Triple Crown is a casual Chinatown restaurant with an extensive menu of regional specialties, all of which can be ordered in tasting portions after 10 PM. The family dinners, served with steamed rice and dessert, are a particularly good value and allow you to taste a variety of dishes. The overriding flavors here are garlic and ginger and everything is salty, calling for wines that haven’t yet mellowed with age. The consulting expert on this trip was master sommelier Joseph Spellman, formerly with Charlie Trotter’s and currently with Paterno Imports.
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1 1999 Josmeyer Vin d’Alsace Pinot Blanc (Alsace), $13.99-$21. The snow pea sprouts require a highly acidic grape grown in a cool climate and fermented dry to minimize residual sugar. This wine’s juiciness, hints of gooseberry, and mild oakiness mitigate the assertiveness of the greens and leave a sweet flavor on the palate, which harmonizes well with the crab. The sweetness and clean finish also suit the rich flavors of the stir-fried lobster. (Fine Food & Liquor, Sam’s, Trotter’s to Go)
4 1999 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Red Cotes du Rhone (Rhone Valley), $7.99-$8.99. The limestone and clay soil in the Rhone Valley come through in this wine’s finish, complementing the musky flavor of the duck. Strong pepper and clove along with fresh ripe cherry make it suitable for the sweetness of the hoisin sauce. The uncharacteristic blend of half granache, half syrah gives it a smooth finish, making it more elegant than usual for the region. (Binny’s, Fine Wine Brokers, Foremost, Jewel, Potash Bros., Sam’s, Trotter’s to Go, Whole Foods)
Fine Food & Liquor 3642 N. Ashland, 773-472-2119
potash bros. 1255 N. Sandburg Terrace, 312-254-0235
