Coach Grill Wine Dinner: Ireland Family Wines

I recently attended a wine dinner, as a media guest, at the Coach Grill, in Wayland, with special guest, Chris Ireland, founder of Ireland Family Wines and Ireland Family Wine & Spirits. I previously reviewed the Coach Grill, and stated, "Overall, the Coach Grill is like an upscale Boston steakhouse, but a bit more affordable, especially considering their reasonably priced wine list. The food menu offers plenty of options, enough for most any preferences, and both steak and seafood lovers will be very pleased with their selections. It's a good place for a special occasion, a date night, or just a night-out with some friends."

Chris Ireland, born in Ohio, spent over twenty years working in the restaurant and wine industry, and was inspired to open his own winery from a 1989 trip to Napa Valley and Sonoma. He continued to work in the wine industry after that visit, receiving a number of promotions, giving him greater responsibilities for larger territories. However, it wouldn't be until 2020 that he and his wife actually established Ireland Family Wines. The winery is located in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, and "was founded with a vision to produce wine that embodies the flavor of a place in time."

The Irelands worked with famed winemaker James MacPhail, purchasing small quantities of local grapes, especially Pinot Noir. Although they initially wanted to produce a Russian River Pinot Noir, the timing wasn't right, considering the pandemic, fires and other matters. So, instead they produced the Ireland Family Peake Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir. And in 2021, they decided to establish Ireland Family Wine & Spirits, bringing together a few other small producers who shared a similar philosophy.  

The evening was hosted by Bruno Marini, the Area Director of New England for the Tavistock Restaurant Collection. He's extremely knowledgeable about wine, as well as personable and humorous, referring to himself at the dinner as an "Executive Bus Boy." He hosts a number of wine dinners at the various Tavistock restaurants and they are well worth experiencing. Coach Grill’s Executive Chef, Carlos Martinez, prepared our dinner. 

During the initial reception, we received a glass of 2019 Works & Days Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, to accompany a selection of passed hors d’oeuvres and a table of cheeses and accompaniments. Some of the hors d’oeuvres included deviled eggs, tuna tartare with avocado mousse, and steak tartare on toast. The steak tartare was my favorite, with silky and flavorful steak. 

The 2019 Works & Days Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast (about $55) is made from purchased Chardonnay grapes from Napa and produced in a minimalist approach by famed winemaker Cabell Coursey. The wine was produced from native yeasts and aged in clay amphora, purchased from Italy. Only 100 cases of this wine were made. This was a delicious, well-balanced and complex Chardonnay, refreshing and crisp, with a nice blend of fruit flavors, including green apple, citrus and pear. There was an intriguing savory aspect as well to the wine, along a lengthy, pleasing finish. This is the type of Chardonnay I most enjoy and I'd highly recommend it.

Our next wine, to accompany a dish of lobster bisque, was the 2020 Ireland Family Pinot Noir, Peake Ranch Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills ($65-$75). The vineyard is located near the vineyard for Sea Smoke. The intriguing symbol on the label is an ancient Celtic symbol for inspiration and balance, and it is intended to represent their wine style, a balance of nature and knowledge. This was an elegant, complex and compelling Pinot Noir. Well balanced, silky smooth, with pleasing tastes of cherry and raspberry, with mild hints of spices and a touch of minerality, and a lingering, satisfying finish. Only about 900 cases of this wine were produced. This wine would also receive my hearty recommendation.

The Lobster Bisque, with a large chunk of sweet lobster at the bottom, was creamy and flavorful.

The next course was a Seared Sirloin with smashed fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus. The steak was tender and juicy, paired with the 2018 Coursey Graves Syrah (about $70), from Bennett Valley, south of Santa Rosa. The grapes are from a vineyard where the soil is an ancient seabed, and there is a high mineral content from the volcanic soils. The wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then aged own the lees in new and neutral French oak. With a dark purple color, the wine presented a complex melange of flavors, including ripe dark fruits, black olives, mild spice notes, and a touch of minerality. The tannins were restrained, the acidity was good, and overall, the wine was very well balanced. Elegant power which paired very well with the steak. 

For dessert, we enjoyed a Chocolate Mousse Cake with fresh berries and crème anglaise. A decadent treat, especially for chocolate lovers. Moist, rich cake and creamy, silky mousse. This was paired with the 2019 Coursey Graves Cabernet Sauvignon (about $100), a blend of grapes from the Oakville, Howell Mountain and Coombsville subregion of Napa Valley. The wine was aged for about 22 months on the lees in new and neutral French oak. Again, this was a wine of elegant power, with moderate tannins, balanced acidity, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. The complex melange of flavors ranged from black berries to ripe plum, with dark spice notes, hints of chocolate, and a touch of cigar box.  

Once again, Coach Grill hosted a tasty and interesting wine dinner, and I'd recommend you check out their future wine dinners. Or simply visit for dinner. All of the wines from this dinner are distributed by Signature Brands of Horizon so you should be able to acquire them at local wine shops.