Tom Schaudel is taking his private stash out for a strut on Sunday, May 18, as his celebrated restaurant, Jewel, teams up with Paumanok Vineyards for yet another exciting wine dinner in Melville — for which there are still a few seats left.
The Paumanok “Butcher Block” Dinner on Sunday, May 18 at 6 p.m. is all about “big reds and big meat,” says Schaudel. “What inspired me to do this dinner was the steakhouse mentality. Steak and big reds make sense, and Paumanok has tremendously fabulous reds, so I decided to showcase their wines.”
He is also planning to show off his own wine. Schaudel makes about 10 wines a year with Paumanok, working closely with the vineyard’s winemaker, Kareem Massoud. On Sunday, he will be sharing his favorite. “The private stash, I basically made it for me. I only made about eight cases. I just really want to strut, and I also want to see how it stands up to the 2010 cabernet,” he says.
The cab he is referring to is another special vintage, the Tuthills Lane Vineyard 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. Massoud says it is only the third time the winery has made this wine in almost 29 years (they first planted 30 years ago and began producing wine in 1989) and they only produced 96 cases.
“We only made it before in ’95 and ’05, which should tell you how special it is,” says Massoud. “I have to say I think it is one of the finest reds the state has produced.”
There is a lot of friendly swagger in the lead-up to this dinner, which should add to the excitement of the evening. Things should start off light, with canapés and Paumanok’s first bubbly: Blanc de Blanc 2009, released for the first time in September 2013. The menu continues with Long Island fluke (“It’s a good time of year for fluke here,” says Schaudel. “Also, I wanted a palate wakener, something light and breezy because there is so much heavy stuff coming after.”) It will be paired with Paumanok’s 2013 Chenin Blanc.
Then the main event: Prime New York Strip “tarted up with sauces” and the two big reds. The evening is rounded off with artisanal cheeses and Paumanok’s famed Assemblage Bordeaux blend (2010). Paumanok founders and owners Charles and Ursula Massoud will be in attendance.
Tickets for the dinner are $145 per person, $135 for Paumanok Wine Club members. Tax and gratuity are additional. For reservations call Jewel at 631-755-5777. Jewel is at 400 Broadhollow Road (Route 110) in Melville.
Read more, as we went “In the Kitchen With Tom Schaudel” in our digital launch issue.
