Mike Sperandeo, house manager at The Harlequin, prepared the menu for the restaurant's wine parings dinner by thinking about his favorite Italian foods. Specially selected Italian wines will be served with the dinner. McNeese Photo

Reservations are being taken now for seven special wine pairings dinners that have been created by area chefs to lead up to the wine and food event, Rouge et Blanc.

The dinners will take place Wednesday through Friday, Oct 14-16, before the main event of Rouge et Blanc on Oct. 17.

Each dinner is different and reflects the interests of the individual chefs. But each one will feature wines that have been carefully chosen by Jared Cooke, fine wine specialist for Republic National Distributing Co., to bring out the nuances of each sauce and spice used by the chef.

“We think these dinners add immeasurably to our event,” said Lori Marinovich, director of the Lake Charles Downtown Development Authority. “They have been organized independently from Rouge et Blanc, but they add to the overall festivities.

The dinners are as follows:

Snake River Grill:  Wed., Oct. 14, 6 p.m., $125 plus tax & gratuity. Call Stephanie at 395-7497.
Chef Justin Sells and General Manager Stephanie Miller are planning a pairings menu that will feature the freshest ingredients of the season. Jay Koeller with Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate will present wines that have been hand selected to match the flavors of Chef Justin’s menu. Limited to 14 people.

Blue Duck Café: Thurs., Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m., $100 plus tax & gratuity. Call 721-1967.
Chef Briant Smith has come up with a “camp menu” which features freshly caught and home-grown foods – grilled Creole vegetables, grilled shrimp remoulade, mushroom and oyster soup in puff pastry bowls, redfish on the half shell and chocolate pound cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Limited to 50 people.

The Harlequin: Thurs., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., $80 inclusive. Call 310-0077.
A five-course meal will celebrate the vineyards of Italy. It will pair special Italian wines with Italian food especially selected by Mike Sperandeo, house manager, including seafood fettuccine, minestrone, mixed baby greens with toasted walnuts and gorgonzola cheese with raspberry vinaigrette, osso Bucco (braised veal shank), served with risotto Milanese and Tortoni ice cream. Limited to 60 people.

Chef Justin Sells of Snake River Grill at L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort has prepared a menu that will pair with wines from Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Estate. Jay Koeller from Rubicon Estate will be at the dinner to introduce his wines.

La Truffe Sauvage:  Fri., Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., $245 inclusive. Call 439-8364.
Chef Mohamed Chettouh will put together a special array of exquisite dishes, paired with wines to match the nuances of each preparation. Limited to 50 people.

Lake Charles Country Club:  Fri., Oct. 16, 7 p.m., $85 plus tax and gratuity. Call 477-5511,
Chef Keith Jagneaux will pair foods such as lobster bisque, Chilean sea bass, Filet Mignon Napoleon with wines from the St. Supery Vinyard and Winery. St. Supery, located in Napa Valley, is known for outstanding estate grown cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and meritage blends. Limited to 50 people.

Brick House Catering & Events: Fri., Oct. 16, 7 p.m., $75 inclusive. Call 433-3108.
A full menu will include a cheese course, lemon sorbet, oyster-stuffed quail, blackened sea scallops, beef tenderloin in port and dark chocolate mousse cake. Robert Conner, representative from Delicato Family Vineyards in California, will be a special host and Jerry Zamost, violinist, will entertain. Limited to 50 people.

Gray Plantation: Fri., Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m., $100 inclusive. Call Holly at 562-1206, ext. 3.
A six-course tasting menu will be paired with a different wine for each course. Penny Kelley, CSW with Kobrand Wines and Spirits, will be at the dinner to introduce the wines. Limited to 40 people.