Tag Archives: Wine Pairing

April 3, 2024 · 11:16 AM

Devour AZ: Can Fine Dining Survive?

I recently attended the event #DevourAZ organized by #LocalFirstAZ and had the opportunity to interview several local executive chefs presenting a local mid to high tier take on the Phoenix restaurant experience. The result was a startling realization regarding new trends in the local fine dining scene.

Local First AZ (link at: https://localfirstaz.com/news) is an organization established to promote the AZ Food & Beverage industry. If you live in AZ, check out their website for other local events throughout the year. Arizona Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, AZ (link at: https://dbg.org/) was closed for this private event. Great garden venue and a perfect choice for eating and drinking in an enjoyable, relaxed setting. DBG was a great place to enjoy the temperate AZ winter weather and discover new favorites on the AZ food & beverage scene. There were lots of prepared local foods with wine, beer and spirits showcasing Arizona restaurants, distributors and beverage producers. This event was sold-out well in advance, so if you are interested in attending next year, make sure to buy tickets early.

Loads of wine, beer and spirits to taste.

THE INTERVIEWS

All four chefs I spoke to, shared the same two-part message: a reasonably priced fine dining experience is now beyond even the upper-income dining community and younger generations are significantly changing their restaurant preferences. As a Boomer generation diner, I am accustomed to a white tablecloth, multi-course, curated food & wine experience. If you are of the same mindset, be prepared… it is all changing.

POST-COVID PRICE CHALLENGES

One of the more well-known curated fine-dining restaurants in my area is Monarch Cafe in Scottsdale. I checked their most recent menu and the per-plate cost has risen to $150-$250 per plate, plus beverage. A friend recently told me he dropped $1,000 on a recent Monarch visit for two with a pre-fixe menu, two bottles of wine and tip for the evening. He doesn’t plan to go back any time soon… There are choices in Phoenix that can get you near the experience for $500-$600, but it is a compromise. There is only one traditional fine-dining restaurant left in Phoenix that allows you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee. These prices will significantly limit the pool of potential clients for this category of restaurant and is pushing those restaurants still trying, to either close their doors, or change their menu, service AND business model.

The issue for restaurants and bars during COVID was just finding help. Now, it is making a new business plan work with huge increases in competitive wages and on-going service inflation. None of the chefs I spoke to were investing in significant server training and all were trying to find a simpler approach to a menu that did not require lengthy explanations of flavors and pairings to sell the experience. They all said servers in this market with the needed experience/knowledge to offer a traditional fine-dining experience are now at $60K-$75K/yr. income level with salary and tips… and are disappearing. Add 25-50% to that for the major centers of fine-dining like San Fran, Chicago and New York.

CHANGES IN BEVERAGE

Wine prices have continued to move higher in the U.S., having been the most expensive dinner beverage option for some time now. This has been my pet-peeve for years. With wineries moving towards the premium category for more than a decade AND the total lack of interest exhibited by volume producers to offer decent quality at lower price points… the entire U.S. industry has been shooting itself in the foot… as percentage wine consumption is dropping by double digits. The industry will lose entire generations of wine drinkers at this rate. In Italy, Germany and France, a $20 USD carafe of red wine at a restaurant competes on quality favorably with the $40-$50 bottles of U.S. wine I have purchased at restaurants.

These factors are causing the chefs I interviewed to cut their wine & craft beer (yes, beer consumption is now dropping too) inventories in half and move towards craft cocktail programs. Cocktails don’t require premium spirits brands, spoilage is a minimum, is a much smaller investment and can offer a very diverse flavor spectrum with little effort… and is much easier for untrained servers to support.

Bites from numerous restaurants serving many different dishes/flavors.

CHANGES IN MENUS/FOOD STYLES

The younger generations seem to be less interested in a 3-4 course traditional meal, than they are in a multi-plate, tapas-style experience. I understand that this approach can offer a more diverse flavor spectrum, but it totally ignores the idea of curating flavor and beverage pairings. For any of you that have had formal training, this is anathema to the old-world European style experience. European cuisines have experienced generations of being honed to find the most complementary flavors and beverages. Millions have been spent on promoting complimentary local food and beverage styles that are identified with a specific location, or region.

There is the service aspect here too. These chefs told me they can compose tapas style menus that describe simpler single flavor profiles that don’t require a trained server to explain. This approach offers a lower payroll cost, corresponding to a lower bill at the end of the meal.

