Wine & Spirits - December 2013 - (Page 24)

Where to eat & drink in Seattle Farm to table, local and sustainable: It's all anyone talks about when it comes to food in Seattle. Wine's a different story. We rabidly support our Washington vintners and harbor a sisterly pride for our Oregon neighbors' pinot noirs. But Seattle wine lists are evolving, getting ever more Euro and esoteric, diving deep into artisanal vintners from France, Italy, Germany and Austria. We're sipping whatever French find sommelier David Butler puts in front of us at Le Caviste, his tiny, just-opened bar-au-vin downtown, and looking forward to the Sherry, garnacha and macabeo on a virtual tasting tour of Spain at Aragona, the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year (see more below, under Spinasse). Seattle's wine scene is taking a turn into unexpected territory, in the best possible way. By Allison Austin Scheff Westward Photo by Sarah Jurado At Westward, North Lake Union's new Mediterranean seafood house, just below the oyster-perfect Chablis is a briny Greek blend of assyrtiko and athiri from Sigalas winery on Santorini, which goes swimmingly with the branzino that chef Zia Antonitsas pulls from her wood-fired oven. Antonitsas works with sommelier Antony Bock, formerly of Luc, to craft a list that goes far beyond the usual fishfriendly favorites, with choices like the '09 and '01 Chateau Musar for octopus Bolognese. There are heavy hitters as well, such as Gifford Hirlinger's Walla Walla Cabernet-a match for the lamb shoulder-but most of the offerings are light- to medium-bodied, reaching from South Africa to the Wahluke Slope. 2501 N. Northlake Way; 206-552-8215; westwardseattle.com Who would've guessed that a San Francisco-based chef's wine bar chain, named for the main drag in Burgundy, would have the best list of Washington and Oregon wines in the city? At Michael Mina's RN74, ten Northwest wines are on show by the glass, and there are another nine pages worth of bottles, from lesserknown names like Baer and Fjellene to classics from Washington wine pioneers Leonetti and the syrah whisperers at Cayuse. Of course you could spend a week and barely scratch the surface of the red Burgundies, but the list is also strong on Oregon pinot noir, including a vertical of Domaine Drouhin's Louise going back to 2000, and several vintages of Scott Paul's Audrey. To pair: roast duck with red cherries and farro; Painted Hills grass-fed hanger steak au poivre with excellent fries; or, if you're lucky, the restaurant's lamb cassoulet, which is so good it has a cult following. 1433 Fourth Ave.; 206-456-7474; michaelmina.net 24 WINE & SPIRITS DECEMBER 2013 Photo by Galdones Photography RN74 http://www.westwardseattle.com http://www.westwardseattle.com http://www.michaelmina.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2013

Wine & Spirits - December 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Acid Trips
The Great Whiskey Shortage of 2013
Spirits
Gadgets and Gi
New Destinations
Where to Eat & Drink in Seattle
Turning Champagne into Wine
Barolo & Formaggio
Douro, No Apologies
Walla Walla Cabernet
The Best for $10 or Less
Overview
Champagne
US Sparkling Wine
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Alsace
German Riesling
2011 Vintage Port
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
US New Releases
International New Releases
Wine & Spirits Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2013