50 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • oCTober 2014

aT The bar robust reds

Robust Reds Winter foods marry wel l with red wines

that stand up to heartier f lavors.

by suzanne Hall

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ou can’t have two stars on the same stage, and chefs don’t want their food to hide in the wings. But when planning menus, it’s wise to remember that wine plays an important

supporting role in the art of dining. It should never overpower food, but it must stand up to it. Thewinelistshouldbeasrelevantandinterestingasyourfood.And,justastheseasonsdictatethedishesonthemenu,wineofferingsshouldreflectthetimeofyear.Thisismostlytrueforwinesbytheglass.Bottlelistsrequireagreatercommitmentofmoneyandspace.Theyincluderobustwines all year, and these lists tend to change more slowly.

Tis’ the season ClarkeAndersonismanagerofNo.246,Decatur,Georgia.Therestaurant,featuringItalianfoodwithCaliforniaflair,isinacocktailandbeerneighborhood.Butwinesalesrepresentabout20%oftotalrevenue.That’sbecauseAndersonmakessurehiscustomersseehiswineasgoodvalue. His by-the-glass list includes Italian wines, as well as California, Oregon and Washington State wines, ranging in price from $7 to $16. ThatlistchangesfourtimesayeartoreflectthewaychefDrewBellinecooksinthedifferentseasons. In spring and summer, the dishes and wines are lighter, cleaner and more refreshing. When cold weather moves in, the food becomes heartier and often more rustic. When the food is rustic, you need a more robust wine to elevate the dish, Anderson believes. Braised dishes are a good example. Braising often is a chef’s go-to technique when there’s a chill in the air. It provides the richness cold weather requires. Belline likes to braise pork with stonefruitsuchasdriedapricots,figsandcherries.Withtheporkdishes,Andersonrecommendsthat guests try wine from the Veneto in Italy. Valpolicella and Amarone are two, and another is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and Carmenere from producer Inama Bradisimo. Belline also uses soffrito frequently in his cooking. In the winter months, it’s a good technique forturninganingredientsuchasfish,traditionallyawhitewinefood,intoagreatmatchwithaheartyred.Heoftenservesmonkfishwithsoffrito.AndersonpairsitwithaBarberaoraDolcetto. Ayear-roundchickendishatNo.246isadeboned,brinedandwood-firecookedchicken.Itsaccompaniments change with the season. In colder weather, it’s paired with cherry bacon sauce, fingerlingpotatoesandonionpuree.SouthernItalianredssuchasprimitivo,NegroamaroandAglianico are good matches.

French accent RobertWiedmaier,chef/ownerofWashington,D.C.-basedRWRestaurantGroup,includingMarcel’s,aFrench/Belgianrestaurant,especiallyenjoyswintercooking.Helovesthereductionsmade from the bones of animals, the earthiness of winter food and the rich blends that sauce the dishes. Braising plays a key role in his wintertime cooking. He braises veal cheek, pork shank, short ribs and other meats to put on his winter menus. When it comes to wine, a Gigondas or Côte-Rôtie from France are among his favorites. MoezBenAchour,sommelieratMarcel’s,overseesanextensivewinelistthatincludesadozenor so red wines by the glass. In winter, his favorite wines to pair with Wiedmaier’s dishes come fromtheRhoneregionofFrance,includingGrenache,SyrahandMourvèdre.Valueisimportanttohim,aswell.Withfirst-timeguestsoryoungerones,heguidesthemtowardwinesthatgowellwith the winter dishes, but don’t cost $100. “I can recommend bottles that cost half that,” he says. Wines from the Rhone also pair well with braised dishes created by executive chef Ken Lingle and executivesouschefLeeMichaelofWentworthbytheSea,NewCastle,NewHampshire.Theirbraisedlambshankwithfingerlingpotatoesandrootvegetables“istodiefor,”saysDeanPratt,directorof

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rustic canyon’s grilled country toast with gruyere, bone marrow, chicken consommé and onion fondue can be paired with a selection from the restaurant’s 500-bottle wine list.

52 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • oCTober 2014

restaurants.Responsible for the resort’swine list,Pratt suggestspairing the lamb shank with a big Barolo or a Côtes du Rhône. His personal favorite winter wine is cabernet sauvignon.

Big and bold Whenconsideringwhattopairwithcabernetsauvignon,JohnElkhay, founder and culinary maestro of Chow Fun Food Group, Providence,RhodeIsland,thinksbraisedlegoflambwithIsraelicouscousisagoodbet.Healsolikesthatdishwithafull-flavoredBordeaux. Chow Fun Food Group operates five restaurants,rangingfromtheupscaleXOCaféand10PrimeSteak&SushitoHarry’sBar&Burger,wheresmokyporkbarbecueisserved.Not necessarily only a wintertime offering, barbecue shares its long, slowcooking timewithbraised foods.Thebarbecue,Elkhaybelieves,criesoutforZinfandelsandmerlots. It’snosurprisethatToddKnollisacabernetsauvignonfan.HeisexecutivechefofJordanVineyard&Winery,Healdsburg,California, which crafts only two varietals: chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. Like most chefs today, Knoll’s food makes use of local products whenever possible. Unlike other chefs, though,whenpairinghisdisheswithJordan’swines,hebeginswith the wine. Cooler weather brings braised Sonoma County lamb with oneof Jordan’s“hugeoldercabernet sauvignons.”Knollalsolikes oxtail ravioli with cabernet sauvignon in the winter, and big pinot noirs with wintertime dishes that often include root vegetables and other winter produce. “Red wines are always good with vegetables with a bitterness, such as eggplant, endive, radicchio and dried mushrooms,” he says.

Winter in California Gnocchi with braised oxtail and strawberry soffrito with pine nuts is a cold-weather dish at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar andSeasonalKitchen,SantaMonica,California.KathrynWeilCoker of the Rustic Canyon Restaurant Group, which includes four other units, opts for the Ettore Germano Barolo that’s part of the restaurant’s 500-bottle list to accompany the pasta. Formerly the wine director for the group, Coker recently became a partner in its latest enterprise—Esters, a wine bar and shop scheduled to open in early 2015. Esters will serve mostly snacks createdbyRusticCanyonchefJeremyFox.Ifmushroomtoastanda grilled cheese sandwich are on the menu, Coker would serve the mushroomdishwithapinotnoirfromBurgundy.DomaineBrunoClairisonthelist.Withthegrilledcheese,sherecommendsaDreworTylerpinotnoirfromCalifornia. When Santa Monicans don their cool-weather gear, theylook for dishes made with root vegetables and beans. With a soup that includes beans, such as a minestrone, Coker likes a Chianti Classico or a simple Sangiovese. Steak is a year-round favorite, but the ultimate winter dish for Coker is classic steak frites. With

aT The bar robust reds

Clockwise, from left: 1) Springer Mountain farms chicken, sherry/bacon agrodolce, wood-roasted cauliflower, baby carrots and young arugula at No. 246, where diners can pair the dish with an italian wine or one from california, oregon or Washington State. 2) Duck with barley risotto can be enjoyed with one of a dozen or so red wines by the glass at Marcel’s. 3) Cider-braised pork shank with a carrot puree and cauliflower/bacon hash at chow fun food group’s xo café might be paired with a shiraz. 4) Creekstone strip steak and gnocchi at wentworth by the Sea would go well with a cabernet sauvignon.

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SUzANNE HAll HAS BEEN wRITING ABOUT CHEFS, RESTAURANTS, FOOD AND wINE FROM HER HOME IN SODDY DAISY, TENN., FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.

it, she prefers to drink the meaty Syrah from Whitcraft Winery, SantaBarbara,California,or theDomainedeTrevallon red,ablendofcabernetsauvignonandSyrahfromProvence.

Winter veggies Root vegetables add a richness and depth to dishes that red wines enhance. Salsify is one of Wiedmaier’s favorite root vegetables. Also known as oyster plant, it has black skin and a creamywhitefleshwith a nuttyflavor that intensifies as itcaramelizes. Wiedmaier uses it as a base for roasted squab. His wine of choice to accompany the dish is a Syrah. Hard-skinned squash, pumpkin and apples are among the popular and so-called winter vegetables. They’re harvestedearly in Rhode Island, and Elkhay begins using them on his menus right after Labor Day. “They are ingredients easilyadapted to cold weather dishes and go well with heartier cuts of meat like chops,” he notes. A year-round red wine drinker, Elkhay’s wine of choice with cold weather food is a hearty wine from France’s Bordeaux region. At No. 246, Belline does a pasta stuffed with squash and mascarpone that’s served with a butter sauce containing pump-kin seeds. Anderson likes the dish with a full-bodied pinot noir from California.

Game on A hunter, Wiedmaier is a fan of game, and menus it often in the winter. He cooks rabbit many ways, including stewed with root vegetables. When he can get it, he prefers wild rabbit. If he must cook the domestic variety, he tries to make it more gamey by serving it with a fondue of cabbage or fennel sauce. Wines from the Northern Rhone are among his favorite matches. When the menu features stuffed rabbit loin, Achour suggests that gueststryaBandolfromProvence. Traditionally,rabbitisconsideredawhitewinefood.Obviously,WiedmaierandAchourdisagree.Theylikeitwithred.Andwithsomefishtheylikered,aswell.WildAlaskansalmonisanexample.“Seared and served with root vegetables, it should be accompanied by an awesome pinot noir,” Wiedmaier says. With Wiedmaier’s venison dishes, especially those with a blackberry sauce, Achour likes a Côtes du Rhône Villages offering. At JordanVineyard&Winery,Knoll serves tunawith afull-bodied cabernet sauvignon, which also pairs with his duck rillettes and roasted venison. Sommeliers such as Achour guide and help guests make their wine selection. “I always encourage guests to try something they don’t know, and hope it will put a smile on their face,” he says. Ultimately, though, the decision is up to the guests. Achour adds,“Therearenorightorwrongchoices.”

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left: five-spice bison short rib, potato puree and brown-sugar glaze at Marcel’s, where an extensive wine list includes a selection of wines from the rhone region of france that pair well with winter dishes on the menu. right: roasted venison with pommes Maxim and sauce grand-veneur at Jordan vineyard & Winery is served with one of the winery’s cabernet sauvignons.