FUTURE OF FINE-DINING

I have been mourning the loss of fine-dining in Phoenix for a couple years now and wracking my brain to look for alternatives to showcase curated food and beverage at a reasonable price. This is what I have come up with and I would appreciate your feedback.

I first thought that the American Wine Society (link at: https://americanwinesociety.org/) was the answer, but there has been significant push-back on including the idea of curated menus with wine tasting. I am hoping this myopic view of wine will change and the leadership will recognize how important food is to the wine experience. I still have hope this is possible and am continuing my efforts to move local AWS chapters in this direction.

I have begun building PowerPoint templates to assist inexperienced enthusiasts in effectively hosting curated food & wine experiences in their homes. If we are going to save the idea of pairing flavors and beverage in the dining experience, it may be possible to do this 8-10 people at a time, with a private experience in local homes. Would there be enough interest to build networks of small groups with this theme in mind? I am hoping…

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October 2, 2023 · 11:43 AM

Fine Dining Wine Pairing Review

My wife and I had a beautiful celebratory dinner for her birthday recently at Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale, AZ. The dishes served were all complex with layers and layers of flavor. It is always a culinary journey with a Todd Sawyer run restaurant experience. This location is one of the only fine dining restaurants operating as a BYOB in AZ. We selected the wines from our cellar for the pairings. The wines and the detailed menu are shown below.

What Worked

The salad and seafood dishes were a compilation of flavors that were meant for each other and paired well with the Champagne – over the top fabulous. The Maitake and Lobster mushrooms in the seafood spaghetti dish tasted like rich, earthy butter. The beef steak dish was prepared medium rare and was a great match for a very complex vintage of Ch. Montelena Cab. The Cab leaned towards Old World and was very welcome. The soft cheeses with the aged Sauternes may actually have been the highlight of the evening. The service was excellent as always.

What Did Not Work

The lamb was too heavy with Caribbean spices, particularly nutmeg. There was a spicy-hot mouthfeel coming from the nutmeg that did not work for me. Would have been better to skew toward cayenne/paprika (jerk style) for the heat and use the nutmeg as an accent. I am not sure any wine could have paired well with this. I am all about fusion style cuisine and big flavor, but this dish was less successful. My wife had the extra foie gras course and it was very unusual… it was served with a layer of quince jelly and peanuts, sweet cherry tomatoes and a sweet/savory sauce. My wife loved it. I did not think this was the best combination of flavors. The traditional Sauternes pairing would not have worked here and I would need help to arrive at a proper wine choice.

Overview

Some of these dishes were truly fabulous, others could have been better, but overall it was a culinary exploration and journey through a myriad of layered flavors. The wines selected paired superbly with several of the dishes. I would recommend seeking out Atlas Bistro and giving the experience a try. Without wine, or corkage fee, the five course prix fixe meal is $110/pp and changes seasonally. If you don’t have a wine cellar to pair your own, the owner has a wine shop adjacent where wines can be purchased and served with a corkage fee.

Prix Fixe Menu with Paired Wines

With aged Gosset Grande Reserve NV Champagne

First Course

Salad – Grilled Peach, Ruby Grapefruit, Golden Beets, Poppy Chevre, Crispy Prosciutto, Arugula, Strawberry Ver jus Vin

Second Course

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Baja Bay Scallops & Manila Clams, Oregon Lobster & Maitake Mushrooms, Toasted Nori, Tarragon Miso Butter, Tomato Dashi

Supplemental Course

Cast Iron Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Foie Gras Canape, Almond Butter, Quince, Gelee, Honey Roasted Peanuts, Noble Toast Points

With 2012 Chateau Montelena Cab

Third Course

New Zealand Lamb Bacon Pastrami, Caribbean Savory Doughnut, Persian Cucumbers, Cilantro, Caraway Seed Dressing

Fourth Course

Black Garlic Basted Linz Prime N.Y. Strip Steak with Grilled Stuffed Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts, Pink Peppercorns, Braised Cabbage, Thyme Beef au Jus

With 2014 Suduirat Sauternes

Fifth Course

Beignets with Poached Black Plum, Orange Blossom Foam, New Zealand Freeze Dried Manuka Honey & Mandarins, Almond Soil

AND

Cheese plate of various cheeses and sweet/savory jellies

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June 19, 2021 · 6:37 PM

Wine Dinner Review

Restaurant Review

Tisha’s Fine Dining (BYO) – Cape May, NJ

Score: 94/100 – $$$$ (see rating guides below)

Meal: Arugula salad with Burrata cheese and red Beets, Pepper crusted Prime Filet medium rare with mash potatoes, green beans and fried onion strings. The shared desert was profiteroles layered with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce.

