| EAT + DRINK | | | ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT | | | SHOPPING | | | FASHION + BEAUTY | | | HOME + DESIGN | | | PEOPLE | | | BEST OF SF | | | NEIGHBORHOODS |
| Featured Drinks |
|
The Varietal Show Paralyzed by a wine list full of Trousseau, Teroldego and Txakolina? Never fear! Your sommeliers are here. |
|
|
posted on September 20, 2007 |
 email page
|
print page 
|
|
It’s the classic story. You think you’ve finally mastered something—the video game, the dance move, the Arcade Fire lyrics—and the kids are on to something new. Turns out it’s also true in the world of wine. Open a wine list at many of the city’s newer restaurants, and you won’t find the familiar varietals staring back at you. Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc seem like relics of the past. In their place, bottles of Ligurian Pigato, Greek Assyrtiko and Basque Txakolina populate the lists. And with all the young sommeliers running this town, it’s easy to think that the rise of obscure lists is somehow tied to youthful one-upmanship: The sommelier with the most unusual bottles or up-and-coming varietals wins. Kirk Walker of K&L Wines sees it differently. “Customers come in looking for crazy stuff. San Franciscans are adventuresome. They’ve traveled and tried these wines and want to have them again.” In other words, the consumer is demanding the unusual just as surely as the sommeliers and wine shops are supplying it. Peter Granoff of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants offers another explanation. “This is one of the most competitive cities for wine sales in the world. We all want to carry good wine that no one else has, whether from established or nonestablished regions.” And what about the issue of ego? He admits that it may play a part, but he adds, “I always tell wine directors, ‘If you are writing a wine list without a comfort zone [that is, a familiar bottle or varietal], you are doing your customers a disservice.’” Most sommeliers, for their part, bristle at the suggestion that their wine lists are driven by anything but good intentions. Perbacco’s Mauro Cirilli fills his list with indigenous Italian varietals, many unfamiliar to American wine lovers. But he doesn’t do it to intimidate his customers. Rather, he says, “I want guests to discover new things.” Quince sommelier Christie Dufault seconds that. “People get inspired and interested when they see something [unfamiliar] on the list,” she says. Dufault points out that these so-called “unusual” varietals are only unusual by American standards, and that many of the varietals she stocks are common in the areas where they originated. As SF restaurants increasingly explore regionalized cuisine, so too the demand for regional wines has grown. For those who feel discouraged by a wholly unfamiliar wine list, Granoff—himself a Master Sommelier—offers this reassurance: “I still learn something new [about wine] every week. The notion that anyone really masters anything is bogus. But rather than feel discouraged, you should see it as an amazing opportunity.” And if you’re caught staring blankly at a list filled with unrecognizable bottles? “If you’re totally lost, put your trust in the staff,” says Walker. “A sommelier can be your best friend.” What to Drink If you like ... Zinfandel, Walker suggest Italy’s Aglianico. It shares some of Zin’s fruit-forward, spicy traits, but has a bit more tannin and structure. Cirilli’s pick is Teroldego, a varietal from the Trentino–Alto Adige region of Italy. Pinot Noir, Walker says to try a Poulsard or Trousseau from the Arbois appellation in France’s Jura département. Poulsard is full of red-berry and mineral flavors and is frequently served lightly chilled. Trousseau is a bit meatier, with hints of black pepper. Grenache, try a St. George from Greece. The varietal, known as Agiorgitiko in Greek, is lighter-bodied than Grenache but has similar plummy flavors and hints of spice and oak. Pinot Grigio, try Kerner, from Italy’s Trentino–Alto Adige. A grape developed in the 1920s, it’s a cross between Riesling and a red grape called Schiava, with a nose of orange blossom and a crisp minerality. Sauvignon Blanc, Granoff recommends Assyrtiko from Greece: crisp, refreshing and, usually, oak-free. Chardonnay, try Greco di Tufo. A medium- to full-bodied white from southern Italy with bright aromas and flavors of melon, pear and mineral, it’s less oaked than some Chardonnays, but it has the body and the fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, try Sagrantino di Montefalco. Dufault says, “This unusual wine from Umbria is full-bodied and powerful. It is dark in color and deep in flavor with hints of cassis, earth and tobacco.”
It’s the classic story. You think you’ve finally mastered something—the video game, the dance move, the Arcade Fire lyrics—and the kids are on to something new. Turns out it’s also true in the world of wine. |
|||||
|
|
ABOUT US | ADVERTISE | SUBSCRIBE | SITEMAP | SECURITY AND PRIVACY | TERMS OF USE Copyright 2008 Hartle Media, Inc. All rights reserved. |