Eat, Drink and Be Merry at Dan's 12 Wines of Christmas Dinner

’Tis the season to indulge and celebrate, and what better way to do both than right here on the East End with a dozen select Long Island wines, a dinner featuring the freshest in local ingredients, and the merriment of the inaugural Dan’s 12 Wines of Christmas Dinner, presented by The Cardinale Group! Set at North Fork Chocolate Company’s new event gallery in Aquebogue, this intimate farmhouse-style culinary experience is sure to get everyone fully in the holiday spirit—and you are invited!

Guests will enjoy a seasonal multi-course wine-pairing dinner prepared by Steven Biscari Amaral, Executive Chef and Master Chocolatier of North Fork Chocolate Company. And there will be much more than chocolate during the night! From pre-meal tastings through course-specific pours through delicious dessert, guests will be able to savor a dozen fabulous wines from Long Island Wine Country, specially selected for this celebratory evening.

All wines poured at Dan’s 12 Wines of Christmas dinner will be sourced from the finest of Long Island wineries, including the lauded Jamesport Vineyards—Platinum winner for Best Winery in this year’s Dan’s Best of the Best! The exact wines and pairings are shrouded in festive secrecy for now, but maybe one of Santa’s Elves will let it slip (those elves do love Dan’s Papers social media, remember…).

Serving up the evening’s seasonal feast is Chef Amaral, and guests are in for a treat from the culinary artist who started North Fork Chocolate Company with his partner, Ann Corley, in January 2013 through the Stony Brook Incubator at Calverton. Amaral was based in Hawaii for 20 years, serving as Corporate Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Director for Sweeney Development Corp. He oversaw 10 hotel openings and multi-unit restaurant concepts in Hawaii, California and Florida as a certified executive chef by the American Culinary Federation, and he was the first place gold medal winner of the Hawaii Seafood Challenge and nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Chef of the Year” Pacific North West.

After Hawaii, Chef Amaral lived in Madrid for several years, working for restaurant group Grupo Vips, before he settled on Long Island’s East End and started his own production and catering companies—Blue Owl Productions and Black Tie Caterers. He has received numerous accolades, including being named Dan’s Best of the Best on the North Fork as Caterer and Event Planner. In later years, Amaral started his own restaurant in Wading River, the much-loved Amarelle, achieving an “Excellent” three-star review from The New York Times.

As for those chocolates—which will of course be part of the 12 Wines of Christmas dinner experience—North Fork Chocolate Company handcrafts “small batch” artisanal chocolates and gourmet desserts from products of local farmers on the East End of Long Island. Their famous Belgian chocolates are blended with wholesome creamery products and filled with fresh from the farm local ingredients—fruits, vegetables, dairy, spirits, sea salt, herbs and honey. As a special treat for guests only, North Fork Chocolate Company’s boutique will be open the night of the event and offering special deals on last-minute gifts! We’ll see you there!

Hurry, seating is extremely limited for Dan’s 12 Wines of Christmas Dinner, presented by The Cardinale Group, on Saturday, December 17, at North Fork Chocolate Company, 740 Main Road in Aquebogue. The night begins with a tasting experience at 6:30 p.m., followed by a multi-course sit-down wine-pairing dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person or $199 per couple and include tasting experience, the intimate sit-down dinner with wine pairings, and holiday gift bag. Tickets available now at 12WinesOfChristmas.com.