Wine Pairing: Stags’ Leap 2017 Petit Sirah Napa Valley – Score: 94/100. Wine paired well with Dish: Yes.

Stag’s Leap 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – Score: 91/100. Wine paired well with Dish: Yes.

My wife grew up in Cape May on the Jersey Shore and her family has owned a beach house there for a couple of generations. She visits for a week, or two, in the Summer every year and I usually join her. We always make sure to arrange our reservation for Tisha’s and it is always the culinary highlight of the trip.

Restaurant Menu and Ambiance

The menu rotates every week with as much local in-season produce as possible. The choices are typically American style seafood and meats, with a few other items such as pasta dishes. My wife and I have been visiting Tisha’s for near 20 years now and have never had a mediocre dish. Although, I would suggest the seafood and meats, over the other dishes. The veggies are always in-season and fresh. There is good reason why Jersey is called the Garden State!

The ambiance includes indoor and patio dining with a small, upscale white tablecloth feel. Reservation availability is limited in the Summer. The servers are always friendly and attentive, but the premises can get very busy. Patience is needed for both the kitchen and servers in the Summer – to enjoy the experience. The restaurant staff requires your entire order upon arrival and paces the service for you. It seems a little odd for fine dining, but I have never had a bad experience.

The Food

The salad had great flavors and textures. The Arugula was peppery, the Burrata cheese was creamy and fresh and the beets were fresh and sweet… tasted almost like fruit. Nine times out of ten, the beef is out of this world and this was one of those nights. The Filet is on the menu with a bleu cheese flavored butter sauce, but my wife and I prefer the beef without it. The medium-rare steak was a touch towards the medium side, but the beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and very tasty. The sides were fresh and accompanied the beef well. The desert was very tasty, not too sweet and the pastry was light and airy, but not quite fresh enough to be perfect.

The Wine

My wife and I enjoy Stags’ Leap wines. Please note, this is NOT Stag’s Leap. If you weren’t aware, the two wineries settled a law suit years ago by agreeing to move the apostrophe. Christophe Paubert (Stags’ Leap winemaker) is French trained and produces wonderfully balanced wines. In contrast, the other Stag’s Leap produces the more typical Napa fruit-tannin bombs.

The Petit Sirah is not a typical U.S. product for this variety. This had a typical fruit driven profile, but was much lighter, structured and balanced. Red and blue fruits were on the nose and palate. The wine was dry with medium tannin, medium+ acidity and a nice long finish. The texture was a bit silky with fine-grained tannin. As a comparison, this was nothing like the very common Michael David Petit Sirah. The wine actually paired well with the Burrata cheese and beets in the salad.

The Cab had a huge fruit-bomb nose, but the palate was not quite as concentrated. Still more fruity than I would prefer, with plum and blackberry on the attack. A rather simple taste profile, but with good balance and excellent structure. The wine was dry with medium tannins, medium+ acidity and a long fruity finish. This cab had the signature Stags’ Leap fine grained tannin. It paired very well with the Filet we had for the main course.

Rating Charts Used in this Review

(Common industry comparative data used with detailed scoring templates)

Wine

97 – 100Exceptional
92 – 96Excellent
89 – 91Enjoyable
85 – 88Passable
80 – 84Barely Acceptable
74 – 79Choke it Down
50 – 73Flawed

Restaurant / Food

97 – 100Exceptional3 Star Equivalent
92 – 96Excellent2 Star Equivalent
88 – 91Enjoyable1 Star Equivalent
82 – 87PassableDiner Quality
77 – 81Barely AcceptablePoor Diner Quality
72 – 76DumpDive
50 – 71Should CloseNuf Said
Does not include fast food, or take-out restaurants. Sit down only.
$$20 and under
$$$20 to $30
$$$$30 – $50
$$$$$50 and over
The dollar signs represent cost of a two-course dinner/pp, taxes and a 15% tip (no drinks or dessert).

