Summer stock productions used to try out on the stage of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall on their way to Broadway. I was reminded of that as I sat down to dinner last night at the Living Room at c/o Maidstone, down the street from Guild Hall, to critique a dinner organized by chef James Carpenter and sommelier Kelly Matis that will be presented at the James Beard House in New York at the end of the month.
I joined a small group of East End wine and food journalists who were there to enjoy, indulge, praise, and qvetch about a serious and sophisticated meal still being assessed. A luxuriant first course of Peconic Bay scallops, squash puree and gossamer slices of dry-cured coppa (a close variant of capocollo) was served with a Macari 2009 sauvignon blanc.
Some wine pairings try to match the characteristics of a dish, others try to be a foil, to create equilibrium. The Macari did the latter, admirably balancing the richness of the food with a crisp, vivid taste. Louisa Hargrave commented on the “energy level” of the wine, an interesting concept beyond fruit or acidity, beyond climate and winemaker style, going to the very soil from which the grapes were harvested.
We ate our way through three additional courses (lamb meatballs with dumplings, duck breast with a leek and cheese tart, short ribs with parsnip puree), each accompanied by a well-chosen wine. The group suggested to Carpenter that more vegetables or greens be included as a contrast to the opulence of the food. The selected wines, which included a spectacular Chateauneuf du Pape, were a hit. Until a dessert course was served.
Alycone (think halcyon), a sweet red dessert wine made from tannat, a little known European grape that found a welcoming home in Uruguay, was unenthusiastically welcomed by our group, presumably causing Matis and wine director Chris Miller to retreat to their cellar and revise their thinking. Interestingly, Alycone has been a popular dessert wine at the restaurant. Tastes vary.
In any case, when the dinner gets to the big hitters in NY it ought be perfection. The meal, appropriately titled East End Elegance, is scheduled for November 30th. For ticket information contact the James Beard Foundation at 212 627 2308.
UPDATE: Chris Miller tells me that the two bottles of Alycone we opened and rejected were corked wines. The rest of their supply and the wine in general drinks well so I am ready to give it another chance with an untainted bottle and see why so many of their customers favor it with dessert. Will post an Alycone report in the future.
