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When in Austin.... I had dinner at one of my favorite spots in Austin over the weekend. In Austin for work, and play, some friends and I ventured out to Vin Bistro. Located in Jefferson Square, at 38th and Kerbey Lane, the restaurant’s neighborhood feel invites you in and welcomes you to a wining and dining experience. You are welcomed with a breezy patio, perfect for lounging on a cool Austin night, opening into a cozy dining room and relaxed bar. The inspiration behind Vin Bistro came from informal tasting rooms and restaurants in California’s Sonoma County, and the desire to create a relaxing venue where neighbors could gather over contemporary American cuisine and fantastic wine. The wine is indeed fantastic. Vin Bistro was just awarded the “Award of Excellence” for their outstanding wine list from Wine Spectator. Vin’s aspiration, besides being a great neighborhood destination, is to be recognized as a spectacular pairings restaurant, where the wine is just as important as the food. In speaking with part owner, Rick Deitrick, he commented that too often we find restaurants with great wine lists, but no direction or description to help restaurant goers decide on a varietal. Patrons then look to their server for help and suggestions, and may or may not get useful answers. Or, there are always those of us who are afraid to ask questions, so they just order the same old Chardonnay or Merlot because that is what they know and are comfortable with. The concept Vin’s management team has put in place removes the intimidation or fear factor from ordering wine, and encourages guests to try something different, which is probably why I love the place so much. The menu walks diners through appetizer, salad and entrée selections with detailed wine recommendations outlined with each choice, helping inform and educate their patrons on new varietals or selections they may not have thought about before. The idea is to encourage alternatives to the norm, through these suggestions. They are not edict though, you are of course open to order anything you would like, but their ideas help make the decision process for something new easier. The evening we visited Vin we started off with several special and standard appetizers the venue features. Shrimp fritters, breadless crab cakes, tortilla shrimp soup and grilled shrimp with avocado. All were nice selections, with a focus on delicious shell fish. There were suggestions for each of the introductions, like La Crema 2004 Chardonnay paired with the crab cakes; the buttery fruit flavors in the wine would match well with the soft palate of the crab, and meld with the lemon butter sauce accompanying the cakes. The grilled shrimp would have matched nicely with a Sincerely Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. The wine’s lively citrus flavors, lip smacking acidity, with a hint of spice would have cut through the creamy avocado and sweet grilled shrimp. We however opted for a bottle of the Inama Soave from the Veneto region of Italy. As I have said many times, I love this region. They are known for producing food-friendly whites. This Soave is made mainly of the Garganega grape, prevalent throughout the region. The wine offers gentle “forest floor” grassy, herbal aromas and a soft texture, which was a great compromise to the creamy Chardonnay or the acidic Sauvignon Blanc. When ordering the Soave I learned that several of my companions had never had the varietal before, and experiencing it paired with the spicy tortilla soup, the crab cakes, the grilled shrimp, etc. opened the palate to many different taste sensations. The wine cooled the spicy tortilla soup, harmonized with the crab cakes and made the shrimp fritters pop. We had a wide selection of entrees around the table as well, from seafood to steaks to pork. I selected Pesto Sea Bass. It was an abundant selection of sautéed fish, served with pistachio pesto, sage shallot brown butter, fire roasted tomato sauce, accompanied with grilled asparagus and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Yes, a mouthful to say; but what a fantastic mouthful it created! Vin suggested an Italian Tomassi Pinot Grigio, filled with crisp flavors, yet smooth with a clean, fresh finish. They believe it is strong enough to stand up to the firm Sea Bass, and the fruit and herbal aromas enhance the herbal notes of the pesto. One of my friends had the Angus Beef Tenderloin served with veal demi-glace and Pittsburgh grilled onions with French green beans and herbed fingerling potatoes. Vin’s suggestion was Edna Valley Syrah from San Luis Obispo, California. The pairing of steak with the wine’s chocolate, sweet berries, coffee, and a little spice creates a tempting flavor profile, highlighted by the intense classic veal reduction and sweet onions. Other selections were ordered as well, from a Grilled Marinated Pork Chop with a Cherry Cabernet Reduction, to Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter sauce. Since we had so many different options, we jumped off the pairing guide and selected a red that would pair nicely with the various selections, laying an inviting canvas that our entrées painted flavors on beautifully. Our selection was La Nunsio Barbera D’Asti from the Piedmont region of Italy. Piedmont is known around the world for their big Barolo’s, a red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape that you can almost cut through with a knife due to it’s thick, dense flavor profile that matches well to hearty beef dishes. However, Barbera is a much lighter red with ripe red and black berry fruit and cocoa flavors mellowing the acidity usually found in the wine. It has light tannin levels, deep garnet colors and medium to full body. This wine is well rounded and appealing, with a lingering palate. The acidity in the wine was a fine match with my fish selection, though not overpowering and it enhanced the fire roasted tomato sauce creating an intensely flavorful dish. The earthiness of the Butternut Squash entree created a nice paradox to the wine’s developed fruit flavors. And the Tenderloin and Pork Chop sang when paired with the medium bodied, ripe black fruit. We finished our meal with one fantastic dessert, and lots of spoons. I was a bit skeptical when I saw it on the menu, but WOW!! We had a chocolate and stilton cheese tart, simply accompanied by a few fresh berries. I personally love stilton with fruit, and love chocolate with berries, but it was the chocolate and stilton together that I was a bit unsure of. Silly me. The combination was amazing, and when paired with a Penfold’s Tawny Port the flavors came alive. The tart was a perfect marriage of sweet and savory, sugar and salt, Ying and Yang, with a little fruit to enhance the combination. Rich caramel flavors in the Port wrapped it all together in a delectable ending. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Our evening was complete; Great food, fantastic wine, good friends, and a little education into some new varietals, dishes and pairings. The evening showed us that it is ok to be creative, to look outside your comfort zone and try something you may not be familiar with. Heck, Vin Bistro encourages it! And, you may be pleasantly surprised. There are no set rules for food and wine, the idea is just to find something you like, and don’t be afraid to try something new. I would have never thought pairing chocolate and stilton would work – but I loved it! Cheers, |
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