APRIL 21 WINE DINNER AT KARMA FEATURES FINE CHILEAN WINES Experience flavorsome French-Asian cuisine paired with fine Chilean wines

Mundelein, IL – Wine lovers in Chicago’s northern suburbs will be superbly wined and dined at the gorgeous and ultra-chic Karma when they attend the special Chilean wine dinner on April 21, 2006. Karma (510 E. Route 83, adjacent to the Crowne Plaza North Shore Hotel in Mundelein, IL; 847-970-6900), which features exceptional French-Asian cuisine, was recently named one of the top 20 restaurants in the Chicago suburbs by the Daily Herald. The event is $95 per person, inclusive of tax & gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling (847) 970-6900 or visiting www.opentable.com.

This special four-course dinner will be hosted by executive chef Hagop Hagopian and Karma General Manager Don Fee, who showcase delectable wine pairings from Chile. “Wine may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Chile,” says Fee, “but many people are not aware that some of the best wine - comparable to California and French wines - can be found in South America. Little is known about the modest vineyards in Chile but they produce the most memorable wines.”

The wine dinner menu will feature gourmet selections such as Sweet Corn and Coconut Soup with Poached Texas Shrimp paired with Gessami Gramona / Chile. If your taste buds crave a more exotic flavor, then you can dine on the tantalizing Seared Breast of Squab and Leg Confit with Orange and Togarashi Spiced Polenta, Salsy and Asian spiced Wild Game Jus paired with Maquis lein / Chile. If those meals don’t have your mouth watering yet, don’t fret, because you can always feast on the savory Peppered Tenderloin of Beef with Three Potato Pave, ragout of Foie Gras, Oxtail and Wild Mushrooms paired with Penadolen Cabernet Sauvignon / Chile. To finish this fine meal, Chef’s Choice of Fromage with Essences of Rosemary and Port will also be served.

About Chilean Wines
In the long, narrow South American country of Chile, the history of wine divides neatly into past, present and future in a way unparalleled in any other wine-producing country. While wine has been produced here for over four hundred years, exposure to the sophistication of a worldwide wine market has caused Chile's industry to change course almost overnight. It has gone from producing the most generic red and white table wines to the lofty ambition of mastering refined French varietals. This new version of the industry is still very young, and a Chilean national wine style, like the country's place among the world's wines, is still being determined. Chile's grapes come from the 600 mile long Central Valley. Situated in the middle third of the country (north to south), this is one of the world's most fertile agricultural zones, supplying enormous yields of fruits and vegetables as well as wine and table grapes. The valley is a long plateau between two mountain ranges.

Some of the wines served for the dinner from Chile include the Peñalolén winery founded by vineyard owner Ricardo Peña and his wife Isabel with the objective to produce unique Chilean wines, full of personality and verve. The wines are made by acclaimed Bordelais winemaker Patrick Valette, well respected for his deft hand in producing memorable wines. All grapes are grown and hand harvested with meticulous care to guarantee the integrity of the fruit, and picked early in the morning when the weather is coolest. Peñalolén is truly a family-owned, boutique winery committed to making wines of distinction.
Viña Maquis winery, The Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that the family decided to make their own wine out of the terrific grapes in their own backyard. They built a gorgeous, state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and set out to make a “Super Chilean” blend using the vineyard’s best red grapes. Located in Valle de Colchagua, Viña Maquis’s terroir is deeply influenced by its geographic position, as it is surrounded by the Tinguiririca River and the Chimbarongo Creek—two large waterways that once brought alluvial sediments from the Andes. Today, they act as pathways for cool coastal breezes that help moderate the warm Colchagua summers, contributing to the intensity and fruitness of the wines.


About Karma
Karma, a fine dining establishment unique to the Chicago suburbs, features Pan-Asian cuisine. The restaurant is open everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Karma’s hours are: Breakfast: 6-10:30 a.m. daily, Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. daily, and Dinner: 5-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs, 5-11 p.m. Fri-Sat. For reservations call (847) 970-6900. All major credit cards are accepted.