Pear-Milk Tart
Inside the dining room at Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., members are toasting the monthly wine dinners that they not only attend, but help to orchestrate. It’s all part of a collaboration between the club’s food and beverage team and its membership, which maintains a well-established culinary program and enhances the overall member experience.
Held on the third Tuesday of each month, the wine appreciation dinner series follows a specific format to ensure consistency. According to Director of Food and Beverage Ramesh Meanger, a designated member chair assigns a monthly host who is tasked with selecting the dinner’s theme, inspiration and region of interest. With these specifics in place, the host works closely with the F&B team to set the wine selection and menu.
“We strive to match the terroir of the wine with the seasonal dishes that are often associated with the location of origin,” explains Meanger. “The goal is less about accenting specific flavors in a dish. Instead, we focus on each complementing one another and creating a harmonious experience.”
The standard menu format consists of a welcome beverage and three-course meal (usually with a dessert/beverage pairing), accompanied by a presentation prepared by the host. Members are typically offered 8-12 wines at these outings, providing a full-bodied dining experience.
At a South African wine dinner this past October, members feasted on Vetkoek, a traditional crispy fried bread, while sampling lamb bobotie, pumpkin fritter and peri peri calamari. Each small dish was accompanied by vintages from the Western Cape. The main dish, a roasted venison loin served with chakalaka bean stew and roasted vegetables, was paired with a variety of red South African wines. The dinner was capped off by a classic melktert (milk tart) dessert with poached pears.
Another wine appreciation dinner, held last August, paid tribute to Spanish vintages. The menu consisted of small bites of grilled octopus, chicken empanadas and Manchego croquettes, followed by a braised pork shoulder prepared with a white bean and chorizo ragout and a red pepper relish. The evening concluded with a pear and candied almond tart, adorned with a chocolate crumble and caramel sauce.
South African Venison Stew
Waitlist for Wine Dinners
Cosmos Club’s wine dinners practically sell themselves, often filling up as soon as they are announced and generating a waitlist that is 20 percent of the facility’s total event capacity. Members learn about these special events through a multitiered marketing campaign: a calendar item in the members app, the F&B weekly newsletter, the club bulletin (print and digital) and event boards.
“About a year ago, this dinner was just over 50 seats,” says Meanger. “We have increased capacity to 80 seats and have been sold out…with a waitlist at almost all events since making the change.” Upcoming wine dinner themes include Italian Icons, Blind Faith (an exploration of United States versus France in a blind tasting format), and Hidden Gems of Bordeaux.
Managing such a popular dining series is not without its challenges, however—particularly when it comes to timing the courses with the presentation. Meanger and his team work closely with the hosts, making certain that each slide in their program coordinates with firing and serving.
“Once on stage, the pace of the speech changes and tangents can occur (always for the better), which often shift the timing,” he explains. “For the future, we as a team have to remain flexible, ensuring a great evening is had by all in attendance.”
