By: AJ McClellan
We had MVP Dirk Nowitzki in for his 33rd birthday on Sunday catered by chef Francesco Farris and our own Chef Derrick Paez. The event was fantastic, dinner for 41 for number “41” including several Nobel Prize winners, Brian Cardinal, ESPN’s Mark Stein, Donnie Nelson, Mike Modano and many others. Before the dinner we were serenaded by a string quartet from the Dallas Symphony. After dinner the real fun began starting with Mike and Dirk firing off Champagne corks and guest star comedian Paul Varghese taking the stage to have us rolling with laughter.
For dinner we started with the 2009 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese which was drinking like a champ. I have always been a fan of Donhoff and Sundays bottle was a perfect example. Ripe white peaches with nectarine and a brilliant minerality. The Riesling was perfect with the Mozzarella salad. After the Riesling Dirk’s private coach Holger asked us to pour a Italian for the pasta so we brought out the 2004 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. The Brunello was stunning, from the great year of 2004 the fruit was forward and ripe with the classic Italian earth and mushrooms singing in the background.
For the main course, in true Graileys fashion, we served Dirk’s birth year wine. The 1978 Remoissenet Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru showed beautifully with a rustic nose of trumpet mushrooms and dusty red cherries. The palate of the Burgundy was as amazing as the nose with soft silky tannins and a rich earthiness that made a perfect pairing with the steak and suckling pig that was served for dinner.
