Want to plan an extra-special night out on the town to celebrate a special occasion? Reserve seats for a wine dinner at a local restaurant! These multi-course meals with wines picked especially for each course are a lovely excuse to spend a few hours with your favorite people. These Columbus restaurants offer a nice slate of wine dinners throughout the year.
Barcelona
263 East Whittier Street — German Village
Expect creative four-course pairing menus created by Executive Chef Jacob Hough or one of Barcelona’s talented sous chefs for the restaurant’s highly regarded wine pairing dinners. For a Spanish Wine Dinner with Miguel Torres Winery this summer, the spread included Pintxos de Pulpo y Chorizo (skewers of grilled baby octopus and chorizo), Zarzuela (spicy seafood stew), Chuletas de Cordero (grilled lamb chops), and Tres Quesos (three cheeses). Check barcelonacolumbus.com/events for upcoming special events.
Ella Bistro
266 East Main Street — New Albany
At this casual American kitchen, regular wine dinners feature themed culinary journeys. Make your reservations now for the Spanish Wine Dinner coming up on Nov. 10 ($65 per person), featuring Spanish food and wines. One fabulous recent wine dinner at the newly rebranded restaurant featured French wines from the Rhone Valley.
G. Michael’s
595 South Third Street — German Village
For a recent wine dinner featuring Washington’s lauded Andrew Will Winery, Chef David Tetzloff created a special five-course menu including Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits, Broiled Smoking Goose Kitchen Sink Sausage, Raspberry Marinated Pan Roasted Quail, Broiled Prime Ribeye Steak, and Aged English Cheddar and Gruyere. Sign up for G. Michael’s email newsletter to learn about upcoming wine dinners.
Milestone 229
229 Civic Center Drive — Downtown
Milestone hosts a wine dinner series beginning each fall that runs throughout the winter. Up next is a six-course Basque Region Wine Dinner on Monday, Nov. 9 ($60 per person). Here’s a peek at the menu: Tapas Trio paired with Brut Riserva Cava from Sanigar Loxarel; Chicken Soup paired with Albarino from Katerina Victoria; Paprika Crusted Seared Tuna paired with Anares; Ribeye a la Plancha paired with Villa Negra Garnacha; and for dessert Gateau Basque paired with Reymos Muscat de Alexandria. Call 614-427-0276 to reserve your seats.
Nicola
4740 Reed Road — Upper Arlington
Wine dinners at this Italian gem have fantastically fun themes. You won’t want to miss the upcoming Hunters Wild Game Wine Dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 18 ($55 per person). That Tuesday, Chef Nicola will spend the entire day out hunting! What he catches is what will make up next day’s delicious feast, accompanied by Italian wines imported by Rudy Basile! Call 614-459-7000 to reserve a spot.
The Refectory
1092 Bethel Road — Northwest Columbus
The Refectory hosts all kinds of special dinner events, each featuring a special menu prepared by Chef Richard Blondin. Watch for Winemaker Dinners, spotlighting bottles from a featured winery. This summer, a Ferrari-Carano dinner held on the patio included seven wines and six courses for $69.99 per person.
Spagio
1295 Grandview Avenue — Grandview Heights
Spagio hosts regular wine dinners in the intimate Wine Lounge. Coming up soon: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars wine dinner on Thursday, Nov. 5; a Burgundy and Bordeaux Wine Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 19; a Michael David Wine Dinner on Thursday, Dec. 3; and a 95 Points Or Higher Wine Dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 16-17. For more information, call 614-486-1114, ext. 2.
Veritas
15 East Winter Street — Delaware
Follow Veritas on Facebook to stay apprised of their occasional themed wine dinners. A recent standout was an Italian Whites dinner with Master Sommelier Matthew Citriglia, director of education for Vintage Wines. The incredible — and educational — evening featured eight wines and five courses.
Worthington Inn
649 High Street — Worthington
The Inn hosts a wine dinner every first Wednesday of the month, running from 7 to 9 p.m. These festive evenings are filled with dining, drinking and wine pairings from nearby House Wine. A seasonal, four-course dinner is expertly paired with wines—tonight’s seasonal theme is Fall Cornucopia ($65 per person). Reservations are required, call 614-855-2600 to save your spot.
Z Cucina
1368 Grandview Avenue — Grandview Heights
Every Wednesday is Wine Dinner Wednesday at Z Cucina! Each week, chef prepares an off-menu, three course dinner priced at $45 for three courses paired with three wines.
Dine Originals Columbus celebrates, supports and promotes the culinary diversity that locally owned and operated member restaurants contribute to the identity and culture of our city. The nonprofit group is committed to strengthening the local economy and enriching the community through education and charitable partnerships.
On the first Wednesday of each month, each Dine Originals restaurant offers their own special dining experience, whether it’s a prix-fix dinner, a tasting menu, a retail wine night or a fun promotion. No matter which Dine Originals restaurant you visit tonight, you’ll be treated to a VIP dining experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
For more information, visit www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com.
