Sommelier John Slover, Wine Director Robert Bohr, and
Sommelier Alex Miranda |
Cru
24 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212-529-1700 |
Wine Tips from the Cru Crew
Excerpted from Roundtable Interview
Old World vs. New World
“We are classicists. Because
of what we have at our disposal and, as Robert was saying,
being able to taste older stuff most people just read about,
I’m more excited than ever about classic regions.”
“A lot of young sommeliers like
New World wines because they’re easy to understand,
they’re cheap, you can buy them and sell them, you
can find the latest hotshot in Chile and go with it. It’s
the same thing with the press. There’s nothing new
to write about Burgundy, so when I pick up Wine Spectator
or Decanter, it’s ‘South Africa!’ or ‘Chile!’
which I understand. Those countries deserve attention, but
the kind of wines that we love are the wines that dominated
New York restaurants 20 years ago. This is old school. I
think 30% of our clientele is interested in modern wine
and we do have some. It’s almost like we are trying
to sell them on the Old World.”
California
“My palate has evolved. I started
drinking Zinfandels in 80’s out in San Francisco.
I loved that tannic, purple teeth quality. And now I like
softer, prettier wines. But, having said that, I can appreciate
those big wines. The three of us will taste California wines
together. They’re important to our business. And I
will find myself turning to them and saying, ‘I could
really drink this.’ I really love California Cabs
from the 80’s. I think they’re delicious.”
Value
Wines
“I generally like Loire Valley
whites for my everyday wines. One specific producer I enjoy
is Domaine de Bellivière. It’s spicy, very
light. Even on wine lists, it’s pretty cheap.”
“I drink a lot of Bourgogne Rouge
as my house wine. That and Barbera.”
“For me, it’s also Barbera
for red and Riesling for white.”
Great Pairings
“Just last week, I had roast-suckling
pig with Cornas. It was a 1999 Allemand Reynard –
amazing.”
“When I was at Clinton 71, the
chef used to make this uni dish with poached egg and maple
syrup and I couldn’t find a wine that could stand
up to such strong flavors. I ended up choosing a Savagnin
from the Jura. Jacques Puffeney is the producer.”
“We just did this great pairing
last night actually. One of my favorite menu items is Pike
Quenelles with a watercress garlic puree and it’s
awesome with this Grüner Veltliner from Knoll. It was
fantastic.”
Pet Peeves
“The only pet peeve I think
any of us have is when we’re asked to make a recommendation
and given zero information. As in, “We’d like
a red wine.” And you say, “We have 2500…”
and they add, “Something, you know, reasonable.”
The more vague someone is, the more difficult the job is,
and it’s less likely you’ll be able to meet
their expectations. So my real pet peeve on the floor is
a lack of dialogue.”