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September 8, 2017 · 12:30 PM

Can You Identify Wines Matching Your Taste? Part 1 – Wine Without Food

2011-07-06-wine

Wine online has become such a gimmicky topic. Today, we have wine questionnaires that profess to tell us which wine we will prefer. If we like strong coffee, or bitter dark chocolate, we will enjoy this wine, or that… such bull. Many trained wine professionals choose to define wine styles by defining categories of wine. I will try something similar, but approach it from the opposite viewpoint: by categorizing wine enthusiast preferences. This two part series will break the issue apart into primary categories: those who enjoy wine by itself and those who prefer wine with food. This will be my opportunity to share a few observations with you from my experience.

With Food, or Not?

The first question your server in a restaurant should always ask is: “Will you be enjoying a beverage before, after, or with your meal tonight?” Next, “Beer, wine, cocktail?” For those answering wine with your meal, the final question should be: “to assist you with a wine selection, which dish(es) are you considering?” These questions are at the core of what a properly trained fine dining waiter/waitress does: pair food and wine… but not everyone in the U.S. drinks wine with food. So, unlike most Old World restaurants/bars, a U.S. wine service attendant has to think differently and broaden their mind to include clients that drink wine before, or after a meal, or those who drink wine like many beer drinkers: “I just want to go out today/tonight, hang-out and have a few.”

Which Type of Drinker are YOU?

Wine produced in Europe in traditional Old World styles is specifically made to taste its best when paired with food. Although, there are many European wines made to drink without food today, all the traditional labels are meant to be food friendly. Keep this in mind, when you are searching out a new wine to try. How do you determine if your palate is geared to wine with food? If you are a “Foodie” that can appreciate nuanced, or bold vs. subtle flavors, or velvetty vs. silky textures, or enjoy sweet & salty together, or appreciate how acidity breaks through richness… if you are not drinking wine with food, you should give it a try. If you enjoy wine on its own, it is likely you experience alcoholic beverages differently than “Foodie” types. I believe there are two categories here. Those who: enjoy how wine (or alcoholic beverages) makes them feel, or those that focus on how it tastes.

All About the Wine Experience?

The focus on experiencing wine without food puts you in the “feel” category. When you prefer to enjoy a conversation over a glass of wine, relax with or without friends taking in atmosphere and enjoying social pursuits, you are unlikely to be a wine drinker overly concerned about structure in wine, or looking for complex/subtle flavors. In fact, many I have run into with this preference, find these types of wines annoying. This isn’t wrong, bad, or unsophisticated, it is just who you are – embrace it. It is probably the largest category of wine drinker in the U.S. It is OK to be all about finding good atmosphere and drinking straight-forward, easy-drinking wines. So, how do you find these wines and stay away from the others? Wine critics are unlikely to review lower-cost, simple wines. This is a serious missing piece in wine culture: professionals typically don’t review this category of wine. In my opinion, this is a contributor to many wine drinkers being turned-off by the supposed high-brow attitudes in the biz. Here are some mandatory descriptors for wines like this, if you can find a review:  low to medium acidity, little or no tannins and fruit-forward (fruity taste first).

All About the Taste?

A little more “complex” may be good for you. This kind of consumer should put a little effort into exploration, attend wine tastings and decide whether you enjoy the common categories of these flavors: earthy (dirt, bramble), mineral (crushed rock), funk (forest floor/manure), kerosene (petrol), herbal/spice (mint, pepper/cinnamon), vegetal (tobacco, tomato) and floral (violets, honeysuckle). For this category of drinker, the next two elements are most critical: residual sugar (sweetness) and high/low alcohol. The usual easy-drinking wine has at least some residual sugar and an average alcohol content in these ranges: reds 13-15%, whites 12-14%. These characteristics contribute to the description you may want to learn that ensures the wine will taste “good” to you. For example, this request to an attendant: “I prefer low acid, low tannin, fruit-forward wines that have some residual sugar and are easy-drinking.”

Suggested Wines

This category of consumer will likely enjoy these easy-to-find U.S. origin wines. Examples: Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine & Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandels, Apothic Red (sweet & buttery – if you like that), Meiomi Pinot Noir (rich style vs. other PN), Andrew Murray Tous Les Jours Syrah, Robert Hall Cuvee de Robles, Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast, Twisted & Chateau Souverain Chardonnays, Handley Anderson Valley Gewurtztraminer or Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (for a little adventure) .

This is probably the best website on the net to find this type of wine reviewed: https://www.reversewinesnob.com/ . Enjoy!

Next up:

Part 2 – Wine with Food

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