Anticipating Montmartre

[krieger] tien hoTien Ho was a sous chef at Cafe Boulud before leaving to work for David Chang at Momofuku Ssam Bar. From there he moved uptown to work as the executive chef at Ma Peche when Chang opened the restaurant in the basement of the Chambers Hotel. Ho left Ma Peche in the fall of 2011 and spent the ensuing year out of New York City restaurants, a time he describes in a recent interview with Eater as "really depressing."

Times have changed. Ho is back, and for his next trick he has teamed up with Gabe Stulman in a partnership that will add Montemartre, a casual French restaurant, to the Little Wisco empire. The project is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2013 and will happen shortly after Chez Sardine, Stulman's Izakaya-inspired restaurant, opens at 183 West 10th Street. Along with the exciting food we can expect at Montmartre, we're predicting a stellar wine list.

Ho describes his appreciation for "Funky wines" in an interview with The Insider, "especially from Jura and Naples. Bandols, too!," he goes on, "And I have a very soft spot for wines from Aubin." His mention of Bandols refers to a wine growing region on the Mediterranean coast in southeastern France. Mourvedre is the predominant grape there and it produces dark, complex, and age-worthy wines. Eric Asimov recently wrote how the same grape thrives in Spain, where it is referred to as monastrell. In each place, the grape produces dark, complex, and age-worthy wines.

Wines from Jura have garnered a following that may best be described as cultish and Ho's affinity for them is shared amongst members of the wine community. Jura's arsenal includes exceptionally clean, vibrant sparkling wine a la Cremant du Jura, racy whites a la savagnin, and light, elegant, mineral-driven reds from the trousseau grape. The region's unique growing conditions and limited production have resulted in wines of extraordinary character that wine lovers will go out of their way to seek out.

Ho's interest in unique wines, coupled with his proven talent in the kitchen, have us anticipating a seriously très bon dining experience when Montmartre opens early next year.

Steve Cuozzo is Corked

Steve Cuozzo wrote an article for The New York Post two weeks ago called "Sour Grapes." He makes three things clear in the article: 1) He has no patience for the lesser-known varietals showing up on wine lists in the city, 2) He hates anything that's not Bordeaux, and 3) He sounds like a lunatic trying to explain why he hates anything that's not Bordeaux. In a single sentence, the schizophrenic rant covers Greek restaurants, iTunes, and Willamette Valley pinot noir.

Cuozzo likes Bordeaux. And despite its rich, full-bodied and tannic profile, he likes to drink it in the middle of summer. Schiava is a perfectly sound, northern Italian grape that would be an exceptional pairing for his "chicken and summer vegetables" craving, but the arrangement of letters in Schiava sends shivers down his spine. Bordeaux is Cuozzo's pacifier and he needs it to put his uninformed nerves down for a nap.

Time's wine critic Eric Asimov responded to Cuozzo's article in today's Dining Section. He poses the question, "Are restaurants obliged to offer something for everybody? Or do they have the right to stay uncompromisingly true to a vision that may strike some as arcane?"

Here's a hypothetical: You need to build a deck. You decide go to Lowe's, or Home Depot. When you get there you find yourself standing in front of a daunting array of lumber choices. You don't cower from the task and go home to write a 600-word, pride-fueled article about the fact that there are too many trees in the world. You stay at Lowe's, or Home Depot, swallow your pride, and talk to the person whose job it is to know the subtleties between Knotty Pine, Tiger Maple, and Red Oak.

Asimov clearly knows how to build a deck. He hits the nail on the head. "The world is dominated by the ordinary and the mass-market. Most restaurants, even in New York City, conform to a mainstream vision of food and wine. For that reason alone we should celebrate the departures, not feel threatened by them." "The enemy isn’t obscure wines or challenging lists," he writes. "It’s fear of wine."

Eric Asimov is in Fact Isaac's Nephew, and He Has a New Book Coming Out

Eric Asimov is the wine critic for the New York Times.  His contributions have long been insightful and educational.  Asimov's approach to wine is casual and intentionally unpretentious.  "In the most enlightened households and cultures, wine belongs on the table as part of a meal. It’s a staple, like bread, rice, potatoes or salt, and this is the basis of how I understand wine."

Asimov has a new book coming out.  It's called How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto and it will hit shelves October 16th.  For more with Asimov, head over to I'll Drink To That, a podcast hosted by Levi Dalton and produced by Matt Duckor, and listen to their interview.  The podcast features wonderful conversations with different people at the center of the wine industry.  Other cork dorks featured on I'll Drink To That include Aldo Sohm of Le Bernardin and David Lillie, a founding partner in Chambers Street Wines, one of Manhattan's best wine stores.

It's Perfect Chardonnay Weather

In the 60s and 70s, Oregon oenologists had the idea that if pinot noir, the red grape of Burgundy, grows well in their terroir, so must chardonnay, Burdundy's white grape.  Subtle differences proved otherwise and it wasn't until the 80s, with the arrival of Domaine Drouhin, that Oregon got on the right track and planted vines that thrived in the unique climate.

Eric Asimov and Florence Fabricant sat down with Blue Pilkington, a somm at Cafe Boulud, and Dustin Wilson, the wine director at Eleven Madison Park, to taste through a selection of Oregon chardonnays.

The winner was a 2009 reserve chardonnay from Lemelson, in the Willamette Valley. $22

Eric Asimov Shines a Light on Sicilian Wines

Italian wines are drastically different from region to region.  The wines of Sicily are unique in that they represent a hot climate, though manage to retain a minerality that comes from a volcanic soil that has been composed over years of influence from Mount Etna.

NYTimes wine guy Eric Asimov helps further explain the beauty and uniqueness of Sicilian reds.