pErFEcT pAIrs
Choosing the right wine for your meal
is easy – with a little bit of practice
BELLATrIx rEsTAurAnT
> C L I C K H E R E F O R B E L L AT R I X R E S TA U R A N T M E N U S , W I N E L I S T S A N D M O R E ( O R C A L L * 7 6 0 + 6 0 1 ) 3 6 9 0 F O R R E S E R V AT I O N S
BOOK
A TEE
TIME
W
hen it comes to order-
ing your meal, what
comes first: the wine
or the entrée? For those of us
who enjoy wine but aren't well
educated in the field, it can be a
daunting decision.
The hint of sweetness in
sparkling wines makes this a
good choice with salty foods,
while a pinot grigio is great with
lighter fish dishes, and chardon-
nay is a safe choice with cheese.
Pinot noir pairs well with red
and cured meat, while dessert
wines typically follow the meal.
But with so many choices,
how does one choose?
Take the pressure off, recom-
mends Bellatrix Restaurant Man-
ager and Certified Sommelier
Ruan Krugel. "Taste, taste, taste,"
he advises. "You have to try and
taste many wine and meal com-
binations to see what you like."
Don't choose a wine based on
what experts say; choose what
you like and what tastes good
together, Krugel says.
While Krugel does advise to
"stick with what you enjoy," he's
happy to guide his guests to a
wine that would complement a
dish on the Bellatrix menu. And
with more than 300 bottles and
40 wines available by the glass,
you're sure to get a great pairing.
The duck confit salad, for ex-
ample, pairs well with grieve
Family winery's sauvignon blanc.
The elderberry and black
courant flavors in the wine pro-
vide a contrast of flavors with
the creamy herb dressing.
The Fennel rubbed grouper,
on the other hand, is a great
match with the Merryvale
carneros chardonnay. The
chardonnay is an oaky wine that
complements the softer, rich fla-
vor of the roasted leek risotto
and tones down the grouper's
blackened spice seasoning.
"It enhances the flavor of the
food but also acts like a palette
cleanser," Krugel says. "So when
you go back and have your sec-
ond bite of the grouper, it's like
having it for the first time."
If ordering the gremolata
Lamb shank from the menu,
Krugel suggests gaja Barolo, a
heavy, powerful Italian wine that
is dry and fruity. The wine's bold
tar and rose petal flavors pair
perfectly with the herbaceous
lamb and also the sausage in the
cassoulet of the dish.
"In choosing a wine, you're
looking for synergy," Krugel
says. "A combination that is mu-
tually complementary."
D
o you have a question about
wine or wine pairings you'd
like to ask Certified Sommelier
Ruan Krugel?
cLIcK hErE to
send him an email and we'll pub-
lish his responses in an upcoming
issue of the Classic Club Insider.
ASK THE SOMMELIER!
Finding the right
wine is often a
matter of taste.
