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Tim Clune (to the right) works at the Evening Star Café and its sibling retail shop Planet Wine (pictured here). Wine consultant for Vermilion and Evening Star Café and general manager for Planet Wine Tim Clune program at the 60-seat Evening Star Café and 80-seat Vermilion, both in Alexandria, Virginia. Evening Star Café is also adjacent to Planet Wine, where guests can purchase wine at retail cost and pay an additional $8 corkage fee at the restaurant to enjoy the bottle with a meal. Dinner-pairing bottles there typically sell in the $40 to $50 range; on Vermilion's wine list, best selling bottles range from $60 to $80. Pinot noir—especially from Oregon— Tim Clune assists with the wine from heavier styles of wine that were all the rage a decade ago, noting that guests today are more likely to eschew oaky and big, tannic styles than seek them out, and is delighted when guests inquire about less mainstream off erings like dry rosés. While some education is needed to nudge guests into ordering some of these less familiar wines, establishing trust leads to an eagerness to experiment. "Once you create a good relationship remains immensely popular with guests, and Clune believes its medium-bodied, rather versatile style makes it perfect for pairing with a variety of foods. Servers have also been introducing guests to Spanish varietals like grenache blends, verdejo and tempranillo, as well as interesting, unusual and light Italian varietals like lagrein, barbera and lacrima. "Th ey have great complexity and herbal and mineral note that pair naturally with lots of diff erent types of foods." Clune has seen the average consumer move away www.cheersonline.com with your guests, they are very often willing to put their meal in your hands." For harder sells, having an open bottle available for sampling helps servers determine taste preferences. Farm-to-table events at both restaurants partner wines and dishes made with seasonal ingredients—allowing management to hand sell some of the more unusual off erings and educate guests on exactly why they were chosen. Staff members taste new wines as they are introduced to the menu, and are asked to verbalize aromas, fl avors and potential menu pairings. CLUNE'S PERFECT PAIRINGS "There are some standards that you can always count on in a pitch. Pinot noir with duck is a classic. Grüner veltliner from Austria used to be the sommelier's best-kept secret for vegetable dishes that would normally make you cringe to think of pairing: artichoke and asparagus dishes go very well with the minerality and high-acid structure of grüner. Try a big Spanish red with your steak next time instead of a standard California Cabernet Sauvignon. You'll be amazed at how well they pair." JUNE 2012 | 41