Wine By The Glass: A Pairing By Andrew Grant

Another Memorable Meal at The Cliff

The Cliff’s wine list is outstanding but can be thoroughly intimidating too. No matter how charming the sommelier is, asking for help always leaves a feeling of mild anxiety over the loss of control from someone selecting for you and that the wine is really going to add to the bill. If you are splashing out on the tasting menu, matters become more complicated still.  One bottle between two people covering six or seven different dishes will be a compromise; two bottles between two with cocktails beforehand adds up.  

What is often forgotten is that The Cliff has an outstanding wine-by-the-glass menu that is interesting and varied. There is a range of wines that can comfortably complement and enhance the equally fabulous variety of tastes that Chef Paul Owens and his team conjure up with their Tasting Menu. 

You don’t need to have exactly the same menu to enjoy these suggestions below because I offer some cues and prompts from the ingredients indicated that help choose the wine.  As the range of dishes on the Tasting Menu deliberately overlaps with those on the a la carte menu, these tips below work, should you select from the main menu on your next visit.

(The dishes below are quoted directly from The Cliff’s August 2019 Tasting Menu).

1. Scallops, Truffle Mash and Creamed Leeks

Considerations for pairing of wine…

This is a sumptuous dish of sweet scallop and creamy mash; and an old favourite.  When a dish is fish and cream-based, your thoughts should turn to Chardonnay, and Burgundy, France in particular. However; these wines at the high end can be utterly delicious and very expensive.

Another complication is while I am appealed by the somewhat more full, oaked Chardonnays, so long as they stay restrained, my wife prefers an unoaked style.  The Cliff’s wine-by-the-glass list comes to the rescue!

Suggested wine selection from the ‘by-the-glass’ list:

For me, the Stags Leap Chardonnay, California, US was the pick. it is a big wine, almost smokey and clearly oaked on the nose, with an unctuous mouthfeel on the palate. Its weight perfectly matches the creamy mash. The undertones of sun-ripe tropical fruit sit well with the sweet scallop while the creamy oak complements the creamy, truffley flavours of Chef ‘s leeks and mash. 

However, for my wife, the preference is the Domaine Ste Claire Chablis. This is also Chardonnay (100%) but has a lighter, fresher style, with zestier apple edge than the Californian (or some of the more expensive white Burgundy from the main list should your budget allow). This suits my wife perfectly as she does not favour oaky vanilla flavours that can sometimes be overpowering. The Chablis is the pick.

2. Spicy Tuna Tartare, Asian Vinaigrette, Wasabi Yoghurt Sauce, Chili Oil, Tobbiko and Coriander… Followed by Caribbean Shrimp in Thai Green Curry Coconut Sauce, Grilled Zucchini and Fried Basil

Considerations for pairing of wine…

In contrast to the first dish, the second is full of bold ‘wake your taste buds up’ Asian spices, coriander and sharp acid wrapped around delicious raw tuna. These cues of acidity (vinaigrette) and spice suggests wines made from Riesling, or possibly a light Gewurtztraminer.

The Caribbean Shrimp to follow is bathed in the Green Curry with lime, lemongrass, perhaps, chilli heat and mouth-watering zip. Given free rein, I would head to the Rhone Valley and find a big white (with Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Clairette or even Viognier). However; the Riesling suggested above for the tuna in Asian vinaigrette would work well here too; picking up on the Thai spices and offering a palate cleanse to go back to the Caribbean Shrimp.

Suggested wine selection from the ‘by-the-glass’ list:

The wines-by-the-glass menu has the range to cover and offers the New Zealand Babich Riesling. The Babich winery, in the Cowslip Valley in Marlborough-NZ, is a good one and this wine worked well with both these two dishes. It has been fermented in stainless steel to keep it fresh and full of aromatic flavours that complement all those fabulous spices and acidity. 

Importantly, these wines will last a decade or more, so that there should be no anxiety of having a tired wine at the end of its life.  It is crisp, off-dry with aromas of orange and lime. It has also spent some time on its lees (this means that the winemaker has left the wine for a few months in contact with the yeast from the fermentation and is a process that adds welcome complexity to a wine).  The Babich Riesling therefore has the depth and length of flavour to cope with the Thai Curry too. The Cliff’s wine-by-the-glass portions are quite generous, so stretching this wine over two courses is probably wise!

3. Red Snapper, Mushroom Duxelle, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese Sauce… Followed by: Roast Duck, Truffle Onions, Wild Mushroom Sauce and Snap Peas

Considerations for pairing of wine…

Whenever I see mushrooms and truffle on the menu, my mind immediately turns to Pinot Noir and red Burgundy, France. It is rarely beaten in offering those flavours that complement the ‘hedgerow and forest floor’ of earthy mushroom dishes. If you are indifferent to the heavy price of fine red Burgundy, then do go for it.  But for value, New Zealand Pinot Noir can, at the top end and at its best, be very close and comes at a fraction of the price.

Suggested wine selection from the ‘by-the-glass’ list:

New Zealand Babich Pinot Noir is also available by the glass from the same producer as the Riesling above. It has the acidity and minerality to support the Red Snapper (we have moved on from James Bond’s declaration that he had spotted his enemy in because he had ordered “red wine with his fish”!).  The Babich Pinot Noir displays delicate spice and red fruit characters of red and black cherry, and a touch of cranberry too, along with earthy, woodland flavours that offer complexity. These are perfect to support the Snapper’s mushroom complement and the Duck with mushrooms.

4. Prime Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine and Thyme Jus, Asparagus and Tomatoes.

Considerations for pairing of wine…

Classically, one would go straight for the Bordeaux clarets and pick something with a confidence that it would work well.  But if you have followed me so far, let me suggest a glass of…

Suggested wine selection from the ‘by-the-glass’ list:

Catena Zapata Malbec, Argentina, from the Bodega Catena Zapata winery.  Located a little south of Mendoza-Argentina, Catena Zapata is one of Argentina’s shining lights. The winery makes a range of wines sourced from individual plots and the highly rated Nicolas Catena Zapata (a Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend) is much prized around the world. The pure Malbec that I recommend is available by the glass and is so obviously well made.  The colour is purple red and the flavours are bold black plum, bramble, damson, blueberry and more.   Malbec’s origins are French, from Cahors but Argentina has made it its own and a fine example it is too. This is a fabulous match for the perfect beef tenderloin to end a most memorable meal.

Andrew Grant is a ‘Cutters’ and ‘The Cliff’ regular whenever in Barbados.