Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/35876
ANDINA Ken Collura, Wine Director/Sommelier/Floor Manager Eat Seco a la Norteña. This lamb shank is braised for 20 hours in black beer and served with bean stew, garlic rice and salsa—a good winter dish, but also popular in Portland’s brief summers. Collura says Andina’s food is bright, colorful, “less than midweight cuisine” with tons of flavor and not a lot of spice or heat. It calls for a very clean wine with high acidity and a low oak profile—what he calls “happy wines” because diners will happily go back for a second glass. He has two choices: Drink Terrunyo Carmenere, Reumo Vineyard, Rapel Valley/Cachapoal Valley. Carmenère became extinct in its native Bordeaux and is now Chile’s indig- enous wine. This one has notes of cacao, dry chocolate, espresso and tobacco. Ben Marco 2008 Malbec, Mendoza. Argentinean Malbecs tend to have soft tannin and crisp acidity, and this is a perfect example of that, working to complement the flavorful lamb. Ken Collura: “I always buy for the diner and always have the food in mind.” Collura worked on a 500,000-bottle wine program at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa and has taken Andina from “quaint” to “powerhouse” in Portland. PALEY’S PLACE Josh Weisenfeld, Wine Steward Eat Crispy sweetbreads with herb spaetzle, mushrooms and kid- ney-mustard sauce. Chef/owner Vitaly Paley was named the 2005 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific Northwest. His dishes have strong Southern French and Northern Italian influences. Drink Because this dish has a Burgundy heritage—and because “we’re in a bit of a bubble here in Portland—people are focused on full-bodied reds, ” Weisenfeld recommends: Marcel Richaud 2007 L’Ebrescade. A big Rhône vin de table Josh Weisenfeld: “I look to see where in the world the food comes from when I pair a wine.” He keeps around 100 wines, focused on the Pacific Northwest and France, and is always on the lookout for boutique labels. that’s earthy and rustic, it has dark fruit and strong complexity. G. Descombes 2007 Morgon. A spicy, full, peppery Beaujolais, this is fuller than a Pinot but still from Burgundy. J. Christopher 2007 Pinot Noir Cuvée, Dundee Hills. An Oregon blend that’s light and acidic but still has body, it refreshes the palate. Domaine Guillot-Broux 2009 La Myotte Bourgogne Rouge. An easy pairing, this is a direct import rarely seen out of the area. LE PIGEON Andrew Fortgang, General Manager/Sommelier Eat Beef cheeks bourguignon. This customer favorite takes three days of marinating, braising and glazing. Chef Gabriel Rucker, just named the James Beard Foundation’s 2011 Rising Star Chef of the Year, serves it with crisp potatoes, onions and carrots braised in red wine. Drink Fortgang recommends: Corte alla Flora 2006 Vino Noble de Montepulciano. The beef is very rich. It calls for something full-bodied, but with good acidity and a good level of tannins to complement the food. This wine actually offers a bit of palate cleansing that balances the meat reduction. 86 / the tasting panel / july 201 1 Andrew Fortgang: “The wine has to refresh the palate from the dish.” Fortgang cycles through the 130-bottle list frequently, leaning on wines from France with others from the Northwest, Italy, Spain and California.