Matching wine to cuisines it isn’t traditionally drunk with–Caribbean, Latin American, Asian–is the focus of this new periodic feature, in which we pick a BYO restaurant, sample a few dishes, and recommend some wines.
Shrimp Pil Pil 3 $6.95
Brewate 7 $1.50
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Mediterranean ingredients like olives and tomatoes bring a wonderful acidity to many dishes at this Moroccan eatery, where owner Hadji Mohamed makes a point of greeting each table personally. Tagines, or Mediterranean stews, fill the menu, and there’s a generous assortment of vegetable-based appetizers including grilled eggplant (zaalouk) and Moroccan-spiced tomatoes and peppers (taktouka). For a wonderful combination of sweet and savory, the pastilla is a must-try: chicken, almonds, spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), and raisins between layers of flaky phyllo dough. Wines from Spain and Italy are particularly well suited to this food, standing up to but not overwhelming the bold flavors, while a floral Rhone Valley white and a big Chilean red also find their place. A sweet dessert wine makes just the right finish. The consulting expert on this trip was wine educator Thomas Hyland.
4 2001 Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo (Italy), $17.99-$18.99. Located in the southern Italian region of Campania, this vintner is devoted to using ancient grape varieties; Greco di Tufo grapes were being made into wine before Rome was founded. This wine has aromas of pear, citrus, almond, and cut hay, with moderate acidity and a long finish. The raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the pastilla are enhanced by the fruit and nut elements in the wine; the almonds in the dish echo the essence of almond in the wine. This pairing makes the dish taste significantly sweeter, while the wine tastes fruitier. (Binny’s, Sam’s)
Que Syrah Fine Wines 3726 N. Southport, 773-871-8888
