Unfiltered, Unfined

Anticipation of a great wine dinner

Wine and food. Food and wine. Trying to pair both types of sustenance (one for the body, the other for the soul) is a large part of what I investigate and report. Although I’m constantly attending industry events where such pairings are featured, a lot of the time I find only one or at most a couple of great matches at each meal. So what follows are my notes that highlight the best wine and accompanying dishes of which I’ve partaken in the past few months.

Good times at Yia Yia's

During a spectacular Italian wine-focused dinner at Yia Yias with Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey (of Frasca fame), the buttery, creamy Gaston Chiquet Champagne Brut, although not Italian, stole the early part of the show. Bright lemon and pineapple aromas persisted through the finely beaded finish, with hints of lime zest and green pear. Long, luscious, and a terrific match for the course that followed it: a plate of Parmesan Reggiano Frico (baked crisps) and Speck Alto Adige. But to be fair, most bubblies match very well with most foods.

Paired with a plate of Hamachi crudo (raw preparation of tuna) with lemon, olive oil and micro-basil, the lively, fruity Scarpetta Pinot Grigio delle Venezia was a revelation. Bright nectarine, green apple and apricot essences gave way to a honey and pear palate that was just perfect with the fish.

The actual Clay House in Paso Robles

Wine Storage of Denver (where I keep some of my collection) has monthly get-togethers where we each bring a bottle of interesting wine, then eat pizza and talk about the wines. It’s a fun event, and each time I’m impressed by the level of knowledge of the attendees.

January’s gathering featured several stunning wines, none more interesting than the Sine Qua Non Body and Soul, a California-based blend of white Rhone varietals (Roussanne and Marsanne) made by legendary vintner Manfred Krankl. So thick and jelly-like in the glass, with lilac, honey, mead and lime zest each making their appearance at the appropriate time. Just a hoot to drink, although way too young, and perfect with sausage-dotted thin-crust pizza.

The same event featured another terrific wine, this time red, also wonderful with pizza. The densely packed Clayhouse Petite Sirah Estate Show Pony burst with plums, soy sauce and gravel at first, blending into charcoal and rose petals on the finish. Petite Sirah is an underappreciated grape, and I’m glad that the Middleton family is focused on producing great juice in this arena.

Although I receive a lot of samples in the mail, I also rely on local distributor representatives to show me what they think is new and interesting in their portfolios, especially the current releases. Two recent lunches showed me a couple of wines that I’m happy to recommend.

Love those German Rieslings!

The Robert Weil Spatlese Kiedrich Grafenberg is a German Riesling with terrific pedigree, and more importantly, it was a real winner with roasted, stewed pork on grilled bread. Honey, peach and apricot led up to a slightly vegetal midpalate (in a good way) and limeade on the expansive finish. This showed grace with power, and although too young at present, it’s full of great promise for the future.

The Rex Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, on the other hand, seemed ready for current drinking. It brimmed with white pepper and spicy cinnamon up-front, and the finish was all cola and root beer, with highlights of allspice and cherry. Just fabulous with a sliced filet of beef.

Ben at the AWS

Finally, at a recent Spanish wine event hosted by the Denver chapter of the American Wine Society, I enjoyed a glass of bold, ochre-tinged Bodegas El Nido Clio from the region of Jumilla in Spain with my spicy, beefy main course. Black pepper and red raspberries vied for attention with chocolate and bacon notes on the deep, dark finish.

As for dessert, at the same Spanish dinner we also enjoyed the Jorge Ordonez & Co. Victoria #2 Malaga from Andalucia. Tons of autumnal baking spices perfumed this beauty, with cinnamon and fresh-baked pumpkin cake rounding out this impressive offering. It’s not at all expensive for the quality inherent in the bottle and terrific with all sorts of pastries and nibbles.

Much of the fun of my work lies in exposing my readers to great wine and food combinations. Try some of the combinations listed here, or be even more adventurous and create your own food and wine pairings. There are no wrong answers. Rely on your own tastes - what you like and don’t like.

Recommended:

Sparkling

Gaston Chiquet Champagne Brut NV (Champagne, France) $35

White

Scarpetta Pinot Grigio delle Venezia 2008 (Veneto, Italy) $22

Sine Qua Non Body and Soul White Blend 2007 (California, U.S.) $95

Robert Weil Riesling Spatlese Kiedrich Grafenberg 2008 (Rheingau, Germany) $55

Red

Clayhouse Petite Sirah Estate Show Pony 2007 (California, U.S.) $40

Rex Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2007 (Oregon, U.S.) $18

Bodegas El Nido Clio 2007 (Jumilla, Spain) $37

Dessert

Jorge Ordonez & Co. #2 Victoria Malaga 2007 (Andalucia, Spain) $24/375ml