Once upon a time wine selection in restaurants was relatively easy. Red went with beef and lamb, white with chicken and fish in established pairings. Only vintage and price were in question. But today chefs are cooking innovative dishes that use ingredients from around the globe. And sommeliers are introducing intriguing new wines to their wine lists.
So picking a wine to match a dish is no longer as easy as it used to be. Many consumers are confused. Is Beaujolais a fit teammate for braised rabbit? Can a meritage wine match blue cheese mashed potatoes?
To pick up some tips about matching unusual dishes and unusual wines we asked local chefs to recommend a favorite dish and select a wine to serve with it. The matchups follow.
The chefs’ preference for rich, hearty foods such as squab and beef and full-bodied red wines reflects the season. But it also reflects a desire for pairings in which both partners make significant impressions.
The chefs didn’t stint on expense, either. Only four of the 16 wines listed would sell for less than $10 at retail. Because restaurant wine cellars often don’t mirror the offerings at retail, you may not find all of these bottlings at your local wine shop. But retailers should be able to guide you to wines of similar style or character at a range of prices.
– Patrick Concannon, Don Juan’s, 6730 Northwest Hwy.
Food: Grilled Kansas City strip steak with chipotle pepper bearnaise sauce and parsnip puree. Wine: 1995 Harrison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. (“The wine’s full fruit flavor offsets the sweet heat of the spicy, buttery sauce.”)
– Jonathan Harootunian, Meritage, 2118 N. Damen Ave.
Food: Beef tenderloin with red wine sauce, Oregon blue cheese smashed potatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms. Wine: 1994 Cain Five Napa Valley Meritage. (“This complex wine cuts through the fat and richness of the meat and cheese.”)
– Priscila Satkoff, Salpicon, 1252 N. Wells St.
Food: Grilled baby rack of lamb with Oaxacan red mole. Wines: 1994 Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. (“The mature cabernet is rich and fruity enough to complement the sauce and bring out the sweetness of the meat.”) Or a white: 1995 Gustave Lorentz Gerwurztraminer Reserve (Alsace). (“The fragrant spice and slight sweetness of the gewurztraminer offsets the hot spice of the mole.”)
– Erwin Drechsler, erwin, 2925 N. Halsted St.
Food: Wood-grilled pork chops with maple sweet potato puree and braised mustard greens. Wine: 1995 Joseph Phelps Le Mistral, a blend of Rhone Valley grapes grown in California. (“The wine has a generous, fresh fruit flavor that complements the savory, smoky pork.”)
– Michael Foley, Printer’s Row, 550 S. Dearborn St.
Food: Rosemary-infused sturgeon with red wine mashed potatoes and steamed baby bok choy. Two red wines: 1995 Frick Sonoma County Cinsault. (“The wine is deep in color but not too rich for the fish.”) Or the 1995 Domaine Miquel, Pays d’Oc Syrah. (“It’s the spice in the wine that makes a link with the herb-infused fish.”)
– Pierre Pollin, Le Titi de Paris, 1015 W. Dundee Rd., Arlington Heights
Food: Roasted pigeon (squab) with garlic cloves. Wine: 1994 Turley Aida Vineyard Sonoma Zinfandel. (“This is a wine with a very concentrated berry flavor, perfect with a juicy, meaty bird.”)
– Doug Anderson, executive sous chef, Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware Pl.
Food: Spit-grilled squab over Alsatian cabbage packet with truffle sauce and foie gras. Wine: 1994 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Elizabeth’s Reserve (Oregon). (“Only a full-bodied red could stand up to the squab, but this pinot noir is elegant too.”)
– Jean-Claude Poilevey, Le Bouchon, 1958 N. Damen Ave.
Food: Rabbit with mustard sauce. Wine: 1996 Morgon Marcel Lapierre. (Beaujolais) (“Morgon produces wines that are fruity yet have body. This will stand up to the sauce but will not overwhelm delicate meat.”)
– Didier Durand, Cyrano’s, 546 N. Wells St.
Food: Beef and pork tripe with root vegetables, parsley and garlic. Wine: 1996 Seigneurs du Perigord. (Bergerac) (“The wine is full-flavored. It cuts through the richness of the tripe.”)
– Paul Kahan, Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph St.
Food: Wood-grilled sturgeon with roast leeks and rutabaga garnished with braised oxtail and its juice. Wine: 1995 Chateau Routas Agrippa, a blend of syrah and cabernet sauvignon made in France by California winemaker Jim Clendenen. (“The wine is complex, peppery and has enough tannin to cut the sweetness and richness of the dish.”)
– Paul Bartolotta, Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan Ave.
Food: Squab in red wine sauce with grapes, honey, red wine vinegar, served with rosemary sauteed fennel. Wines: 1992 Corvo Duca Enrico (Sicily) or 1996 Foradori Teroldego Rotaliano (Trento). (“The Duca Enrico is similar to the dish, full-bodied with dark flavors of prunes; the Teroldego offers contrasting peppery flavors.”)
– Tony Mantuano, Mantuano Mediterranean Table, 455 City Front Plaza.
Food: Grilled shrimp with gigantes (Greek white beans) and watercress. Wine: 1996 Morgadio Albarino from Galicia (Spain). (“The secret of this match is the crisp, high acid wine.”)
– Yves Roubaud, Shaw’s Crab House, 21 E. Hubbard St.
Food: Steamed Dungeness crab served chilled with a sauce of olive oil, basil, garlic and Worcestershire. Wine: 1996 Joseph Drouhin Meursault (Burgundy). (“The buttery fruit in the wine combines perfectly with the sweetness and richness of the crab. The sauce is not too distracting.”)
