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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/524520
www.cheersonline.com 28 • June 2015 WHO: Jonathan Schuyler WHAT: Sommelier/beverage director WHERE: 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church, VA FAVORITE SUMMER BOTTLE: "Albariño is a great summer porch white, crisp, and fresh; its old blending mat Godello is richer, more textured and minerally intense." The bounty found at farmers' market stalls tends to dominate summer wine philosophy, according to Jonathan Schuyler. He runs the wine program at the contemporary French-American restaurant 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA, overseen by chef Bertrand Chemel. There "is an awareness of ripe, 'vegetal' flavor on the plate," especially herbs, squashes, summer greens and so on, Schuyler points out. "Verdancy in wines really helps pair them with these ripe, green elements." Schuyler rattles off grapes like garganega, verdejo and chenin blanc for white wines, and cabernet franc, zinfandel and pinotage for reds as being especially synergistic partners. He pairs an egg cassolette with wild Oregon onions, morels, fiddlehead ferns and asparagus with an herbal red such as the cabernet franc-based Domaine des Roches Neuves Terre Chaudes Saumur Champigny ($45 a bottle) from the Loire Valley. "The greener components in the dish and with the wines neutralize each other—bringing out the fruit—and the egg yolk rounds the tannic textures." And Schuyler turns to an Italian bubbly to enjoy alongside a notoriously finicky ingredient to pair: the Wester Ross salmon confit with artichoke, fennel, sun chokes and an herb emulsion with the Azienda Agricola 499 Enigma ($55 a bottle), a dry Moscato d'Asti from the Piedmont region. "Artichoke is famous for its wine-destroying properties," he notes. "The supremely aromatic qualities of the moscato blossomed in light of it." Speaking of moscato, it's a sure-fire winner with all of the sweet produce options in summer, from strawberries and watermelon to corn and tomatoes. Overly fruity wines such as moscato, as well as those with a bit of residual sugar, are the best bets for dishes that feature these ingredients. Summer wine pairings WHO: Hai Tran WHAT: Sommelier WHERE: Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, NC FAVORITE SUMMER BOTTLES: Austrian white and reds: "The whites are crisp, dry, light and fresh, while the reds (think Saint Laurent, blaufränkisch and zweigelt) are vibrant in flavor, with fresh red fruits, subtly spicy undertones and generally soft structures." Summer is a great time to showcase a broad spectrum of flavor and textures in the wine world, says Hai Tran, the sommelier for the signature Herons restaurant at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, NC. Herons' summer menu includes a dish with Dungeness crab, watermelon, basil seeds, guanciale and elderflower. It goes nicely with the vibrant acidity and minerality of the 2013 Hirsh Heiligenstein grüner veltliner ($14 a glass, $56 a bottle) from Austria's Kamptal region. "The snow pea or lentil undertones of this wine interplay beautifully with the flavors from the basil seeds while interacting with the watermelon the way fresh herbs do," notes Tran. He selects a red blend from Italy's trendy island of Sicily, the 2013 Occhipinti SP68 Nero d'Avola/ Frappato to go with Carolina quail with apricot-lavender liqueur, hakurei turnips and smoked bacon jus. "The dark, savory, smoky tones of Nero d'Avola meld with the expressive 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA, pairs its egg cassolette with wild Oregon onions, morels, fiddlehead ferns and asparagus with an herbal red like the cab- ernet franc-based Domaine des Roches Neuves Terre Chaudes Saumur Champigny from the Loire Valley. For its salmon con- fit, with artichoke, fennel, sun chokes and an herb emul- sion (shown below), 2941 Restaurant recommends the Azienda Agricola 499 Enigma, a dry Moscato d'Asti.