Food & Wine October 2018

2017 J. HOFSTÄTTER ALTO ADIGE PINOT GRIGIO ($19) A lot of Pinot Grigio is justly maligned because it’s insipid. But in the right hands—witness this vibrant, mineral-intense wine—it can be both complex and ultra-refreshing. It’s perfect as summer edges into fall. FITTY-FITTY MARTINI Combine 1½ oz. London dry gin (I suggest Boodles), 1½ oz. vermouth (try Dolin), and a dash of Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until cold enough to scare a polar bear. Serve in a coupe with a lemon twist. Relax. 2009 R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA CUBILLO CRIANZA ($19) In autumn I look for older reds, like those from this great Rioja producer, which holds back its wines until they are fully ready to drink. Pair the ruby, smoky ’09 Cubillo—the current vin tage—with…

BACK IN 2005, a few weeks into a line cook job in New York City, I asked my chef, Jonathan Waxman, for his favorite cookbooks, hoping to better understand the style of rustic Italian cuisine we were cooking at Barbuto, his New York City restaurant. He gave me a list that included works by Alice Waters, Paul Bertolli, Judy Rodgers, Elizabeth David, Paula Wolfert, and two books by Richard Olney: Simple French Food and The French Menu Cookbook. I never enrolled in culinary school—restaurant kitchens, test kitchens, and cookbooks have long been my classroom. Each book on Waxman’s list contains lessons I still follow (read Rodgers’ Zuni Cafe Cookbook for her treatise on salt alone), but Olney in particular drew me into his world. His voice was uncompromising, evocative, and lyrical,…

1 HONEY VINEGAR If you cook with apple cider vinegar, try honey vinegar, a relatively mellow, faintly sweet acid that works especially well in pan sauces with Dijon mustard and vinaigrettes (particularly when paired with sherry vinegar). One of my favorites is made by Virginia-based Lindera Farms. $20; linderafarms.com 2 TASTING GEORGIA Carla Capalbo’s gorgeous, authoritative cookbook Tasting Georgia drew us into the vibrant cuisine of this emerging global hot spot. 3 KNOW YOUR IMPORTER You know your grapes and vintages, but do you know your importers? The name on the back of the bottle tells you a lot about the quality of the wine—think Kermit Lynch for French wines and Eric Solomon (European Cellars) for Spanish, like Suertes del Marques 7 Fuentes, a blend of Listán Negro and Tintilla we like with the onion…

1. ROVAGNATI MORTADELLA One of the best deli meats to pair with wine? Mortadella from the Italian producer Rovagnati, according to Anncherie Saludo, beverage director at L’Artusi in New York City. Well-seasoned and studded with melty pork fat, it’s a great partner for Lambrusco—the bubbles cut through the richness of the meat. (Get the mortadella at murrayscheese.com). 2. OLYMPIC PROVISIONS SAUCISSON SEC “As a catchall, I look for wine with vibrant acidity, a kiss of tannin, and moderate alcohol,” says Jessica Hereth, Olympia Provisions’ wine director at their Portland, Oregon, tasting room. “A cru Beaujolais or Loire Valley Cabernet Franc goes with a wide variety of meats.” When serving this saucisson sec (olympiaprovisions.com), leave the casing on—it adds flavor. 3. BLACK HILL RANCH LARGE BLACK SALAMI Felix Florez, a Houston-based sommelier turned humane farmer and…

ASK ALECIA MOORE, otherwise known as the pop artist Pink, what she loves, and there’s a very good chance you’ll hear the word “wine.” An encounter with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape in her twenties led to a continuing passion, culminating in her purchase of an 18-acre organic vineyard in Santa Barbara County in 2013; now she’s winemaker of record for her soon-to-be-released Two Wolves wines. Most celebrity wines are branding exercises, but Moore’s is an exception: She surreptitiously took winemaking courses at the University of California, Davis and works lengthy days in her vineyard along with her team. “It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked, physically,” she says. “Way harder than a concert.” That’s worth noting from someone whose latest tour had her singing upside down in an aerial harness three stories above the…

“Hole Doughnuts fries their doughnuts to order, and they’re not cloyingly sweet. They’re hot and delicious; you could eat three or four of them.”hole-doughnuts.com THERE’S MORE TO ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, than craft beer—though that alone is a good reason to visit. (The city is home to over 30 breweries.) This cultural hub has a rich architectural heritage; it’s a place where grand Art Deco halls mingle with a French Renaissance–style manor (hello, Biltmore Estate), and there’s local artwork on display in the River Arts District. But the real draw is the city’s killer food scene, a fact that led readers of our sister publication, Travel + Leisure, to rank Asheville as one of America’s top destinations in the magazine’s 2018 World’s Best Awards. For an insider’s take, we sat down with…