.  They are being very nice to help kick off the 2022 white truffle season!!

• Sunday, October 16
• 6pm
• Strict limit of 25 guests
• Fontanafredda Estate Winery
• Includes their 2013 Fontanafredda Cru Barolo and 2016 Serralunga Barolo
• Riccardo Legnaro leads the dinner – a good friend of Solare
• $225/guest includes the 4-course dinner, 5 select Fontanafredda wines, and white truffles
• RSVP right away if you are interested

Click here for an article I write a few years ago on Italian White Truffles.

Here is a beautiful video of the Langhe region in Piemonte where Fontanafredda Estate is located. 

Hope you can join us!

-Randy and the Solare Team