Matching wine to cuisines it isn’t traditionally drunk with–Caribbean, Latin American, Asian–is the focus of this periodic feature,in which we pick a BYO restaurant, sample a few dishes, and recommend some bottles.
773-871-2414
Chorizo con Arepa (chorizo with cheesy corn cake) 2
$14.95
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A typical meal at Las Tablas is short on green vegetables and long on South American staples like plantains, yuca, potatoes, and grilled meat. Besides the classic churrasco (marinated New York strip) and carne asada (rib eye), there’s a melt-in-your-mouth chicken (pounded flat and marinated in a mix of olive oil, garlic, and spices), shrimp, squid, and two pork dishes. Most of the meats are seasoned with achiote and cumin plus a good dose of salt, the last of which tends to accentuate the alcohol in wine, making it feel hot on the palate. Lower-alcohol wines work best with this food, as do highly acidic ones that can cut through the generous quantities of oil in most dishes. Starchy sides like fried plantains, yuca, and potatoes also call for acidity and a moderate amount of sweetness. The consulting expert on this trip was Bob Bansberg, sommelier at Ambria and a wine educator at Kendall College.
- 2000 Gustave Lorentz Riesling (Alsace, France), $9.99-$14.99. This floral white is one of the most elegant wines produced in the Alsace region, bordered on the west by the Vosges Mountains and on the east by the Rhine River. The wine’s aromas of green apples and flowers are balanced out nicely by an earthy mineral note. The pork chops are seriously salty, which tends to enhance this wine’s sweetness; at the same time the wine makes the meat’s flavor livelier. This is a good value for a Riesling. (Armanetti, Binny’s, Evanston First, Galleria, Sam’s, Whole Foods)
