Photos from left: Interior of Bati, Bati's Ye Beg Alicha, courtesy of Bati Restaurant; Gnarly Vines sign courtesy of Brian Robinson
By Brian Robinson
When I opened Gnarly Vines in Brooklyn, New York, almost two years ago, I was thrilled to discover that the local clientele of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill was overwhelmingly adventurous, open-minded and unpretentious. Across the board they drank to enjoy, not to impress. It's no coincidence that our neighborhood can support five African restaurants, though pairing wine with their cuisine presents a few challenges.
When pairing food and wine, I don’t believe in precise matches. In most instances, people will enjoy the wine they prefer regardless of the pairing, so I generally try to avoid disasters and encourage experimentation. With this in mind and with a little help from my friends, I set out over the course of two nights to sample a dozen Spanish wines with take-out from A Bistro (Senegalese/French), Grand Dakar (Senegal, granddakar.com), Madiba (South Africa, madibarestaurant. com), Bati (Ethiopia, batikitchen.com) and Kif (Morocco, kifbrooklyn.com).
Carpaccio. I’m always amazed by how de Madrid, which were both strong enough
many knowledgeable wine drinkers still think to tame the powerful harissa in Kif’s fabulous
of sherry as a sweet, rich wine. No wonder Lamb Tagine without being overwhelmed.
the Spanish consume about 80% of their With its enticing bouquet of cedar, fresh
Manzanilla, while they export about 80% of herbs, violets and wild berries, Ánima Negra’s
their Cream Sherry! estate wine, the 2004 Ànima negra An,
We found that two opposite approaches to a blend of 95% old-vine indigenous Callet
the spiciest appetizers–Bati’s Kategna (toasted with Mantonegre and Fogoneu from Falanis,
Injera bread brushed with Berbere–a cayenne, Mallorca, matched perfectly with Bati’s milder
garlic and black pepper rub) and Kitfo (spicy Ye Beg Alicha (lamb stew). The 1996 Finca
prime beef tartare with Kibe), or Madiba’s Dofí (Garnacha, Cab and Cariñena blend)
Mozambique-style Prawns Peri Peri–worked from Priorat, the jewel of the tasting, confirmed
best. First, the 2008 txomin etxamiz txakoli my belief about not pairing older vintages of
de Getaria from the Basque Country danced exceptional wines with strong, spicy food. It
around the spices and cleansed the palate was a match made in heaven with Madiba’s
with its cool zestiness and touch of petillance. Pap & Boerewors (traditional beef tenderloin
A completely different yet equally satisfying sausage with onion and tomato gravy), illustrat-
approach was the 2008 Botani Moscatel ing how a great bottle of wine can elevate a
seco from Sierras de Málaga. This bold, simple meal like this comforting staple of the
flavorful wine was loaded with exotic flavors bush.
–tropical fruit, lychee, honeysuckle and ginger After tasting over a dozen Spanish wines –that more than stood up to the bold flavors with the cuisine of five African restaurants in of the food. Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, I can easily pro-
We started with Grand Dakar’s Black-Eye Pea Salad and Kif’s Goat Cheese Spinach Cigars, both of which had a slightly pasty texture that craved the fruitiness and fizz of the Dibon cava Rosado from Penedés – a blend of the indigenous Catalonian Trepat varietal with a splash of Pinot Noir. The lime dressing in the pea salad returned the favor and gave the Cava a nice little lift.
Barbadillo solear Manzanilla D.o. Jerez from Sanlucar de Barrameda, with its light, tangy, brininess was a perfect match for salty African interpretations of Spanish tapas or pintxos via Fort Greene – A Bistro’s Dakaroise Octopus Salad and Akara codfish and black-eye pea croquettes), Grand Dakar’s Salmon Cassava Croquettes with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce or Madiba’s Ostrich
As we moved on to the reds, we tried A claim that if I could only drink from one country
Bistro’s legendary Senegalese Fried Chicken, for the rest of my life with the foods I enjoy
a deceptively simple dish, which paired per- most frequently, it would have to be Spain.
fectly with the 2006 Bodegas Alto Almanzora After all the eating and drinking, we
este from Valle de Almanzora in Almería, didn’t leave much room for dessert, but we
a medium-bodied blend of predominantly had a cold bottle of Alvear solera 1927
Monastrell with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Pedro Ximénez from Montilla-Morilles wait-
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, with ing. While it was deliciously rich on it’s own,
good tannic structure. it was magnificently decadent drizzled over a
Bati’s signature Doro Watt (spicy chicken scoop of vanilla ice cream - vanilla beans from
stew) begged for the plush, velvety 2007 Madagascar of course!
Pagos de Quintana tinto Roble from Ribera Brian Robinson is a reformed wine-auction del Duero. There’s something about the way specialist who has regained perspective on Tempranillo extracts sweet vanilla flavors from wine and life since opening Gnarly Vines, a oak barrels better than any other varietal that neighborhood wine shop in Fort Greene – the works great with spicy meats. We moved on neighborhood in which he lives and loves to our most powerful reds–the 2007 Atalaya with his wife and three young children. Gnarly Monastrell/Garnacha tintorera blend from Vines is located at 350 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn, D.O. Almansa and the 2006 el Regajal Vinos NY. www.gnarlyvines.com
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