'Karate Kid' Wine Dinner Set For Houston

Ever wonder what wines made by the man who wrote "Karate Kid" and "Taps," among many other screenplays, taste like? You can find out on April 27, because Robert Dean Kamen is bringing his bottles to Houston for what promises to be a great evening at Tony's.

Kamen owns Kamen Estate Wines, located in Sonoma County, California. The story goes that he was paid $135,000 in 1980 for his first screenplay and used the check to purchase 280 acres of land on Mount Veeder. He planted grapes on 46 acres of the land in the early 1980s, and in 1999 bottled his first Kamen-branded wine.

"I wanted to make wine that was a complete concentration of the essence of growing grapes in the mountains," Kamen told Haute Living earlier this year, and by most accounts, the Hollywood heavyweight has succeeded.

Kamen Estate Wines produces four varietals and several blends. Cabernet Sauvignon is the star here, but Kamen Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah are more than worthy of your time and tasting, as are the rest of Kamen's inventory.

Here is the menu for the dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. For more information and to make reservations, call 713-622-6778 or click here.

Aperol Cured Tasmanian Salmon (Grapefruit, Parsley Root, Mint)
2012, Kamen, Sauvignon Blanc

Crispy Braised Polpo (Lobster Reduction, Fiddlehead, Fava)
2013 Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon

Dry Aged Natural Baby Hen (Truffled Leg Confit, Foie Gras Hen Jus)
2012 Kamen Kashmir Cabernet Sauvignon

Spearhead Ranch Colorado Lamb (Basil Lamb Jus, Saba Roasted Farro)
2013 Kamen Syrah

Strawberry Crumble (Rhubarb, Mascarpone Mousse)

Cost is $250 per person.

Here's Robert Parker on the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, which goes for $90 on the Kamen shopping site:

“Kamen’s 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and his biggest cuvée of 1,800 cases. It’s a spectacular Cabernet, dense purple with notes of lead pencil shavings, blackberry, pen ink and cassis followed by a full-bodied, opulent, voluptuously textured wine with sweet tannins, stunning delineation, precision (a characteristic of 2013) and great length and richness. This is a stunner—a fabulous wine and, at this price point, very attractive. It should drink well for 25–30 years.”

— Image: Courtesy Sonoma Valley Wine