Luxury To Go: The New Fine Dining

The charcuterie board at SMITH Restaurant (photo courtesy of SMITH Restaurant)

The hospitality industry has shown incredible resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges. The have reduced their seating capacity, pivoted to takeout, retooled menus and wine lists, and developed in-house delivery systems in a bid to keep up with the outpouring of support that Manitobans have shown for local businesses, They have had to create new ways to express their culinary vision and get the word out in a virtual market that is filled with the voices of every other local business just trying to be heard. Many are making difficult decisions every day about how to keep their staff employed while keeping the lights on the and rent paid. This feature is an ode to the creativity, spirit, and dedication the hospitality community has shown that continues to inspire us.

Challenged by the fact that our talented photographer, Ian McCausland, was unable to work on this issue, Jones & Company restaurant partners sent us pictures of feature dishes that you can order (by takeout, and hopefully by the time you are reading this, in-person dining). Then, the Jones & Company Sommeliers set to work finding the perfect pairing for each of these dishes. Wines that are available on the restaurant wines lists are marked with an * and the others you can find at Jones & Company Wine Merchants, either in store or online at joneswines.com/shop.

529 Wellington

22 oz Porterhouse Steak and Lobster / Argot 2014 Hawk Hill Pinot Noir (Napa Valley, USA)*

529wellington.ca

Photo by Steve Salinkowski

The traditional surf and turf can be tricky to pair. You want to equally enhance both portions of the dish and have a harmonious balance. The Argot Hawk Hill Pinot Noir has a deep intensity with an elegance that can bring land and sea together. Sweet maple and soft fruit in the wine allow the lobster to show off its sweet meatiness, while the focused core creates an intensity that will meld well with the steak. The 2014 is now showing developing notes that add another layer of complexity to the experience. —Ricki-Lee Podolecki

Alena Rustic Italian

Traditional Porcetta with seasoned rosemary, black pepper, garlic, fennel / La Ragnaie 2017 Troncone Rosso (Tuscany, Italy)*

alenakitchen.com

This juicy- savoury, boneless pork roast spends hours on a rotisserie absorbing all the smoky goodness the oak fire has to offer. The Troncone is 100% Sangiovese: elegant with ripe red cherry flavours, herbs, and a hint of tobacco. The freshness of the wine rips through the richness of the pork while the flavours bring it all back together. —Todd Antonation

Amsterdam Tea Room + Bar

Hutspot Dumplings with kale, sauerkraut, cashew cream, garlic chili oil, and crispy onions / Judith Beck 2018 Ink Zweigelt/Blaufränkish (Austria)

amsterdamtearoom.com

The dumplings are earthy, nutty, squishy goodness. The kale and sauerkraut would flatten out most lighter-bodied white wines and amplify astringency. These flavours need some sweetness, or a fruity red (not an oaky one). In this case, a natural, lightly funky, fresh red with soft tannins and no oak works wonderfully: the fruit rounds out the bitter elements of the dish, but doesn’t overpower the subtleties of the cashew cream the way a big, bold, oaky red would. I’d down a dozen of these dumplings on the daily. —Rob Stansel

Beaujena’s French Table

Tomato Tartar fresh and sun-dried tomato tartar with radish, capers, Ambrosia apple, cured egg yolk, and fennel fronds / Poggio Argentiera 2019 Vermentino (Tuscany, Italy)

beaujenas.com

When I think of this pairing, I picture myself sitting on at an oceanside café in the Mediterranean. The Vermentino has hints of white flowers, crisp green apples, ocean spray, and wild herbs that marry perfectly with the tomatoes, fennel, and briny capers. The cured egg yolk is key here, as it pulls all these great flavours together and begs for another sip of this crisp white.—Todd Antonation

Bluestone Cottage

Biscuit Benny with poached eggs, ham, traditional hollandaise, a toasted biscuit, and breakfast potatoes / Ashling Park Estate nv Brut (Sussex, England)

bluestonecottage.ca

There’s richness to this dish, with protein, salt, butter, and an additional salty, smoky note from the meat. It calls for a wine that has both a notable presence on the palate and a refreshing acidity. Sparkling wine fits the bill nicely, and a special wine like Ashling Park Estate’s Brut English sparkling wine will turn this dish into an art form. —Sylvia Jansen

