Master Sommelier Fred Dame prepares to take the starch out of wine snobbery.

This is a huge event, people. This evening Gibson's is launching a monthly wine dinner series, starting with a 6:30 p.m. reception. The featured guest at the dinner is Master Sommelier Fred Dame. The first American to serve as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Dame was also the first to successfully pass all three CMS exams in a single year. In his current role as the Director of Prestige Accounts for Constellation Wines U.S., Dame travels the country taking the snobbery out of oenology, like at the inaugural Chicago Gourmet.

Dame will be pouring Robert Mondavi selections from different decades throughout a seven-course meal paired with Gibson's prime beef. Among the selections will be a six liter bottle of Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from 1974 paired with Prime Beef Rib Cap with Togarashi Seared, Micro Shiso, and Crispy Beach Mushroom; a three liter bottle of Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet from 1983 paired with Broiled Prime Beef Strip Steak with Leek Fondue and Crispy Shallot; and six liter bottle of Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from 1996 paired with Roast Bone In Filet Mignon with Potato “Bone Marrow” and Green Peppercorns. Each of these bottles will be flown in directly from the Mondavi cellars, where they've been untouched since their bottling. The cost of this dinner is a cool $150; we'd actually pay at least twice that amount to sip with Dame. Call 312-266-8999 for reservations