Wine dinners are the coup de grace for any fine restaurant. More time and energy is devoted to these special events than for any other kind of service at a great restaurant. As much as the staff takes pride in treating every guest as well as possible every day, it is the wine dinner format that really gives them a chance to shine.

Having orchestrated and eaten at countless wine dinner events, I wanted to highlight some area restaurants that consistently deliver an exceptional experience so you will know where to head the next time you are in the mood for something special.

Some of these events are semi-formal and cost $200 or more per person, but are worth every penny. Others are far more casual, cost $40-$50 per person, and can be a great way to spend a relaxing evening of food paired with wine, beer, or even sake.

Regardless of whether your preferences or pocket book lead you to the elegant or the laid back, the following restaurants provide amazing wine dinner experiences time after time:

(DISCLAIMER: I have indeed worked for a couple of the following companies in the past, but have no ties or affiliations and am not receiving any compensation from said companies for choosing to include them below. The list is created based on quality and value alone.)

Bartolotta Restaurant Group
Joe Bartolotta has been doing a lot of things right for a lot of years. When it comes to wine dinners, no one does it better than his Director of Operations, John Wise. John has an eye for the details that make the difference in each dinner's theme. Couple that with the Bartolotta's James Beard Award winning Executive Chef, Adam Siegel, and a deep history with many great producers and winemakers, and you are guaranteed a good time. With such diversely themed restaurants, Bartolotta's is able to hold many different great dinners.

Lake Park Bistro, 3133 E. Newberry Blvd., has been the site of amazing and refined top Growth Bordeaux Dinners such as Chateau Angelus, Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Lynch Bages. When you get the chance to meet the personnel responsible for some of the most prestigious wine in the world, how can you pass that up?

Ristorante Bartolotta has hosted many a famed Italian winemaker for dinner, as well as events like their annual White Truffle Dinner. A bit more rustic and just a touch more laid back than Lake Park, but wonderfully executed.

Bacchus, 925 E. Wells St., has the luxury of having a wine list and menu from all over the world. Here John Wise has jumped at the chance to focus on California Winemaker dinners the likes of Duckhorn and Far Niente. More modern and elegant in feel, but every bit as centered and focused as Lake Park and Ristorante.

Upcoming events:
First Growth Bordeaux Winemaker Dinner
Erwan le Brozec of Chateau Mouton
Rothschild, Pauillac
May 12, 2009
Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro (414) 962-6300

Wisconsin Brewmaster Dinner
Drink Local!
Dan and Deb Carey
Owners, New Glarus Brewing Co.
June 5, 2009 $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restaurant (414) 765-1166

Canine and Wine Dinner
Bring your pooch to this event!
Dr. Kent Rosenblum
Owner, Rosenblum Cellars, California
July 19, 2009 $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity
($20 goes to Wisconsin Humane Society)
The Tent at Pier Wisconsin (414) 765-8610

Dream Dance at Potawatomi Bingo Casino
Chef Jason Gorman probably has the most creative culinary mind in the city. The complex and sometimes unorthodox creations are consistently terrific. Dream Dance, 1721 W. Canal St., has also been able to garner some amazing winemakers to host many great dinners. The highlight of all these dinners, which I at one time claimed and still hold to be true, was the greatest wine dinner Milwaukee has ever seen -- Domaine LeRoy.

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Posted by vasser on May 10, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. (report)

I must say that Nanakusa does a great job on both wine and sake tastings... And at a very reasonable price. One bit of warning. Sake can really "sneak up" on you! At a recent sake tasting/sake dinner we attended, the misses and I ended up cabbing it home... and I must admit, I am usually a pretty good judge of my level of impairmeent.