The 404 Kitchen Kicks Off Seasonal Wine Pairing Series With a Trip to France | Bites

As if you really need an excuse to eat at The 404 Kitchen, chef Matt Bolus and executive chef Cassie Raithel have come up with an even more compelling reason than usual. They’ve planned a series of wine pairing dinners that will kick off Thursday, Oct. 6, with a special event that will pair the wines of AP Wine Imports with seasonal dishes.

The plan is for these dinners to happen quarterly and feature different producers along with menus planned by the kitchen staff to complement the pours. Adam Friedberg from AP Wine Imports is an expert in French wines with a a certification in enology from the University of Dijon, as well as a master’s degree in medieval history, so he sounds like a fascinating guy. He’ll be selecting and introducing the wines from AP’s portfolio to showcase the most famous wine-growing regions of France, and Bolus et al. will dig deep into their classical French training to come up with some interesting autumnal dishes that you wouldn’t ordinarily see on a 404 menu.

Here’s what they are planning to serve:

One

Brie shrimp and grits: logan turnpike mills grits | brie | lemon | mizuna; paired with Thierry Hamlin, Petit Chablis, Burgundy, France, 2020

Two

Pork belly: mushroom farrotto | parsnips | spinach | pork reduction; paired with La Ligiere, Côtes du Rhône, Rhône Valley, France, 2019

Three

Boar bourguignon: red wine demi glaze | baby carrots | cipollini | herbs; paired with lilian Ladouys, “Les Devise de Lilian”, St. Èstephe, Bordeaux, France, 2017

Dessert

Apple bread pudding: golden raisins | pecan crumble | wine glaze; paired with Domaine de Rancy, Rivesaltes Ambre, Appellation Rivesaltes Contrôlée, Vin Doux Naturel 2001

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The four-course dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are only $115 at the event’s Tock page. Seating in the main dining room will be limited, so act fast. Frankly, they had me at boar bourguignon.