By The Glass
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
By The Glass By the glass at...Tierra
Posted by Jimmy Sobeck on Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 10:08 AM
- Jimmy Sobeck
The wine: ’08 Paul Hobbs El Filino
The pairing: Fat wine? Tighten it up with some acid.
Considering Tierra's co-chefs and owners Dan and Ticha Krinsky’s commitment to a varied and eclectic Latin American menu, it should be no surprise that the restaurant's wine list is mostly made up of Chilean, Argentinean, and Spanish selections. I even spotted a Brazilian wine on my visit.
Admittedly, I don’t drink a lot of wines from these regions, which have been gaining popularity in recent years for their approachable styles and low price point. To be candid, I tend to find them indistinctive and flabby (overtly rich, lacking acidity or tannic balance). But I do respect a wine list that's consistent with the restaurant’s genre, and even if a particular wine may not be up my alley, winemakers tend to make wines that go well with local foods, so I’m not one to turn my nose up to any wine in a situation like this.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
By The Glass By the glass at... Miller Union
Wine from the Loire meets an egg in celery cream
Posted by Jimmy Sobeck on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 10:08 AM
- Jimmy Sobeck
The dish: Farm egg baked in celery cream
The wine: 2008 St. Nicolas Les Clous Fief Vendeens
The pairing: Delicacy on the plate meets gentle blend in the glass
Miller Union has quickly earned high accolades for their deftly executed farm to table cuisine, though the almost exclusively European and California wine list provides many intriguing offerings, and is deserving of its own praise. The restuarant’s bar, which is a simple and welcoming affair perched between the host stand, a wall of windows and the dining room, is a great setting to sample one of the by-the-glass offerings with a quick bite or a full meal.
The 2008 St. Nicolas Les Clous Fief Vendeens is a personal favorite of part-owner and general manager Neal McCarthy. Hailing from the Loire Valley of France, this blended organic and biodynamic wine is a wonderful balance of chenin blanc and chardonnay. The initial flavors of salty butter and a touch of oak is accompanied by a light amount of chenin blanc acidity and stone fruit, eventually giving way to a slightly mineral finish.
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”.
