Red Rock Bistro kicks off ambitious series of Tuesday night wine and spirits tastings

SWAMPSCOTT – There?s perhaps nothing unusual about a fine-dining restaurant hosting a tasting of fine wine and spirits, but the 27-week schedule of Tuesday night tastings at Red Rock Bistro in Swampscott is perhaps the most ambitious – and affordable – program of its type on the North Shore.For a $20 ticket, which itself is a collector?s piece with photos of venues from vineyards and distilleries around the world, 60 participants at the kick-off event on Nov. 11 tried six different California Cabernet Sauvignons, as Jeff Keyes of Majestic Fine Wines shared details with tasters about the origin of the wines and history of the vineyards.Paul Petersiel, owner of Red Rock Bistro, said he wanted something new and educational to offer patrons, to give them a reason to come on Tuesday nights from November through May 12.?Twenty-seven tastings in 27 weeks is something that I don?t think has ever been done before,” said Petersiel. “And it?s not as if we just went down our wine list and decided that?s what we?d feature. Most of these are rare wines that we don?t carry.”Petersiel credited Tim Sharland, a rep with M.S. Walker Fine Wine and Spirits distributors in Somerville, as being a driving force in coordinating the Red Rock tasting series.The Cabernets featured at the kick-off event, Sharland noted, are limited production wines n for example a 2002 Cabernet Boché from Freemark Abbey in Napa Valley, aged 24 months in 60 gallon French Oak barrels, of which only 2,500 cases were produced.Petersiel and Cliff Ansara of Lynnway Liquors worked an arrangement through Sharland to make bottles of the featured wine and spirits at the tastings available for order at 10 percent over cost. The wines featured last week ranged in price from $70 to $150 per bottle.?This is great. What else are you going to do on a Tuesday night? Great wine, great information and a chance to meet great people,” said Elaine Dunham of Marblehead, who attended the tasting with her husband, Bob, both wine collectors and connoisseurs.Tasters sampled appropriate paired foods to go along with the wines – including sautéed mushrooms, orzo, bread and cheese – as Keyes fielded questions from wine experts and novices alike. He explained that several of the wines, including the 2003 Atalon Cabernet from the Veeder Peak, Gaskins and Stagecoach Vineyards of Napa Valley, are from grapes grown above 1,500 feet elevation.?The higher the elevation the longer it takes the grape to ripen, and there?s a greater skin-to-pulp ratio, which produces greater flavor,” Keyes said.While the kick-off event was filled to capacity, Petersiel said he expects a steady following of at least 30 participants throughout the series. He is offering a discount of 10 percent to those who purchase pairs of tickets for the entire series, and also anticipates there will be plenty of tickets available for any single tasting in the series.Each of the “Six and Seven Wine and Spirits Tasting Series” features six different wines or spirits and begins promptly at 7 p.m. Red Rock Bistro is located at 141 Humphrey Street in Swampscott.Following is a complete schedule of remaining tastings in the series:Tonight: Red Burgundy from Joseph DrouhinNov. 25: The Tuscan Red Wines of AntinoriDec. 2: The Wines of Kendall JacksonDec. 9: The Red Wines of Italy?s PiedmontDec. 16: Grahams PortDec. 23: Red ZinfandelDec. 30: Bubbles from Around the WorldJan. 6: The Cognac of Pierre FerrandJan. 13: The Wines of South AfricaJan. 20: The Wines of Chateau St. MichelleJan. 27: Killer California ChardonnayFeb. 3: Boutique Bourbon of Heaven HillFeb. 10: Single Malt Scotch of Balvenie & GlenfidditchFeb. 17: Washington State RedsFeb 24: Sicilian Wines of Cusumano?sMarch 3: Organic Wines of Banfi?s Emiliana FamilyMarch 10: Pinot Noir: California vs. OregonMarch 17: Wines of AustraliaMarch 24: Sauvignon Blanc from Around the WorldMarch 31: Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa ValleyApril 7: Millargo TequilasApril 14: Red Wines of SpainApril 21: Riesling f