Hak Soo Kim is a talented tenor who has graced the Sarasota Opera House stage many times—he can currently be seen as Count Almaviva in their production of The Barber of Seville. Kim is also a certified sommelier who has worked at prestigious places including Per Se by chef Thomas Keller where he was head sommelier. Now his love of wine and music have come together at a fundraising event for the Sarasota Opera House at Michael’s Wine Cellar. On March 6, diners can enjoy a four course menu designed by Michael’s on East head chef Jamil Pineda with wine pairings by Kim.

“We focused on designing a menu of crowd pleasers,” Kim says of collaborating with Pineda. “At dinners, food is the centerpiece. Wine is the icing on the cake. After we had a rough concept about the format and possible candidates for the courses, Michael Klauber and I exchanged some ideas to feature wines that are classic and yet not as well-appreciated.”

The first course of the dinner will consist of pan-seared California halibut with Granny Smith apples, clams, Romanesco broccoli, micro basil and salmon caviar beurre blanc. Kim has chosen to pair that course with a Sancerre from the Loire Valley.

“Sancerre is great for seafood because of its salinity stemming from the bedrock of the region formed with fossilized seashells in the Jurassic period,” says Kim, who has put just as much thought into the other pairings but prefers to keep a little mystique around the event for now.

“I cannot go into too many details since I want the patrons to experience it themselves!” Kim says.

The Sarasota Opera Wine Dinner at Michael’s Wine Cellar will take place on Thursday, March 6 at 6pm. The price is $300 per person, and attendance will be capped at 50 guests. Attire is business casual or cocktail. To learn more or reserve tickets, visit www.sarasotaopera.org/minievent.