Cibo Waterfront Café

Double Pepperoni Pizza with dry cured pepperoni, smoked provolone, mozzarella, and chili garlic crust / Montes 2017 Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile)*

cibowaterfrontcafe.com

When you’re craving a rich, meaty, cheesy pizza like this beauty from Cibo, the perfect wine to compliment it is the Montes Classic Series Cabernet from my beloved country, Chile. I am a huge Chilean wine fan, but this winery in particular makes absolutely stunning wines! The earthiness and deep juicy red fruit notes pair perfectly with the rich meatiness of the dry cured pepperoni and complements the smoked provolone and garlic in the crust beautifully. Winner winner pizza dinner! —Jill Kwiatkoski

D-Jay’s & Ichabod’s Food & Drink

Mediterranean Twist Pizza a base of provolone cheese, D-Jay’s original sauce and crust topped with spinach, capocollo ham, red onion, brie cheese and cracked pepper / Ventisquero 2018 Reserva Pinot Noir (Casablanca, Chile)*

djaysrestaurant.com

When pairing with a pizza this packed with fresh flavours, it is best to serve up a refreshing and bright wine to complement it. The Ventisquero Reserva Pinot Noir shows off notes of cherry and red fruits to balance the salty capocollo ham and brighten up the creamy brie cheese. The wine’s spice and earthy characteristics tie in a complexity that gives each bit its own personality. Enjoy this wine off of D-Jays wine list any day of the week! —Ricki-Lee Podolecki

Gusto North

Short Rib Ragu with wood fire mushrooms, cippolini onion, Moliterno pecorino, pappardelle / Quercia al Poggio 2017 Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy)*

gustonorth.com

Chianti and short rib is a match made in heaven—especially when you’re talking about the Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico and our short rib ragu. The vibrant acidity in the wine cuts right through the richness of the short rib, and balanced earthy tones in both the wine and the ragu really allow for the ripe, almost dried red fruit character of the Chianti to shine. —Dylan Keats, Sommelier at Gusto North

Joey Restaurants

Japanese Gyoza with hot mustard / Paul Mas 2018 La Forge Estate Reserve Marsanne (Languedoc, France)

joeyrestaurants.com

Photo by Velour Productions

The unctuousness of this delicious South of France Marsanne is the perfect pairing to Joey’s Gyoza. The fruit-forward weightiness of this wine complements with the hint of chili and the subtle sweetness of the reduced soy. The racy acidity is the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the pork dumpling. A dreamy pairing. —Saralyn Mehta

Junction 59 Roadhouse

Country Fried Chicken with country gravy, veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn bread / Jaume Serra nv Cristalino Cava Brut (Spain)*

junction59roadhouse.com

Sparkling with CFC? Stay with me here. An underappreciated fact: sparkling wine goes AMAZINGLY with fried foods (and many others). The zippy acidity and the fresh lemon zest of this Cava (a Spanish sparkling wine designation) are just what you need to get your mouth ready for the next mouthwatering bite of Junction 59’s signature dish. Trust me, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to food pairing heaven! —Mike Muirhead

Pizzeria Gusto

Pollo Cremoso Pizza with Mascarpone cream sauce, chilies, braised chicken, bacon, baby kale, sweet potato, mozzarella, cranberry thyme agrodolce, goat cheese / Kaltern 2018 K Pinot Bianco Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc (Alto Adige, Italy)*

pizzeriagusto.com

A fresh white wine full of life and vivaciousness. The bright acidity of this wine will bring life and a beautiful balance to the creaminess of the Mascarpone cream sauce, the goat cheese on top, and the dough of the pizza itself. It will also compliment and brighten the flavours of all the beautiful earthy toppings (chicken, bacon, kale, and sweet potato), and the hint of juicy fruit in the wine will balance the acidity and sweetness of the cranberry thyme agrodolce. —Jill Kwiatkoski

Peasant Cookery

Tourtière Manitoba pork, mushrooms, potatoes, spices / Saint-Antoine 2018 Reserve du Château Bordeaux Supérieure (Bordeaux, France)*

peasantcookery.ca

A beautiful big Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that is made for dishes just like this. Notes of black currant, dried plums, cherry, licorice, and smoky spiced notes marry with the richness of the pork and mushroom. The spiced notes in the wine match wonderfully with the hints of spice in the tourtière. This traditional French Canadian dish works in perfect harmony with this traditional Bordeaux blend. —Jill Kwiatkoski

