NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Every Wednesday night since April, nearly 1,000 New Orleanians have been getting together with Commander’s Palace for a wine and cheese Zoom party. They put funny hats and costumes on. They dance to the tunes of great local singers and musicians. They taste and learn about amazing wines, cheeses, and charcuterie from all over the world. And now’s YOUR chance to join them!

On Wednesday, October 7 at 8:00 pm EDT, the Commander’s Palace team is inviting their friends from around the world to join the party and drink a little too much wine and eat a little too much cheese while having too good of a time. The theme is a true Big Easy affair and will be a showstopping Broadway party – All That Jazz! The nationwide package will be shipped directly to your doorstep* with three bottles of wine, two cheese selections, a charcuterie selection from Cochon|Butcher in New Orleans, crackers and preserves, and a PARTY, for $179 per package.

You can expect to meet winemakers and cheesemakers dialing in from Europe and the Americas. You can expect to taste limited production artisanal cheeses that were produced just for this party. You can expect the unexpected because New Orleans knows how to throw a party. So if you don’t have a costume closet like most New Orleanians do, it’s time to start one!

James Beard nominated “Wine Guy” Dan Davis hosts this shindig live from the wine cellar at the venerable Commander’s Palace in the Garden District. He rotates through a lively cast of characters including co-proprietors Ti Martin and Lally Brennan, Chef Tory McPhail, the Commander’s Palace “Social Distancing Jazz Trio,” and the Roving Reporter, who will pop in on some real New Orleans locals as they get their groove on.

Musical guests will come to you live from the stage of the world-renowned Tipitina’s, hosted by co-owner Stanton Moore of Galactic fame. Stanton will introduce New Orleans legend Ivan Neville, who will perform live from the stage of Tipitina’s. He will perform a number from his upcoming show on Tipitinas.tv. Get ready to dance y’all! There’s a lot of fun to be had at what’s come to be known around the Big Easy as “The Zoom That Saved Wednesdays”. If you’re not careful, you just might learn something. But you are sure to have a great time.

Tickets can be purchased at winevip.com/checkouts/commanders-palace-wine-tasting

 

For our local friends who have been partying with us all along, nothing will change! Keep joining us and purchase your ticket as usual.

WINES WILL BE SHIPPED FROM WINEVIP IN CALIFORNIA. Details of the package are below:

MAISON LES ALEXANDRINS VIOGNIER

This wine is a masterfully fresh expression of Northern Rhône Viognier—as one would expect from a collaboration among some of the best-known names in Northern Rhône winemaking. Nimble, lively, tense, with lovely aromatic expressions of apricot, citrus, and white flowers. We’ve chosen it as a perfect backdrop against which to taste Sweet Grass Dairy’s “Asher Blue.”

TERRE SECRÈTES CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE

Based upon 85% Burgundy Pinot Noir with the balance of Gamay and Chardonnay, this lively sparkler fits right in with many of your Blanc de Noirs favorites. Soulful and expressive of cherries, lemon zest, and honey butter, we’ve chosen this wine to bridge between the two featured cheeses. It brings a truly compelling personality to each of the pairings.

CAPARZO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO

For our final pairing, we’ve chosen a rustic yet fresh expression of Tuscany’s famed Sangiovese grape. Bursting with complex aromas of raspberry, pomegranate, and violet, with rustic notes of thyme and dried rose petals, orange zest, and graphite, this wine is Italy in a glass. And, it dances beautifully with Sweet Grass Dairy’s porter washed farmhouse cheese, “Griffin.”

CHEESES AND OTHER FOOD ITEMS WILL SHIP FROM NEW ORLEANS

SWEET GRASS DAIRY “ASHER BLUE”

Sweet Grass Dairy’s raw cow’s milk Asher Blue cheese has been recognized domestically and internationally with multiple awards. The Asher Blue has a mushroomy, earthy, and slightly pungent flavor with an unexpectedly mild, salty finish, with a creamy-crumbly texture with a natural rind. Our Blue Cheese is classified in the Creamy-Crumbly texture category and has a milder and more approachable flavor than that of stronger blues.

SWEET GRASS DAIRY “GRIFFIN”

This cheese is made in the style of a French farmhouse cheese, but we have washed the curds in Terminus Porter from Gate City Brewing in Roswell, Georgia. It gives off malty, hoppy flavors, with a bit of a sharper finish. The boundary pushing and creativity of this cheese was just enough to name it after our owner’s 3rd son, Griffin.

COCHON | BUTCHER SOPRESSATA DRY SALAMI

Cochon Butcher uses only all-natural meats and whole hogs from local and organic farms. Working with Blake and Bill Ryles for over a decade together we have created a terminal cross breed of Berkshire Blue hogs used for our meats. Our cured meats, sausages and fresh cuts are made and cured in-house, right here in New Orleans, using old world traditions.

BLACKBERRY PATCH PEACH BOURBON CARDAMOM PRESERVES

These flavorful preserves for cheese are inspired by our hometown’s own Sweet Grass Dairy.  We worked with the talented Thomasville, GA cheese makers to craft the perfect recipe – fresh peaches, bourbon, cardamom, lemon and cane sugar simmer in small, handmade batches to create a beautiful pairing.

FIREHOOK SEASALT CRACKERS

The first loaves came out of the Firehook oven in December 1992. Mediterranean is not the flavor of the month in our house: our baking grew from our family’s Eastern Mediterranean heritage. We had longed for a neighborhood bakery, like the village bakers in our hometown. Crackers were part of our taste memory, so we developed our own—crunchy, well-seasoned, unevenly beautiful. Whole and healthy ingredients made for savory, addictive crackers!

*Unfortunately we cannot ship to the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma