Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Drink / By The Glass By the glass at...Abattoir
Posted by Jimmy Sobeck on Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 11:03 AM
- Jimmy Sobeck
By the glass at: Abbatoir (1170 Howell Mill Rd, 404-892-3335. www.starprovisions.com)
The dish: Cured Scottish salmon
The wine: ’08 Scherer pinot blanc
The pairing: Acid plus acid equals smooth
Westside’s genteel house-o-offal Abattoir offers a small by-the-glass selection (five whites, five reds), and includes the ’08 Scherer pinot blanc. A relatively sparsely planted grape from Alsace in northwest France, the nose made me initially think of chardonnay, though the floral aroma and hint of almond quickly distinguished this wine. This full-bodied and overly tart pinot blanc screamed of green apples with a touch of spice, and had a remarkably long and rich finish.
Sommelier (and general manager) Kristine Lassor recommended the Scherer with a cured Scottish salmon small plate. The fish was only lightly cured, remaining very tender with an almost sashimi-like texture. The dish was scattered with fennel, small green and red tomatoes, cucumber, celery leaf, and lemon verbena. “The cured salmon had a lot of acid on the dish, so I chose a wine from the old world, since they are generally higher in acid“, said Lassor. “Salmon is a fuller flavored fish with some fat content, so I still wanted to pair a wine that had some weight and complexity”.
The Scherer became more enjoyable with the salmon than by itself, a sign of a good pairing. The floral and acidic aspects of the wine complemented the smattering of flavors from the various herbs, vegetables, and tomatoes in the salmon dish. The combination had a pleasantly wintery feel, despite the summer vegetables. The best part of the combination was the long and rich finish of the pinot blanc with the creamy texture of the salmon. The combination is proof that a good selection can improve both the wine and the food, which is the whole point, after all.
Retail: The 2008 Scherer Pinot Blanc is available at Sherlock’s (www.sherlocks.com) for $14.99.
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
what did you pay for the glass of Pinot Blanc?
I find most wines by the glass in Atl. are insultingly priced
like
dislikeBennett - The glass of Scherer was $12. I wouldn't classify that as inexpensive, but it's comparable to what you'd see around town. Abattoir's list is very bottle driven, and the bottles are priced extremely well. Many are at retail price or slightly higher. The salmon was also $12.
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