Merry Edwards, a pioneer in the U.S. wine industry, will be coming to Five Fifty-Five for the restaurant’s first wine dinner on Jan. 22.
Edwards began making wine in California when women in the industry were rare, and not treated equally. She was one of the first women to graduate from the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California-Davis, and started her own label in 1997.
Edwards makes outstanding Russian River pinot noirs and award-winning sauvignon blancs. In February, she will be inducted into the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintner’s Hall of Fame.
The evening at Five Fifty-Five will begin at 6:30 p.m. with passed appetizers served with Meredith Cuvee LD Sparkling Wine.

Here’s the menu for the 7 p.m. dinner, along with the wine pairings from Edwards:

Creamy celery root soup, butter-poached Maine lobster, locally harvested kelp, truffle foam
Merry Edwards 2010 Olivet Lane Chardonnay

Duck confit, Aroostook County potato dumplings, organic mushrooms creme fraiche, New England cranberries
Merry Edwards 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir

Pineland Farms strip loin, braised oxtail ravioli, salsify two ways, pinot noir reduction
Merry Edwards 2010 Coopersmith Vineyard Pinot Noir
Merry Edwards 2007 Tobias Glen Pinot Noir

Malted chocolate mousse, chocolate-Cherry Coke ice cream, sour cherry syrup

The dinner costs $100 per person, tax and gratuity not included, and seating is limited. For reservations, call 761-0555.

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About the Author

Meredith Goad has harvested oysters on the Chesapeake Bay, eaten reindeer in Finland and sipped hot chai in the Himalayas. She writes the weekly Soup to Nuts column and enjoys a good cocktail.

Meredith can be contacted at 791-6332 or mgoad@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @meredithgoad

Susan Axelrod's food writing career began in the kitchen; she owned a restaurant and catering business before turning to journalism more than a decade ago. To relax, she bakes, gardens and hikes with her husband and their two dogs. A newcomer to Portland, she is an online content producer for the Press Herald.

Susan can be contacted at 791-6310 or saxelrod [at] pressherald.com.
On Twitter: @susansaxelrod

Wendy Almeida and her family have a smattering of livestock and a summer garden. After 10 years of her kids being involved in 4-H, she's finally accepted the term "hobby farm" to describe her family's work at sustainable living. These days her morning starts with milking a goat before heading into the office for her day job as an assistant editor for features.

Wendy can be contacted at wea [at] mainetoday.com or on Twitter @wea1021.

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