Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/735312
october 2016 / the tasting panel / 9 Boiler House, San Antonio, Texas Blade Haddock, GM of Boiler House, an ingredient-driven barbeque restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, says that their signature 45-ounce, 18-inch bone-in tomahawk ribeye, served with popcorn grits and Texas succotash, is the perfect pairing for Sequoia Grove's Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. "At the end of the day, 'Respect the farmers' is a saying we have at the restaurant," Haddock told me during a phone interview, adding that he values the vineyards-first approach to winemaking that Sequoia Grove employs. "We pour the Cabernet by the glass and by the bottle. We usually rotate wines, but when we find a great winemaker—maybe someone not as well known—we stick with it. We're huge fans of wines from the Rutherford AVA, and so we've carried Sequoia Grove for a couple years now. It performs great for us." Il Cielo, Beverly Hills, California "My dad had a saying: 'Good food and wine—when it's right, it feels like it heals you,'" says Pasquale Vericella, owner of celebrated Beverly Hills restaurant Il Cielo. "Of course, it sounds better in Italian." Vericella says he's gone through many different Cabernet wines but that Sequoia Grove has become his absolute "go-to." The wine is also poured during the many celebrity events and weddings performed on-site. "Our wine list is full of boutique offerings that are not off-the-charts with pricing," he says. "There has to be something for everybody. Sequoia Grove On-Premise We took the teachings of "A Taste for Cab" and put them to the test at two fine dining establishments and one serious Texas barbecue house. Our conversations reveal how Sequoia Grove manages to remain a best kept secret (some call it a "hidden gem among the giants") that has proven to be a uniquely versatile industry favorite from Beverly Hills to the Texas plains. SENS Restaurant, San Francisco, California "I am not a hipster sommelier, and I try not to follow trends too quickly," explains Peter Steiner, Wine Buyer/Sommelier of Sens Restaurant in San Francisco. "Established brands like Sequoia Grove should always have a place on a well thought-out wine list. For our tourist [clientele] as well the young crowd of our lively happy hour, the wines of Sequoia Grove are satisfying and repre- sent the best in terms of value, quality and satisfaction. We feature also the upscale Cambium, made by Sequoia Grove, on our list. My philosophy on these more expensive wines is a moderate mark-up just above retail—$125 on the list versus $150. We are very successful with this policy. Our pan-roasted dry-aged rack of California lamb served with English pea falafel, smoked carrot purée, mint jus and lebneh [a Lebanese crema cheese] is a perfect dish for a moderately oaked Cabernet from California. The falafel has a complex core from the fresh peas that are used together with dried peas and cumin and other spices, and it pairs heavenly with the wine. Even a bigger wine like the Sequoia Grove Cambium works well," says Steiner. "The smoked carrot purée is another ideal partner for the Cabernet, with its smoky elements from the oak treatment of the wine. The deep, fruity flavor and oak-influenced Cabernet hold their own alongside the pronounced flavors of this California-raised and dry-aged lamb." Peter Steiner, Wine Buyer/Sommelier of Sens Restaurant in San Francisco. Sequoia Grove 2014 Chardonnay with scal- lops at Sens Restaurant in San Francisco. PHOTO: CAL BINGHAM PHOTO: CAL BINGHAM Pasquale Vericella, owner of celebrated Beverly Hills restau- rant Il Cielo. Sequoia Grove 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Japanese inspired Vitello Tonnato—slow cooked veal tenderloin, tuna sashimi, crispy organic veg- etables and a creamy balsamic dressing—served at Il Cielo in Beverly Hills.