Food & Wine

Wine In My Kitchen: Cooking and Reading Everyday
by Karen Tripson

Pairing Tips and New Italian Varietals from Wine Expert Shelley Lindgren

At the Judges Dinner in 2003, the judge I wanted most to meet was Shelley Lindgren, but I couldn't get through the crowd. Hard to know how the word traveled so fast on someone who was first introduced to our organization that week. What caught my attention in the judge biographies was sommelier at Bacar, a wine bar and restaurant in San Francisco high on my list of places to go the minute the resources were available. What made Bacar so special was the huge by-the-glass list, 100 titles, as amazing as the 1,000 or more on the by-the-bottle list. I wanted to learn how she worked with so many wines.

Talking on the telephone afterwards I learned that Shelley didn't think it was a big list -- just seems big at first. Well, that put my taste memory abilities in perspective. So how does the sommelier with so many wines to choose from help the customer make a choice that is a win-win for everyone?

Working with the menu and the staff: one wine at a time
Success begins with the wait staff knowing the menu very well and having several wine recommendations for each dish. At Bacar, the wait staff tastes about one wine a day to increase their knowledge. Intense group discussion follows. What could it be paired with on the menu? Are there any new dishes on the menu to learn about? What wines have been tried so far that work or don't work with it?

The elements to consider of a new dish:
Acid content
Texture of seafood
Sweetness

Wines that work well with from general to varietal:
Drier whites are ideal
Austrian Riesling -- entry level table wine
Dry Gruner Veltliner
Pinot Noir, a lighter bodied one from Oregon or Burgundy

As a restaurant patron I would be bowled over with any waiter who could articulate wine choices from the general to the varietal. The range indicates the best pairing options with a few suggestions that will be easy to match with personal preference and the price you want to pay that day.

Experiment
As Shelley readily admits, "You don't really know until you've tried a few things; there are always surprises. A popular dish is duck and foie gras sausage with caramelized onions and watercress. I have tried so many wines with this dish starting with red ones but the best match on the list is a German Riesling, cabinet, that is light and delicate and works with the richness and the sweetness." Chef Arnold Wong has a Chinese background and there is always a touch of sweetness to his dishes that makes them easier to pair with.

Demystifying pairing customers with wine and food
For customers who want the sommelier to recommend specific titles, Shelley typically needs to spend less than one minute asking a few questions to gage their palate and to suggest several wines they will enjoy. This seems impossible until I learn she gets the information she needs in the most straightforward way:

Prefer white or red?
Prefer dry, crisp or full-bodied wines?
What do you drink at home?
What price range today?

The more common task for the sommelier of this famous list is suggesting the perfect dish from the eclectic menu -- as many people arrive knowing exactly what wine they want to order -- because they can't get it anywhere else.

The new Italian challenge at A16
Catching up with Shelley recently I learned she is now the wine director and co-owner of A16, specializing in the cuisine of the Campania region of Italy, the area around Naples and named after Campania's central highway, Austrolade 16. The wine list offers 40 titles by-the-glass, carafe and in flights as well as about 150 by-the-bottle, all Italian grapes, but not all produced in Italy. The menu features Campania's famous thin crust pizza, made in an authentic wood burning oven, rustic pork and seafood. The reviews are full of details of the food. The wait staff is reported to be incredibly knowledgeable.

"Shelley Lindgren, provides an uncanny list of obscure regional Italian wines, with a sizable Prosecco selection and a battery of producers and varietals we'd never seen before..." The excitement of the list lies, not only in rare titles, but in new names to taste for the first time because historically the grapes were blended, never bottled as a single varietal. Here are a few of those varietals to look for featured in the A16 wine list. Read great reporting about the trend to develop these varietals and more from other countries by food and wine writer and author, Janet Fletcher.

Reading for novices and experts
If you are beginning to learn about wine, Shelley recommends Andria Immer's Great Wine Made Simple and Janis Robinson's How to Taste for learning the fundamentals of wine. The more knowledgeable wine lover can continue to learn by getting specific. Get a reference book such as Sotheby's Encyclopedia. Start reading about an area you know nothing about. A good book on Italian wines is Vino Italiano by Joseph Bastaniach.

Expand your taste buds
If you want to educate your palate and develop new preferences, you've got to get out and taste. "The world of wine has become smaller and higher quality. Taste new things, ask the wine buyer in shops or restaurants for a recommendation in the style you like; then go back and see how your old favorites taste to you. Have fun and enjoy it."

Talk to a judge
A great new opportunity to meet a judge is at the Judges Dinner, August 5 at Anthony's Shilshole Bay. Taste lots of new wine at the 30th Annual NW Wine and Food Festival August 7, 2004. The details, reservation coupons and more are on the Fair&Festival page.

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