APRIL 2019 49
2016 SUCETTE
BAROSSA ($59)
Richard and Carla
Rza Betts source fruit
from their ancient
vineyard in Austra-
lia’s Barossa for this
seductive red. (Truly
ancient: “We’re still
trying to figure out
when it was planted,”
Richard says. “We’re
pretty sure mid- to
late-1800s.”)2015 LATTA UPLAND
VINEYARD ($45)
The little-known
Snipes Mountain area
in Washington State
grew this gorgeous
Grenache; awash in
wild strawberry and
spice notes, it shows
the talents of up-and-
coming star Andrew
Latta. Get on his mail-
ing list now, before
everyone else does.2014 E. GUIGAL
GIGONDAS ($35)
Sure, there’s a touch
of Syrah and Mourvè-
dre in this red from
one of the Rhône’s
top wineries. But
this strawberry- and
cassis-filled bottling
sings of Grenache’s
southern Rhône ripe-
ness, and its tannins
owe their silkiness to
that variety, too.2016 DASHE LES
ENFANTS TERRIBLES
GRENACHE
($32)
California winemakers
Mike and Anne Dashe
use native yeasts,
minimal sulfur, no fin-
ing, and little handling
for their Les Enfants
Terribles wines. That
approach suits Gre-
nache, as this floral,
piquant wine shows.
Cellar-Obsessed
Chefs
Very few chefs are as smitten
with wine as they are with food—
or pitch in directly on their res-
taurant’s wine program. Here
are five who do. The result?
Stellar wine lists that reflect a
chef’s sensibility as much as a
sommelier’s. Everybody wins.HOGSTONE’S WOOD
OVEN, ORCAS ISLAND, WA
Chef/wine director and
2017 F&W Best New Chef
Jay Blackinton seeks out
wines that fit his food
ethos: organically grown,
minimal intervention, and
delicious. (hogstone.com)ALIMENTO, LOS
ANGELES
A self-described wine
fiend, chef Zach Pollack
also buys the bottles for
the acclaimed spot. His
eclectic, mostly Italian list
is both tightly edited and
wide-ranging, no mean
feat. (alimentola.com)LA CONTENTA OESTE,
NEW YORK CITY
Chef Luis Arce Mota pairs
his homestyle Mexican
cooking with wines from
Mexico’s Valle de
Guadalupe, including top
producers such as Casa
Magoni and Fluxus.
(lacontentanyc.com)HIGHLANDS BAR &
GRILL, BIRMINGHAM, AL
Chef Frank Stitt has been
running the extraordinary
wine program here for 37
years, primarily focusing
on classic French and
Californian producers.
(highlandsbarandgrill.com)LA TOQUE, NAPA
Chef Ken Frank says, “I
taste new wines with our
sommeliers four times a
week. The kitchen team
tastes new dishes with
them almost every day.”
The result: seamlessly
brilliant wine and food
pairings. (lato q u e.co m)