LES MARCHANDS WINE BAR AND MERCHANT PRESENTS CELEBRATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND NEW YEAR’S EVE

Chef Weston Richards Offers a Holiday Menu on Christmas Eve with Pairings by Brian McClintic, MS

Gather for a New Year’s Eve Toast with Flights of Sparkling Wines
Before and After Dining at The Lark; Buy a Bottle and Receive a 10% Discount

WHO:
Executive Chef Weston Richards and Master Sommelier Brian McClintic, partner and co-owner of Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone

WHAT:
Chef Richards and Brian McClintic, acclaimed Master Sommelier and star of the 2013 hit film SOMM, have planned the holidays for everyone celebrating in the Funk Zone.

On Christmas Eve, Chef Richards has created an inspired prix fixe menu with his Yuletide favorites – Chestnut Soup with Duck Liver Toast, Herb Crusted Prime Rib with Mashed Potatoes and Horseradish Crème Fraiche and ending with a festive Christmas Bûche de Noël. Pricing is $50 per guest for menu only. Exceptional wine pairings hand-selected by Brian McClintic are offered at $50 per guest.

For New Year’s Eve, Les Marchands invites the public to enjoy a selected flight of sparkling wines – also selected by McClintic – that include a Prosecco, a Chenin Blanc and Champagne. Priced at $18 for the flight, Les Marchands recommends gathering before dinner or following your feast at The Lark to toast and sing a verse of Auld Lang Syne. During the day and evening Les Marchands offers 10% off all retail sales of bottled Champagne.

A Les Marchands Christmas Eve

Chestnut Soup with Duck Liver Toast and Porcini Oil
2010 Domaine Pavelot Grand Vin de Bourgogne, Savigny-Les-Beaune, Burgundy,France
*
Herb Crusted Prime Rib, Mashed Potatoes, Pan Gravy, Glazed Carrots and Horseradish Crème Fraiche
2007 Chateau Simone Palette Rouge, Provence, France
*
Bûche de Noël with White Chocolate and Raspberry Coulis
NV Rare Wine Company Boston Bual Special Reserve, Madeira, Portugal

$50 plus beverages, taxes and gratuity
Wine Flights by Brian McClintic, MS:
***

Toast New Year’s Eve with Les Marchands Sparkling Wine Flights
Enjoy a selected flight of three sparklers before or after your holiday dinner at The Lark:
NV Casa Coste Piane Frizzante Valdobbiadene Prosecco, Italy
NV Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire, France
NV Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blanc A Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne, France
$18

WHEN:
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2014
4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Limited Seating; Reservations recommended

New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Retail: 11:00 a.m. – closing
Flights: 6:00 p.m. – closing

WHERE:
Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant
www.Lesmarchandswine.com
131 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101
At the Corner of Yanonali and Anacapa
Phone 805-284-0380
Email Info@Lesmarchandswine.com

Left: Brian McClintic, MS | Photo credit Emily Railsback
Right: Weston Richards | Photo Credit Rosminah Brown

About Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant
Recently awarded the “Wine Bar of the Year” by Imbibe, and one of the 21 Best Wine Bars in the country by Thrillist, Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant is led by Master Sommelier Brian McClintic who wanted to create a fresh and dynamic vision for retail, dining, and education in an approachable and unpretentious way. Translated as ‘the merchants’ or ‘the shopkeepers,’ McClintic creates an environment where intimate product knowledge meets personalized service. This philosophy is lived out nightly in the wine bar but is integral to every phase of their business from private cellar consultation to custom education classes to the wildly popular Les Marchands’ wine clubs. The great wine merchants Brian has admired over the years distinguish him by seeking out quality-conscious producers. The import selections are Eurocentric, representing the most relevant producers in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, and beyond. On the domestic side, the focus relies heavily on local Santa Barbara County producers who are shaping and redefining the region.

About Brian McClintic
McClintic brings 16 years of hospitality experience with him to Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, a career spanning the major restaurant hubs of Los Angeles, Aspen, San Francisco, and now Santa Barbara. McClintic was one of four subjects starring in the acclaimed documentary SOMM, which chronicled his journey to the elusive Master Sommelier title, becoming the 107th individual in the U.S. to attain this honor. SOMM, distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films, opened in 2013, receiving rave reviews by the public and film critics. In addition to Les Marchands, Brian has teamed up on a Santa Barbara wine project called Vallin, along with local winemaker Justin Willett, Eric Railsback and fellow Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson. In the inaugural year of Les Marchands, McClintic was been named as “The Wine Guy to Hire” by Departures magazine and among the “40 Under 40 Tastemakers” by Wine Enthusiast in 2014.

About Weston Richards
Growing up in Hemet, California, Weston might have caught the “cooking bug” from his best friend’s dad, who was a professional chef. He began his training at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena. One Le Cordon Bleu Diploma, an AOS in Culinary Arts and several other hospitality certifications later, Richards returned to Santa Barbara and secured a job at Sage and Onion as a line cook. In August 2008 he was hired as Sous Chef at Santa Barbara’s Julienne. Their in-depth, in-house program was the perfect environment for him to refine his technique, moving Weston quickly on the journey that finally led to what he now creates in the kitchen at Les Marchands: Rilletes, house-made pates, and fresh Andouille and chorizo sausages.

In addition to Ramen Night every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Chef Richards presents five gourmet supper programs including Monday Night Flights, a three course seasonal menu offered a la carte and paired with wines by Master Sommelier Brian McClintic, and Sunday Pasta Night with Richards’ fresh handmade pasta, inspired by his trips to Italy and over ten years of pasta making experience.

For further information on Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchants visit
www.lesmarchandswine.com
Become a fan of Les Marchands on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LesMarchandsWine
Follow Les Marchands on Twitter: @lesmarchandssb
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