All I can say is Wow!!!! If you haven't yet had the opportunity to dine at Kai, the five diamond/star restaurant in Sheraton's Wild Horse Pass Resort, you need to create an reason to do so! Josh and I have had the pleasure of dining there twice and have been absolutely amazed each time. This time was no different! This was our first time attending an event at Kai and we'll definitely go back.
Currently the only Arizona winery represented on their wine list, Callaghan Vineyards was showcased for this wine spectacle. Kent came up from Sonoita to share five of his blends with us. We were also lucky enough to have the chef come out and speak to us before each course and tell us the special stories behind what it took to put together this gourmet feast.
We started with a warm-up on the patio overlooking the beautiful pool and beyond to the desert and stables. We enjoyed hand-passed hors d'oeuvres paired with Kent's Ann's blend - Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It was pretty warm on the patio and we all enjoyed it once the sun went down. The 2007 Ann's was a great refresher for us. It was an opportune moment to speak with Kent because during the weekend he is generally pouring wines for a packed tasting room! We laughed when he enjoyed a Nimbus beer while we drank his wine!
Next we retired to the dining room and took our spots at the tables of 10 which gave us the perfect opportunity to speak to some other Arizona wine fans! We met Ron and Barbara who split their time between Payson and Rocky Point and love to stay at the Wild Horse Pass as their resting spot. This was also their first event at Kai and swore that they'd be back for the rest of the winemaker dinners! Our first course was the bite sized Seared Yellowtail Tuna with wine-grape caviar, crispy yucca served with a Syrah-Costerno Chile Spritzer. Although the bite was actually paired with the chef's spritzer, we found plenty of time to enjoy the Ann's that was poured alongside.
For our appetizer course, we were served a Citrus-Mesquite Lacquered Salmon with Dungeness crab, peruvian potato, baby radish salad and pineapple-celery broth. This was paired with the Lisa's 2007 White Blend - a blend of Viognier, Riesling, Marsanne, Roussanne and Malvasia Bianca, one of my favorite Arizona whites.
The next dish seemed to be a crowd favorite - it was definitely my favorite - and, yes, it was as decadent as it sounds . . . Heirloom Chili Glazed Pork Belly with porcini dusted veal sweetbreads, foraged mushrooms, corn pinole brioche and cured foie gras - oh my god, it was amazing!!! Kent poured us his Buena Suerta 2006 Cabernet Blend. It worked very well.
Our palates were cleansed with a pineapple-sage sorbet with rhubarb-lemongrass syrup. Then next up was our main course, Spit Roasted Navajo Churro Lamb with wilted greens, root vegetables and poblano dumplings. This was formatted off of a Native American stew. I don't remember what the chef told us about each of these courses, but he explained what went into preparing each dish and it is truly amazing that anyone puts that much effort into food - and it shows in each bite you taste! This was paired with the Padres 2005 Tempranillo Blend.
Last we rounded out the meal with a dessert of Anise & Creme Fromage Composition with puffed amaranth and saguaro seed wafer which was served with El Dorado 2006 Petit Verdot/Tempranillo Blend. I was so full by this point that I didn't eat much of the dessert but when I looked at the other dishes on my table, they were all clean!
The thing I really love about Kai is the presentation, the service and the quality of the food. It truly is unmatched in any other experience I've encountered. It is also extremely consistent. The meals are not cheap but it is worth every penny. The wines were poured very generously and the view was spectacular!
Kai has promised to expand their listings of Arizona wines and I'll let you know when they follow through. We are very excited to see many of the higher end establishment understanding the value of carrying Arizona wines on their lists - Binkley's, J&G Steakhouse & the Ventana Room in Tucson to name a few!
Ciao!
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