One of the great aspects (among many) about the new Bin22 is the array of wine options. I mean — there’s a dozen or so varieties by the glass. And then there are all those great options in the bottle shop. Literally, a worldly wine cellar is just steps away. Order a Loire Valley saugvignon blanc to start or a different bottle for each course. Who cares?!
But with all those options, how should one go about pairing? We asked Neil Loomis, who heads Fine Dining Restaurant Group’s wine program, for some tips. Here are his picks from some of the more popular dishes at Bin22 (of course, you can always ask him or your server for suggestions, too).
And don’t forget there’s just one more week to win lunch in our Instagram contest.
Simply Instagram a photo from Bin22. Tag it @bin22jh and add the hashtags, #dishinggiveaway and #jacksonhole. For each photo you upload, you will be entered to win lunch
The dish: House-pulled mozzarella stuffed with speck, fig and pine nuts ($8)
The pairing: 2011 Bruni Vermentino ($9/glass)
The explanation: The dish has balsamic, and it can be harder to find a good pairing for balsamic. The dish also has a good salt flavor. I chose to pair it with Vermentino, which is always planted next to coastal areas can take on that salinity. I think the dish and the wine come together really well. What I wanted to do was almost match the dish. This is a more of an apples to apples kind of pairing.
The dish: Spanish salad with arugula, Granny Smith apples, manchego, fennel and honey-sherry vinaigrette
The pairing: 2005 Gancia Modonovo asti
The explanation: I wanted to switch it up. There is some sharpness to the asti, it has a little bit of sugar, and this is an interesting pair. Asti is the most-made wine in the Piedmont area. Moscato is the grape. There are a little bit of bubbles, not as much as a normal brut. As you move onto bigger foods, sometimes sorbet is the palate cleanser. This is a good palate cleanser in between plates.
The dish: Housemade meatball in San Marzano sauce with basil and crostini ($6)
The pairing: Depending on if you want to spend more or less, Loomis gave us two options. Discoveries Vineyards 2010 cabernet sauvignon ($10.99) or Hidden Ridge 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($45.99), both from the bottle shop.
The explanation: I had to go to California on this one. Both are more subtle style cabernets. I didn’t want something that would be a big monster with too many tannins. I didn’t want anything that would overpower the meatball.
The dish: Charred baby octopus with cannellini beans, fingerling potatoes, piquillo peppers, luque olives and lemon-oregano vinaigrette
The pairing: 2004 Teran Rioja ($27.99)
The explanation: This tempranillo has a little more toastiness and more oak influence. I liked the charred factor of the dish paired with something a little more oakey. It really complements the wine. With the different flavor components going on, I didn’t want the wine to fall apart and have some part of the dish stand out more than others.