It is rare to have an experience that is transcendent -- one that transports you beyond your pedestrian experiences. When that experience is inspired by culinary experts, it is doubly extraordinary.

I was lucky enough to have such an experience last month at a Spring Wine Dinner at Buck Ridge Plantation. I was treated to a perfectly orchestrated gourmet meal, each course served with a flight of wine. The experience transcended dining for mere nourishment and transported me into the sphere of eating as art.

The composers of this symphony of sensual delight were Chef Charles Zeran and his wife, Pastry Chef Colleen Zeran, of the soon-to-open Four Moons Restaurant. The culinary duo was invited to the Orangeburg area by Michael Tourville, owner of the Four Moons Restaurant and Wine and Gourmet Shop.

From my entrance to Buck Ridge to dessert, the chefs, working in concert with sommelier Ryan Groeschel, proved themselves to be culinary masters, delighting not only the palate but every sense.

As we waited to be seated in the dining room, we were served a Spanish sparkling wine, Avinyo Brut Reserva Cava. It enlivened the palate and set the mood for the evening, lifting our spirits with its bubbles and cleansing us of the days' woes.

When we entered the dining room, our eyes were delighted by the sparkle of crystal set against the background of black tablecloths. Our first treat was call the "Crab Collection." It consisted of lump crab and aged Gouda gratin with celery root-apple grits; hot and cold ceviche with crab, conch and shrimp with vegetable confetti, cilantro, ginger and citrus juices; gingered crab and oyster mushroom spring roll with miso mayonnaise, sweet and spicy cucumber angel hair, hot and sour dashi broth and tobiko ice.

The wines featured with this course were Chateau Mas Neuf Blanc, Costieres de Nimes, France; Valminor Albarino Rias Baixas, Spain '06, and Whetstone Viognier "Catie's Corner Vineyard" Russian River Valley '06.

The foods and the wines in this course were perfect starters. They recommended themselves gently to our senses and nestled lightly on the stomach.

The second course was called "Three Fish Three Ways." This consisted of curry couscous tempura vermilion snapper with black currant cocktail sauce and wakame salad; pan-seared dotted nose snapper with crisp pork belly, beluga lentils, shiitake bacon and a red wine truffle reduction; crisp-skinned wild striped bass with melting lobster foam, edamame succotash and crawfish.

The wines featured were Miner Chardonnay, Napa '06; Anne Amie Pinot Noir "Cuvee A," Oregon '06, and Rockblock "SoNo" Syrah, Walla Walla and Rogue Valley, Oregon '06.

This course was a particular favorite of mine. Everything was delicious, but I would be remiss if I did not single out the pan-seared snapper with the crisp pork belly. The pork belly gave the snapper an unctuousness that filled the mouth with texture and taste. And the lobster foam served with the striped bass was like a cotton candy experience. It filled with mouth with a delightful flavor and disappeared, leaving only the memory of the taste.

The wines married perfectly with these food selections. The oakiness of the Chardonnay was a perfect counterpoint to the vermillion snapper, while the full-bodied Syrah gave perfect grace notes to the snapper with the pork belly.

The piece de resistance was the meat course. I chose "Ducks in a Row." It consisted of pan-roasted duck breast

with spicy vanilla yams and dark berry compote; foie gras and mango grilled cheese on housemade brioche with mango gastique; duck prosciutto and cantaloupe sorbet.

The wines with this course were Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel, Napa '05; Cenay Blue Tooth Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa '05, and Cliff Lede Claret, Stag's Leap District '05.

The pan-roasted duck breast was a study in perfection. It was timed perfectly, merely approaching medium rare without violating it. The brioche, although toasted, revealed its eggy, buttery contents with distinction. And the delicate cantaloupe sorbet struck a perfect harmony with the duck prosciutto.

The finale to this delightful evening was definitely grand. It was called "Brandy and a Cigar." It consisted of a marbled chocolate cigar filled with bittersweet mousse, Armagnac ice cream and berries with Chambord.

The wines featured with this course were Quinta das Heredias 20-year Tawny or Vinhos Barbeito "Charleston" Sercial Special Reserva Madeira.

All the plates fed every sense, but this dessert plate truly was a delight to take in with the eyes. The chefs recreated a cigar in chocolate, even fabricating a delicate wafer cigar ring. They served this chocolate wonder nestled atop a scoop of the Armagnac ice cream. Nothing is better on the tongue than chocolate and brandy. The Madeira was my wine of choice with this delight in chocolate. Somewhere during this feast of the senses I approached heaven.

I usually give a recipe with this feature, but this time, I have to admit, there is no recipe for a symphony. My hat's off to Charles and Colleen Zeran. Welcome.

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