Whatever happened to the businessman’s lunch? If you are following retro culture like much of the American public (think Mad Men), know this: it’s become the businessperson’s lunch, and it’s having a resurgence. And, here’s another tip. This is the week when you can learn more about wines and the foods that go with them. It’s all part of Wine Week at Smith & Wollensky.
Wine Week is a tradition at Smith & Wollensky—in fact, this is the 50th event for the restaurant, counting two per year for the past 25 years.
“We get super excited every time it comes around,” says Kim Lapine, Vice President of Marketing. “The staff gets excited, the management gets excited, the corporate office gets excited! It’s a nice way to open the season—especially this year, when we are introducing our new Smith & Wollensky “Private Reserve” Sauvignon Blanc.”
She adds, “We’ve all had a chance to taste it at a series of preview parties, and this wine is fanastic! Our guests will love it.”
Wine week comes around every March and September, and this year it’s being celebrated March 5-9. For just $10 and the purchase of a lunch entree, guests are able to sample ten of the featured daily wines. Or, choose the three- course Prix Fixe lunch with a sampling of 10 wines available for $50. Because, while it is Wine Week, Lapine says, “We want to offer our guests a nice, well-paced lunch. It’s not just our wines that are great; it’s the food, too.”
Stu Roy, National Beverage Director for Smith & Wollensky, says, “When Wine Week was first started, it was to help people try wines they’d never tried before—it was educational. It’s still that, but it’s also social. We’ve found that the more people know about how wine and food go together, the more they enjoy their meal choices.”
He adds, “Sauvignon Blanc is having a resurgence. It has great acidity and balance, and just goes well with food.”
Lapine says the new wine is “a great complement to our premium seafood.” Since the restaurant already has a signature red wine, it was a natural progression. “We have the beautiful red that goes with steak,” says Roy. “Ten vintages; a true Meritage.” He further explains, “A Meritage was developed about 20 years ago as a Bordeaux-style wine that comes only from California. It’s our answer to what Bordeaux does.”
During Wine Week, Roy says, “We start our guests out with bubbles, then a lighter white, a pinot, then the heavier reds. We try to take them through a path of the whole realm of wine, so they can see how different wines play with different foods.” And, yes, he says note-taking is perfectly acceptable, adding, “We find that, really, kind of cool.”
As for those power lunches? Lapin says that business people are often lunching a little later in order to do business over a glass of wine. “They look for a nice setting, a break away, where the context is more social and celebratory,” she says. “And, of course, Wine Week is different—it’s a special occasion by itself.”
To reserve a table, visit “reservations.” Due to the popularity of this event, space is limited, so hurry and make your reservations today!
Check out the Smith & Wollensky at any of these locations: Boston-Atlantic Wharf, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
See our additional stories:
Experience Wine Week at Smith & Wollensky
Kunde Family Estate Creates New Signature Wine
Smith & Wollensky Celebrates Wine Week
Sponsorship consideration provided by Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group.
