Master Sommelier Virginia Philip
steamed jasmine rice, stir-fry vegetables, Thai cucumber salad with an orange soy glaze
Granny smith apple galette, puff pastry, salted caramel and vanilla bean ice cream with spun sugar The first course of coconut curry Nantucket bay scallops with cilantro craves a dry white that is fragrant and savory. With notes of white peach, honeysuckle and just the right amounts of acidity and mineral on the finish, the Kuentz-Bas Alsace Blanc, Alsace, France, 2012, is a nice start. Crafted from a blend of 60 percent sylvaner, 20 percent dry muscat and 20 percent Auxerrois blanc, this elegant white is weighty enough to stand up to the fleshiness of the scallops. The citrus and stone fruit flavors arrive on your palate in harmony with the tantalizing flavors of the coconut curry and cilantro.
Moving to our second course, the seared yellowfin tuna with jasmine rice calls for a lush and plump red. Fresh tuna is the red meat of the sea, and a Brewer-Clifton pinot noir, Santa Rita Hills, California, 2013, with a seared yellowfin tuna is just as harmonious a combination as a rich cabernet sauvignon with a grilled ribeye. Whereas a cabernet would be much too tannic for this noble catch, the heavier-style pinot noir strikes just the right balance of flavors, components and texture. Exotic baking spices in this wine complement the fragrant jasmine rice, Asian stir-fry and orange soy glaze.
For our main course, a New Zealand rack of lamb with white truffle and Parmesan risotto and bordelaise, we can rely on the classic red pairing of a French Bordeaux from a stellar vintage: Château Ferran, Pessac-Léognan, France, 2005. The rustic flavors of cedar, tobacco and earth are well suited for the milder gamey flavors of the New Zealand lamb. The dark berry fruit flavors integrate well with the rich bordelaise and white truffle.
The grand finale—a granny smith apple galette, puff pastry, salted caramel and vanilla bean ice cream—would happily pair with the Errazuriz late harvest sauvignon blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile, 2011. This nectar of the gods yields the perfect dose of sweetness and acidity to balance the tart apple and savory components of the salted caramel and vanilla bean ingredients. It is generally available in the half-bottle size, and a 3-ounce portion is more than enough to enjoy with a dessert course.