Capital Grille Introduces the Generous Pour Summer Wine Event

The Capital Grille is a well-known steakhouse with multiple locations in the DC region; Tysons, downtown DC and Chevy Chase. It's a common place for business luncheons or client dinners but also a great date night spot. White linen table clothes, dim lighting, knowledgeable servers, dark wooden fixtures, The Capital Grille just gleams with class and elegance.

Led by Master Sommelier, George Miliotes (www.twitter.com/TheWineExpert), the wine selection is fantastic. They serve a lot of large, robust California Cabs to pair perfectly with the filet mignons and sirloin steaks. The Generous Pour event is held at all Capital Grille locations from July until September 2. What's this event, you ask? With the purchase of dinner, you can add the wine selection for $25! The wines available to taste and order include a bubbly, two whites, five reds and a sweet dessert wine. Not bad! Especially when you're looking at $50+ for a bottle or by the glass at $10+. The Generous Pour event is a great way to try numerous wines and pair them with different dishes.

Bryan and I visited for dinner last night specifically for the Generous Pour event. I mean, how could I not? We were promptly greeted and escorted to our table. The server, "Coach", was very attentive and walked us through the menu and wine selections. I can see why his nickname would be "Coach"! He welcomed us to the Capital Grille with a glass of Lunetta Rosé from Italy. I love starting any event, evening, celebration with bubbly, there's just no other way. Pale pink in color, this sparkling showcases crisp, refreshing flavors of berries. It was a perfect starter to our meal.

Soon after, the appetizer arrived; fried calamari with sauteed jalapenos and red peppers. Instead of just placing the appetizer in the middle of the table and we serve ourselves, Coach served each of us a small plate which was a nice touch to a shared appetizer. The calamari was crispy and the breading was flavorful. I love the addition of the peppers, it really kicked it up a notch. The effervescence of the bubbly was perfect with the fried breading and spice. We were also served the Gary Farrell Chardonnay from Carneros. An oaky, vanilla chardonnay with hints of lemon, this was another great pairing with the calamari. The butteryness was a great accompaniment to the spicy peppers.

While we were waiting on the entree course, we were able to taste the Villa Mt Eden, Grand Reserve, 2007 Pinot Noir, a light, smooth red wine from the Russian River Valley in CA. This was the perfect time to place this wine in our tasting. The appetizer was complete, the meal had not yet arrived and this Pinot was perfect on it's own. Strawberries, cherries, and oak were prominent on the nose and palate. Both Bryan and I enjoyed this wine over simple conversation.

Then our entrees arrived, filet mignon for me and the bone-in Kona crusted sirloin for him. We were also served two sides; mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. And of course more wine was on the way! We had the Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley with our steaks. Wow, what a big CA Cab. Bold flavors of cherry and oak paired with smooth tannins and a long finish. This was the perfect wine to pair with our robust, juicy steaks. Speaking of steaks, my filet was to die for! Cooked perfectly medium-rare, I barely needed the knife and the texture was divine, melt in your mouth. The Kona crusted sirloin had a coffee rub and was rather large. Also, cooked medium-rare, the sirloin was a little more tough, compared to the filet obviously, but had great flavor.

Once the Ferrari-Carano Cab was finished, Coach brought us a glass of the Conn Creek Anthology from Napa. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from 13 different vineyards. It's a large, earthy wine and the nose was very pungent. This dark Cabernet paired well with the end of our entree course. A little too big to drink on it's own though.

Glancing at the list of Generous Pour selections, a 2009 Chateau du Pin caught my eye. A 2009 Bordeaux?! Yes, please. This wine was the classic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Lighter than the previous glass, this one showed beautifully. The Merlot helped round out the big Cabernet traits. The finish was smooth. Granted at this point, my palate was beginning to get tired but I enjoyed a glass of the Bordeaux all on its own.

Lastly came dessert. We ordered a cheesecake with berries and also the flourless chocolate cake. The wine pairing was the Kanu Kia Ora Chenin Blanc from South Africa. Dark gold in color, this sweet wine was the perfect pairing with the flourless chocolate cake. Both were decadent! The cheesecake and berries were a nice finish to our meal as well.

All in all, this was a fabulous meal with great food, wine and service. Coach did an amazing job walking us through the meal and we never had an empty glass! If you have a chance to visit Capital Grille in the next month or so, don't miss the Generous Pour event. We had quite a bit of wine and only at a cost of $25/person. I was pleased with the wine selection and every one was a great accompaniment to our meal. If by chance you go to Tysons, ask for Coach!

"Let the pouring commence" ~ Capital Grille

Cheers!