PF Chang’s

Mongolian Beef with sweet soy glaze, flank steak, garlic, and snipped green onion / Alpha Box & Dice 2018 Tarot Grenache (McLaren Vale, South Australia)

pfchangs.ca

O là là, a dish highlighting sweetness, spice-heat, and umami on a solid protein. Intuition suggests a red wine for the beef, but the wine needs ripeness, even some sweetness, to match the glaze and tame the heat. Also, we want to avoid high tannins that are accentuated by the umami. Some Californian Zinfandels or Argentine Malbecs may fit the bill, but I suggest a fresh, spicy, low-tannin Australian Grenache with raspberry-cherry fruit intensity.—Gary Hewitt

Prairie’s Edge

Wild Boar Bolognese pappardelle with ground wild boar, red wine, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh ricotta, and basil / Il Palazzo 2018 Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)

prairiesedgewpg.ca

This pairing works on so many levels. The wine has a bright red cherry component with hints of orange zest that compliments the acidity of the tomatoes while cutting through the richness of the boar. There is a slight herbal finish in the wine that adds complexity, and the smooth tannins beg for another sip. —Todd Antonation

Preservation Hall

Duck Cassoulet duck leg confit, house-made garlic sausage, white bean and pork ragout, topped with gremolata / Gerard Bertrand 2019 Syrah/ Carignan (Minervois, France) / Chateau du Trignon 2019 Viognier (Cotes du Rhone, France)*

preservationhall-eatery-winebar.com

Photo by Bohdan Dyck Photography

This diverse, rich, and rustic stew is remarkably wine friendly. One approach is to go traditional—the dish originated in the south of France—but put two wines on the table, a red to match the savoury complexity and a round aromatic white to complement the creamy beans. The red is a classic Syrah-Carignan blend with bright red fruits, moderate tannins and a trace of Mediterranean herbs, and the white is the aromatic born-again Rhone variety, Viognier.—Gary Hewitt

SMITH Restaurant

Braised Beef Chuck Flat 7oz boneless country-style chuck short rib, salsa verde, mashed potatoes, and fresh, local vegetables / Catena 2018 Fazzio La Posta Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)*

smithrestaurant.ca

I love braised chuck—the depth of flavours that you get from slow roasting really brings out some of the best in wine. For this pairing, I picked the Fazzio La Posta Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. What grows together, goes together, and everyone knows that Argentina is known for its beef. The richness and spiciness of the Malbec are a match made in heaven for the braising technique, and personally I love it with the saucy mashed potatoes as well. —Mike Muirhead

The Merchant Kitchen

Dan Dan Noodles with bok choy, broccoli, scallion, sweet pork, spicy Sichuan sauce, peanuts / Staffelter-Hof 2017 Knackarsh Liebl Riesling (Mosel, Germany)

themerchantkitchen.com

Dan Dan Noodles is a bowl of deliciousness with a lot going on: complex sweetness, nuttiness, a little bitter dark green, and a good kick from the spice. It all calls for a wine that is fresh, light, lively, and not bone dry. Tannins from red wines ramp up the spice, so unless that’s your thing, go white. My top choice is the Staffelter Hof Knackarsch Liebl Riesling, custom-made for this style of dish. —Sylvia Jansen

The Mitchell Block

Siracha Infused Macaroni & Cheese with smoked saffron béchamel and cheddar / Thörle 2018 Kabinett Riesling (Reinhessen, Germany)

themitchellblock.ca

Photo by Alex Johnson

My personal pairing philosophy is that a little heat needs a little sweet, so my dream pairing for Mitchell Block Siracha Mac and Cheese is Thörle’s 2018 Kabinett Riesling. The decadent richness and heat of the Siracha Mac and Cheese screams for the honeyed texture and fruity sweetness of this Riesling. The pop of acidity keeps the fruit fresh and lively well into the finish. This dish with this wine is perfect harmony. —Saralyn Mehta

Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature

Beet bowl with beet root hummus, puréed beets, beet slices, mushroom quinoa, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, toasted walnuts, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette. / Cape Wine Co. 2018 Frank Rosé (Darling, South Africa)

thermea.ca

Photo by Janis Banman

This is a dish with freshness and yet textural creaminess (in a plant-based dish), lightness and weight, zing and earthiness. An important feature is that it is served at a cool room temperature—not hot. A wine with some complexity, freshness, and a bit of weight makes magic. A great choice is rosé, and Cape Wine Frank Rosé would be terrific! —Sylvia Jansen