I have shared with you about the fun times our Dallas Wineaux group has together. We meet for wine lunches, have wine dinners and tastings at each other’s houses. But this past December one of our members, Erik Johnson, kicked it up a notch by sending this Tweet to our group:

My neighbor who has the boutique distributor with labels like Scarlett has put together a wine dinner with the new Ruth’s Chris downtown just for our little group. He will be providing the wine and Ruth’s Chris the food. Anyone interested….

Seriously? YES, we were all interested! “He” turned out to be Samuel Rickords, owner of Redoux Wine, a small Dallas wine distributor with some big labels. Samuel had big plans for the Dallas Wineauxs. We met at the new Ruth’s Chris on Cedar Springs near the Crescent and Ritz Carlton Hotels. It is located on the ground floor of a high rise residential complex called the Miro, not bad for take out! As with all Ruth’s Chris locations nationwide the setting was elegant yet not stuffy, the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, attentive but not over-bearing and the food was consistently fantastic! If you live in Dallas please note this Ruth’s Chris location offers a $8 Swizzle, Sizzle and Swirl Happy Hour featuring an eclectic and extensive offering of $8 appetizers, cocktails, and wines from 4:30-6:30 Sunday through Friday! YES, you heard the dates correctly! A perfect place to relax and avoid the rush hour traffic. We will be back!

I did not take any wine notes for the evening but I did take pictures so I will share with you our 5 course dinner (most of which is offered on the Happy Hour Menu) and wine pairings.

1^st course: Spicy Crispy Lobster paired with Sojourn Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

2^nd course: Saffron Veal Ravioli paired with Burt Cellars Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

3^rd course: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp paired with Rubica Red Blend, Portugal

4^th course: Tenderloin Skewer Salad paired with Rust Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Chiles Valley

5^th course: Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Bark paired with Robledo Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County

At the conclusion of the five course meal Samuel shared his last bottle of the McGah family’s 2013 Scarlett, crafted by famed winemaker Mike Smith. You will recall I reviewed the 2011 Scarlett last year in my article, “Time Turned A Vixen Into a Lady.” The 2013 Scarlett was dazzling with the quintessential Rutherford dust; however, she needs more time to integrate and blend in the bottle. In a few years she will be spectacular!

Shout out to my fellow Dallas Wineauxs who attended this wonderful event and Erick Johnson for putting it together. Sadly, Ryan Sorrell and his wife were unable to join us due to a flight delay. Please read my fellow Dallas Wineaux’s reviews of this evening:

Erik Johnson’s Red, White and Cru: Ruth’s Chris Uptown and Redoux Wine: Two Discoveries Worth Making

Melanie Ofenloch’s Dallas Wine Chick: Ruth’s Chris Downtown Opening: A Food and Wine Experience

Terry Hill’s Texas Wineaux: Dallas Wineauxs Wine Pairing Dinner

One of the best parts of this wine dinner is that my darling husband was invited too! I rarely get to experience formal wine dinners with him; he loved every minute of it; wine, food and friendships!

My Song Selection: One of my all time favorites! Perfect for a classy night of great food, wine and friends at Ruth’s Chris downtown Dallas and Redoux Wine.

Cheers!