Downtown South’s latest event series Ladies Night Off has certainly elevated the standard for what a girls night out means in the City Beautiful.

The inaugural Ladies Night Off event, A Night with a Sommelier, was an epicurious’ dream of wine and food. Hosted at Swirlery Wine Bar, the program showcased the expertise of Sommelier-owner, Melissa McAvoy. With an incredible menu of food from Uncommon Catering to play off of, wines from all over the world were thoughtfully paired and presented. In a room full of women, there was no pretense. Instead, this small group of 20 or so attendees enjoyed an enthusiastic education of wines. The food, prepared by Tara Vernau and Travis Smith, was a feast of flavors and is a game changer for what a food and wine pairing looks like .

How did the ladies of Ladies Night Off describe the night? Words like “amazing”, “wow”, and “wonderful” could be heard over and over again through each pairing. Certainly the bottles of wine that some ladies bought and brought home are a stamp of a memorable night. Check out some of scenes from this inaugural Ladies Night off and buy your tickets now, for what will likely be a sold out Ladies Night Off in May.

A Night with a Sommelier’s Menu:

Shrimp Ceviche — Lime, Cilantro, Red Onion, Red Pepper, Cucumber and Jalapeno with Crispy Tortilla

Paired with Cambria Viognier, Santa Maria Valley, CA 2014 ~ $17

Melkbus 149 Black Italian Truffle Gouda Crostini with Cremini Mushrooms & Thyme

Paired with Mount Beautiful, Pinot Noir, New Zealand 2014 ~ $24

Noor Tunisian Dates — Stuffed with Gorgonzola & Chorizo

Paired with Quinta De Choapaltha, Lisboa, Portugal 2010 ~ $18

Creme Brulee with Orange Zest & Raw Unfiltered Orange Blossom Honey Drizzle

Paired with Salvatore Lovo Colli Euganei Fior D’ Arancio DOCG, Veneto, Italy ~ $18

Yummy food photos courtesy of TASTE COOK SIP

Interested in attending one of our upcoming Ladies Night Off events?
Check out our awesome events on Eventbrite