Getting a hold on wine at Dream Dance Steak

Last Friday, I posted this status update to Facebook:

"Got to hold a bottle of '82 Sorì San Lorenzo last night. Unfortunately, didn't get to drink it. Fortunately, didn't drop it."

I Tweeted it, too.

The night before, my wife and I dined at Dream Dance Steak. It was our first visit to the restaurant in its current location, although we had eaten there when it was upstairs next to the bingo.

In addition to some great dining company, I also earned a few laughs when I answered Andy Tarnoff's question, "What would you call this style of decorating?"

"I Dream of Jeannie," I quipped, pointing out the poofy ceiling hangings that reminded me of the lush interior of Jeannie's bottle.

But what prompted the status update was that I spied a bottle of Gaja's legendary nebbiolo-based wine, which was the subject of "The Making of a Great Wine: Gaja and Sori San Lorenzo," a very interesting book by Edward Steinberg.

At $735 bottle, it's no surprise that this wine wasn't available by the glass. It wasn't the priciest option on the list, but it caught my attention because of its fame and because of my personal tastes.

We got to talking about it and I asked Potawatomi Restaurant Operations Manager Christian Damiano if I could see the bottle.

He took us to the cellar and I got to hold the bottle in my hands while we talked about how Dream Dance obtains gems like it for its extensive wine list.

Most of the rare bottles, including the Gaja, come from auction houses. Usually, one or two are kept on hand and when they sell, queries are sent to the auction houses and the prices that Dream Dance pay for these bottles determine the retail price to you, the consumer.

And part of the restaurant's mission is to keep the wines priced reasonably.

"We offer these wines to you at retail pricing for one reason only -- for you to have a great deal of fun and enjoy your evening as much as possible," reads the restaurant's Web site.

I was surprised to hear from Damiano that Dream Dance sells these lavishly expensive bottles of wine pretty regularly. And while I ventured a guess that they were sold to those who hit the jackpot and ask for the most expensive bottle, Damiano said that was rare. More common were wine fiends splurging on an unforgettable experience.

For me, just holding the bottle was an unforgettable experience. I can't even begin to imagine the dinner at which I'd be able to pop the cork on it and enjoy it.