Italian Riviera Wine Dinner, May 6

Italian Riviera Wine Dinner: Five Courses, Five Pairings.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | 6:30 PM | $135 per person

Prepaid reservations only. Tax and gratuity not included. Seating is limited. Reserve by phone at (512) 349-7667 or email events@sienarestaurant.com

We moved the date on this one. If you had April 29 on your calendar, we appreciate your patience — May 6 is the night. The full menu is [HERE].

Why these wines

If your mental file for Italian wine runs through Barolo, Brunello, and Amarone, note that this isn't a departure from serious Italian wine. It's the part of the map most people haven't gotten to yet — and it ends in Bolgheri.

The dinner ends in Bolgheri. If that name means anything to you, you already know why. Bolgheri is the Tuscan region that put Sassicaia and Ornellaia on the map — the same stretch of coastline where Bordeaux varieties found their Italian footing. Clint Carter of Serendipity Wines will be pouring two Viticcio bottles from that appellation: a Foglia Tonda Toscana Rosso IGT with the Peposo, and the pictured Bolgheri DOC — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc — with the venison. These are not tourist wines.

The dinner opens in Liguria, on the hillsides above Sarzana, with Il Monticello — a small producer farming biodynamically on 12 hectares. We will be pouring their Vermentino and rosé - showing what Italian coastal wines actually taste like when they're made seriously: skin contact, natural fermentation, aged in stainless steel. Again, not your tourist wines, the locals know.

A nearly extinct grape

One of the most interesting bottles of the evening is the Foglia Tonda — a Tuscan red grape variety that was considered extinct until recently. Viticcio is among the producers bringing it back, harvesting entirely by hand from 100% Foglia Tonda vines. It's paired with the Peposo, which is arguably the most Tuscan dish on the menu: a slow braise of beef short rib with roasted garlic and cracked black pepper, served over Parmesan heirloom polenta. Peposo has roots in the kilns of Impruneta, outside Florence, where kiln workers slow-cooked beef in the heat of the furnaces. Chef David Hernandez's version is faithful to that tradition.

Menu & Pairings

Salmone Affumicato Cold Smoked Salmon, Chives, Dill, Red Onion Crème Fraiche

Frutti di Mare Seafood Medley Ceviche — Shrimp, Calamari, Scallops, Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Mussels, Calabrian Chili and Lime Marinade, Shallots

Pairing: Limoncino dell'Isola, Calabrian

Insalata di Anguria e Pancetta Sweet Watermelon and Crispy Pork Belly Salad, Arugula, Parsley, Basil, Mint, Calabrian Chili Honey Vinaigrette, Pistachios, Fennel Pairing: Il Monticello Serasuolo Liguria di Levante Rosé

Carpaccio di Tonno Sushi Grade Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna, Crispy Crostini, Foie Gras Mousse, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pairing: Il Monticello Groppolo Colli di Luni Vermentino 2024

Peposo Tuscan Beef Short Rib, Roasted Garlic and Fresh Cracked Pepper, Parmesan Heirloom Polenta

Pairing: Viticcio Toscana Rosso IGT, Foglia Tonda 2020

Cervo Pan Roasted Venison Backstrap, Red Wine Dried Cherry Reduction, Celeriac Black Truffle Purée, Charred Root Vegetables

Pairing: Viticcio Bolgheri DOC 2023