Pierre-Marie Clape

Last week on his blog, Brooklynguy asked his readers which wine they would select from the wine list at Bleu Provence in Naples, Florida, if they had $100 to spend.  Lots of people responded, and the choices were diverse.  We couldn’t resist posing the challenge directly to the restaurant’s sommelier, Jacques Cariot.  Msr. Cariot also happens to be the owner of Bleu Provence, and his wife Lysielle is the chef.  The restaurant has been the couple’s baby for the past 10 years, and they have carefully nurtured it into a Florida dining destination.

In response to my request for a recommendation, he pleaded with me to choose a dish from his menu to help him make the pairing.  Saying that if I were there I would no doubt order the Loup de Mer baked with Chablis beurre blanc sauce, and Jacques enthusiastically recommended the 2005 Auguste Clape Saint-Peray.  ”It is rich and mature, and has the complexity and craftsmenship of a $150 Meursault, for less than half the price.”  The wine is a blend of Marsanne and Roussane grapes from a small appelation in the Northern Rhone Valley.  In his review, Robert Parker noted floral and mineral notes and scored the wine an 88.

Kristina has worked at some of California’s most exclusive dining destinations.  She takes pride in offering the Post Hotel’s guests access to classic wines that are ready to drink without having to break the bank.  Her cellar includes lots of older Burgundies and Bordeaux, and outstanding wines from Canada that are good representations of their varietals.

Find this Domaine La Barroche at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher.

A Robert Kacher Selection

This Week’s pick is offered by Brian Zipin, Wine Director at Central Michel Richard in Washington DC.  In anticipation of the upcoming big meal we will all enjoy on Thanksgiving day, we asked Brian to recommend a very big wine, and made the interview available on our podcast.  Here’s a portion of Brian’s comments:  ”The Cuvee Centenaire is an extremely powerful red wine that will appeal to a lot of different palates, lovers of both old world and new world wines alike.  It is a wine that is just starting to show itself.  I tasted it last week and it was explosive, with kirsh and a little bit of leather, but the fruit was extremely explosive and very present.  It’s also a wine that if you wanted to put it away for 10, 12 even 15 years, you could absolutely do it and it would turn into a completely different animal, but just as satisfying.  Get it into a decanter and give it an hour to an hour and a half.  This is what I think a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape should be!”  Hear more of our interview with Brian in our latest Wine Picks by Sommeliers podcast.

While complementary dishes like the lamb shanks and beef cheeks served brasserie-style at the James Beard Award-winning Central, this Grenache-Syrah-Mouvedre blend will make a fantastic contrast to the variety of dishes that may end up on your Thanksgiving table.  Starting at around $140 per bottle at retailers listing on Wine-Searcher, this is a prize to share with loved ones.

Alto’s wine list boasts over 2500 labels and includes a strong northern Italian selection to complement Chef Michael White’s celebrated cuisine.  If you have been looking for a venue to open a prize bottle from your personal collection, Alto is currently waiving the normal corkage for a single bottle through September 2009.

If you computer isn’t handy and you can’t get to Tom’s online store, the Côtes Du Rhône, Parallèle “45” is made from a majority of Grenache and Syrah. Named for the 45th North parallel that lies close to the Jaboulet Cellars, the quality is very high.