Sommelier’s pick
Who: Leonora Varvoutis, general manager and sommelier at Coltivare
Background: A Houston native and a graduate of American University in Washington, D. C., Varvoutis received her sommelier certification through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and has also spent a year Europe primarily studying wine in Alsatian tasting rooms and the famous Banca del Vino cellars in Bra, home of the Slow Food movement. Her early food-and-wine-service training came from working for the Pappas family of restaurants. Before moving to Coltivare in March, she had postings with The Pass & Provisions and, most recently, Star Fish. Varvoutis calls Coltivare “a new American restaurant with an Old World backbone, and that’s how I’m approaching the wine list.” The selections on offer will be a mix of “cool gems I get excited about but also plenty of wines that someone new to wine will feel comfortable ordering and drinking.”
What: 2016 Treré Re Famoso Ravenna Bianco
Why: This white wine from Emilia Romagna is primarily Famoso but sees a little chardonnay in the final blend. “It’s got great acidity and a little savory funkiness on the nose,” Varvoutis says, “but it’s so refreshing and food friendly.” Morena Treré grew up on a farm owned by her father, which she later purchased and transformed into her own winery. She makes her share of classic wines — a sangiovese was her first — but, Varvoutis explains, “she also likes to change it up a bit with some of the more indigenous grapes, like famoso. It really fits in with Coltivare’s melding of the classic and the unique. Her wines are delicious and affordable. She’s old school with a twist of modern funkiness. And did I mention she commissions local artists for her wine labels? She’s awesome!”
Price: $38 for a bottle at Coltivare, 3320 White Oak