Fleming's Knows Something About Wine: The Rooted in Sonoma Dinner

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse has been running wine dinners for long enough to know what works. The Rooted in Sonoma dinner — available at both the Coral Gables and Brickell locations — is the one that proves it. Five courses, Silver Oak pairings throughout, and a menu built around the kind of ingredients that make a wine dinner feel like a meal rather than a tasting exercise.

The evening opens with Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc from Bennett Valley — a wine that earns its place at the table before the food arrives. Matanzas Creek has been farming Bennett Valley since 1976, and the Sauvignon Blanc reflects that history: precise, mineral-driven, with the kind of restraint that makes it a genuine food wine rather than a cocktail-hour pour. It sets the register for the evening correctly.

The Lobster & Shrimp Louie is the course that justifies the reservation. The classic West Coast preparation — chilled shellfish, crisp lettuce, Louie dressing — is the kind of dish that disappears from the table before anyone has finished talking about it. Paired with the Matanzas Creek, it is the moment the dinner announces itself as something worth attending.

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon anchors the main courses. Silver Oak has been one of Napa and Sonoma's most consistent producers for fifty years, and the Alexander Valley expression — softer and more approachable than the Napa Valley bottling — is the right choice for a steakhouse dinner. It has enough structure to stand up to Fleming's prime cuts without overwhelming the table. The five-course progression is built around the wine rather than the other way around, which is how a wine dinner should work.

The Rooted in Sonoma dinner is available at Fleming's Coral Gables (2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd) and Fleming's Brickell (1000 S Miami Ave). Both locations run the same menu and the same wine program. The Coral Gables room is the quieter of the two — better for conversation, better for a table that wants to focus on the wine. The Brickell location has more energy and a better view of the city. Both are worth the reservation.

The Rooted in Sonoma dinner at Fleming's is a limited-run event. Reservations are available at both the Coral Gables and Brickell locations. Book through OpenTable or directly with the restaurant.