by Steven Doyle
The best, the most unique meals you will ever enjoy are the special events created by chefs at their hosted wine o beer or cocktail dinners. This was precisely the case at the dinner we enjoyed recently at Komali as owner Abraham Salum and his executive chef Julio Peraza bestowed an insanely good menu paired with Mi Sueno wines.
Mi Sueno has a pretty terrific story that is well worth being retold. It involves the epic climb to the top and eventual ownership of a stellar winery by Rolando Herrera. Herrera is the definition of a self-made man, and winemaker who early on used his home-made bottles of chardonnay as a calling card, or resume that eventually landed his status in Napa.
“My life in the wine business began humbly as a dishwasher at Auberge du Soleil. Several years later I would move onto Mustards Grill as a line cook. While neither job would ever be mistaken as the foundation for a career in winemaking, it was during these early years that I learned to appreciate the magic that is created when you pair beautiful cuisine with exceptional wine.
In 1985, at the age of 17, Herrera accepted a summer job working for Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Ironically his first position at Stag’s Leap had little to do with wine. He was hired as a laborer to help build a stone wall around the home of the winery’s founder and winemaker, Warren Winiarski. Not long after Herrera was offered a job working harvest under the condition that he would attend school in the morning.
Over the next 20+ years my journey through the ranks of winemaking would lead to 10 years at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the last 7 years as Cellar Master, Assistant Winemaker at Chateau Potelle, Winemaker at Vine Cliff Winery, and Director of Winemaking at Paul Hobbs Consulting. Each stop played a significant role in refining Herrera’s style of winemaking.
Komali executive chef Peraza was pleased to work with Herrera and said that night he created dishes that exemplified his style of cookery, and each course was met with a rousing applause.
Aguachile de Callos de Hacha paired with Los Carneros Chardonnay 2011
Grilled Quail with roasted almond-peanut salsa on a cilantro-mole tortilla, paired with Los Carneros Pinot Noir 2011
Braised Beef Cheeks, Setas, and Huitlacoche Hominy Puree, paired with Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Bacon-Caramel Popcorn, caramel sea salt ice cream, paired with El Llano Red 2011
Look for more special dinners that will be announced on craveDFW or at the Komali website. Komali is located at 4152 Cole Ave in Dallas.
