CELLAR CHOICE

Valle Del Cielo Grazia Montepulciano D’abruzzo 2016

Fresh vintages coming out this month

This new winery from Abruzzo has just landed on our shores and comprises Montepulciano and Sangiovese for reds, and Trebbiano, Pecorino and Passerina for whites. Supervised by veteran winemaker Corrado de Angelis Corvi and produced using organic and biodynamic methods, the wine undergoes natural wild ferment, giving it a rich integrity and naturally subtle depths of blackberries, cedar spices and tea leaves. The winery’s name translates as valley in the sky, but it is also the Adriatic coast terroir that gives it elevation, sea breezes and a particular spirit. $60 from Wine Clique

Can you pair Chilean wines with fine and casual cuisine alike? That’s the question Marques de Casa Concha is setting out to answer with the second edition of Marques Perfect Match. Twelve restaurants, including Salt Grill & Sky Bar, Ristorante Luka, Mitzo and Whitegrass, have taken up the challenge. At the latter, chef Takuya Yamashita has carefully chosen ingredients such as seasonal flying fish and Hokkaido crab with sweet corn to pair with the surprisingly delicate and mineral-inflected Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay. Surprisingly, the seasonal fish with its rich saffron, sancho butter and mussel broth goes equally well with the cool climate Pinot Noir which showed restrained, fresh raspberry and a touch of herbs.

$168 (five courses), $228 (eight courses), $44 for two paired wines. At respective restaurants till end of October.