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DEEP IN THE VAULT: EXPANDING YOUR WINE EXPERIENCE By Jennifer Bingham Today’s wine cellars have come a long way from the dark, dusty catacombs and caves of France. While modern wine cellars are marvels of engineering and design, they still hold the promise of hidden treasures tucked away in a corner just like their French forebears. Area sommeliers hold the secret to unlocking these gems. Every day they taste wines (someone has to do it) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� cuisine and focus of the restaurant. “A lot of our guests are only comfortable drinking familiar wines because of advertising, ratings or popularity,” says Dave Madera, Sommelier at Rococo Steak in St. Pete. That’s why many of the wine director’s favorite wines stay hidden in the cellar. These wines can be an excellent value, very food-friendly, and can open your mind to new styles. At Cru Cellars in South Tampa, wine director Zach Groseclose manages the wine bar’s large by-the-glass list ������ ���������� ������ �������������� ���������� ���������� �������� �������������� ���������� ������������������������ which doubles as the bottle list for the restaurant. Groseclose says it’s all about hospitality. “My staff and I ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ and meet them halfway by engaging them about wine.” The hidden gem on Cru’s wines by-the-glass list right now is the Godeval Godello from Valdeorras in Spain. “This isn't the dry, arid Spain, like Ribera del Duero, Priorat, or Jumilla, that initially comes to mind when you think of the Rococo Steak 12 localsDISH SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016


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