Wine Sophisticate

Fig Bistro's Recipe for Success:

Five (5) courses, each carefully paired with fine wines
One (1) Eleventh generation French winemaker, named Jerome Quiot
Thirty (30) eager foodies, stuffed into Fig's elegant dining room

Combine all ingredients. Allow to simmer for an entire evening.
Result: Palette expanding, stunning happiness.

It was about three weeks ago that we received an e-mail outlining the particulars of a wine pairing dinner hosted by Fig. Immediately excited, we read on to discover that Jerome Quiot, the actual winemaker himself would be there, discussing his family's concept of making wine and why this coveted juice is so sought after. The Quiot family owns large parcels of land in three prominent regions of France, and boasts a long tradition of creating amazing blends using the same Old World techniques their ancestors started many years before. To me, this was an event that I wouldn't think of missing. An amazing chef, a famed winemaker, one of my favorite restaurants... how could I pass this up?

Our party of four was greeted warmly with a familiar smile as we were shown to my favorite table that overlooks Biltmore Village. A bubbling glass of Prosecco appeared almost instantly and so began our evening. For starters, Chef Bill Klein addressed the crowd with his eccentric personality that suggested his artistic mind had been going for days. In fact, we were told he had tweaked the menu up until the very last second, with every attention to detail.

Appropriately following the chef was Monsieur Quiot, and just as quickly as one round of applause subsided another started out of respect for our guest. Apologizing for his poor English, and graciously asking for our patience, Jerome began to tell us about his family and our first wine from Southern France where he resides.

We started with a light, crisp, fruit-forward white wine paired with perfectly seared, medium rare Maine Scallops and cous cous with lemon confit, cucumber, and harissa. The scallop was truly exceptional, almost melting in my mouth and its bed of cous cous was quite nice as an accent to both the wine and the scallop. After several moments of silence at our table as we let our taste buds do the talking, I realized that I could have an entire meal of this appetizer and be completely satisfied! The sweetness of the wine balanced out the spicy flavors in the sauce, gently guiding me back to the buttery, moist seafood that was the centerpiece of the plate.

Transitioning to a Rosé wine, Chef Klein selected Alaskan Halibut as the best choice and served it over braised endive with an endive salad. "Endive on endive", he called it and the two preparations worked beautifully together. Fresh chive garnished the fish and added a wonderful herbaceous layer to the soft, sophisticated flavors of the dish. The rosé, made from fruit grown on Monsieur Quiot's wife's property in Provence, was somehow better after taking a bite of halibut, and in turn, the flavors of the food were also enhanced by the wine, bringing both to a whole new level and making this my favorite pairing of the evening!

Approaching the half-way point of the meal, I was hoping for a red wine to compliment our next dish: spiced tuna with spinach, granny smith apple, and sherry vinaigrette, and luckily I didn't even have to ask as my wine was aptly provided. First, I should say that I love tuna, it's a wonderful fish and I eat it often. There are many, many ways one can prepare tuna, and it is served raw or very rare for the most part. I had not however previously experienced a tuna dusted with cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander (as well as other ambiguous spices) and seared as Chef Klein mastered the popular fish in a new way for our third course. As I tasted the apple with the various spices on the tuna I was reminded of flavors I'd enjoyed many times, but this was different. The wine played off the nutmeg and paired surprisingly well with the cinnamon before opening up to envelope the tuna and round out with the sharpness of the apple. With an exceptionally long finish, I found myself enjoying the pairing well after the wine and food were gone, making mental notes to recall when writing today so that I could somehow convey the emotion I felt at that exact moment.

While keeping with the trend of introducing new flavor combinations and broadening our food horizons, we were offered next a roasted leg of lamb with a gourmet twist on "beans and rice" he calls "tacu-tacu", asparagus, morels, and spring onion ragoût. Fresh, seasonal selections are crucial in classical French cuisine, and although Fig's chef certainly takes some creative liberties with his menu, this basic knowledge was obviously not lost along the way, and thankfully so! By pairing each component of the dish so well, and then adding an incredibly well-blended red that brings out all the earthy, savory flavors just begging to be enjoyed, I can’t help but think Chef Klein intended for the lamb to stand out like a main course. In truth, it was the best executed most fulfilling course on the menu. The meat was fantastically rare and after three courses of seafood I was craving something a little more mainland. I cannot say enough about the wine chosen to pair with this dish. From the aromatic nose, the velvety-smooth mouth feel, to the incredibly complex finish this wine was absolutely extraordinary and a perfect representation of what French wine culture is all about.

No dinner, especially one of this magnitude, could be complete without an incredible, soon to be talked-about dessert to end on an even higher note. The first thing that came to my mind when I first read the description of our sweet course was, I'll bet it's going to be a perfect balance of salty and sweet! In a surprise move, a delicate, rich chocolate cake layered with mascarpone was accompanied by delicious apricot and something very unique: bacon brittle! Astonished and excited at the choice of bacon for a dessert pairing, I had waited the entire meal with great anticipation for this dish. As the final wine was poured, I dug into the cake being sure to get a little piece of bacon brittle with my first bite. Absolute genius! The flavors were so surprising and yet so perfect together, just as I had imagined, harnessing both salty and sweet goodness. The cake itself was expertly made and could easily be featured in any gourmet food magazine served exactly the same. The wine pairing for this dish could only be described as phenomenal. Perfectly balancing both faces of the dessert and being an incredibly complex wine by itself, the winemaker and chef certainly saved the best for last.

Wine dinners are always fun, usually educational, and should definitely satisfy your hunger and thirst. But when exceptionally talented people who are really passionate about food and wine get to have this much fun with these kinds of ingredients the whole concept of a wine pairing dinner is revamped. Fig has now raised the bar for every other place in town that attempts such an endeavor. No more can you get by with just a wine shop owner talking about what bottles he wishes to get rid of. No more can you pair ordinary menu items that you’re trying to promote solely to further your own business. No sir, not in this town. Not when there are restaurateurs like Treavis Taylor and chefs like Bill Klein who have contacts with big name winemakers in the south of France. Look out Asheville, these guys really know their stuff and they’re not afraid to show it!

G.

(I should mention that writing two reviews about the same concept so close together is not what I would normally do. In fact, I have recently experienced another amazing restaurant that I feel everyone should hear about, but chose not to write about that experience because I had recently featured its sister concept on the Biltmore Estate. However, this was an exception to the rule, to the original direction I pictured my writing to follow. I hope you agree that it was necessary!)