I have had a few great food and wine experiences. Epiphanies that will linger on in my memory for the rest of my life. None will exceed the pairing I had in Japan. Sometimes it can be the simplest things that can blow you away. That was the case one night in Kyoto.
Before I start, I should mention that I have a simplistic approach to food and wine combinations. When you put both in your mouth at the same time and you can taste both, then you have a match. Obviously, if you have steak and Chablis together you won’t taste the Chablis. If you have white fish and Syrah together you won’t taste the white fish. The wine police won’t come get you but those just don’t match. If the wine and food enhance one another and bring each to a new level, then that’s a great match. This is all a matter of degree, and sometimes it is an epiphany.
I was having a sales meeting with an older gentleman who represented us in Okinawa. It was clear that he had a wealth of wine knowledge, which means that in no time our conversation drifted off to Burgundy. Japan is an importing country which has an objective outlook on all wine regions. With their elegant and sophisticated nature, the Japanese have always seemed to gravitate towards Burgundy. I don’t know much about being elegant or sophisticated, but I am right there with them with a love for the Cote de Orr. We did get back to discussing sales in Okinawa but at the end of our meeting I thought, who would be better than this man to ask for a restaurant recommendation for Saturday night when Thea and I are on our own.
“Do you like sushi?” he asked, “Sure, yes what do you recommend?” He looked at me like he was passing me an ace under the table, “there is a small place on the south end of Kyoto that prepares the best sushi in town. The amazing thing is, they have a great older Burgundy list that they have been collecting for years and they don’t mark it up too much either.”
This made me curious. I am a firm believer in Clive Coates number one rule, “Never pass up the opportunity to drink good Burgundy!” But with sushi? Really? I am thinking sake or a crisp white but not Burgundy. My new friend explained, “Absolutely, but there are a few things you must follow. First, it must be sashimi. No rice, no wasabi. Second, Burgundy must be mature and fully developed. This is important to match the textures of the fish. You will see." He graciously made us a reservation and then wrote the address and phone number on the back of his business card. I did thank him for his recommendation, but I would learn soon that I couldn’t thank him enough.
Heide was difficult to find. A small brownstone with no sign and no light. But with burgundy involved, well then… Upon entering, I was impressed with how modest the restaurant was. A 12-seat sushi bar with one table. And the kids were coloring at that one table. The bar was full except for 2 seats at the end. The proprietor/chef was eagerly waiting for us there pointing at our seats, welcoming us in Japanese. He clearly spoke no English. Thea and I had been all around the world in many places that didn’t speak English and yet we never starved. We knew we would manage even though her ability to speak 5 languages wouldn’t us help in Japan. Although the menu was all in Japanese, including the prices, the benefit of being at a sushi bar is you could point to what looked good. At the same time, our host was running around with a cheap sushi poster inviting us to select from there as well.
The wine list, however, was a problem. French producers and vineyards in Japanese… Maybe I could go down to his cellar and pick out a bottle, but what about the price? We all know Burgundy can break the bank if you are not careful. I can convert yen to dollars but not when the yen were in Japanese characters. I was stressed and it must have shown because to my delight help was on the way.
“All in Japanese huh?” I looked down the bar and thankfully at the end was a middle-aged man smiling at me while enjoying my puzzled look. Relieved I asked, “You speak English?”
“Yes, I speak good English. I have lived in Boston and taught at Boston College for 2 years.” Then came the magic words, “Can I help you with menu?”
He pointed out that on the second page were sushi plates 7 pieces for about $20, 12 pieces for $27, and 15 pieces for $35. In good fashion, Thea had the 12-piece sashimi, and I had the 15-piece. Perfect, now what about the wine list...
“Ooooh I don’t know these words,” I responded, “Try to pronounce them as best as you can. We can figure it out. I really appreciate your help.”
“Gevrey Chambertin. Top cru.” He read. OK, we are getting somewhere…
“By ‘Top Cru’ do you mean, Great Cru, Grand Cru, or 1st Cru?” I asked.
“Yes, Top Cru…. 1st Cru.” He responded.
“Great and vintage or year?”
“1985.” The Idea of enjoying a 1985 Premier Cru Gevrey Chambertin was fantastic but of course I had to ask the price. “Let me see, I can convert yen to dollars. It is about $120, is that ok?”
“Is that ok? For a 30 year old burgundy… I could kiss you!” I exclaimed.
“What?” I had confused him.
I backtracked, “No, never-mind, yes, it is a great price.”
It was the same routine for a ’90 Chambolle Musginy and a ’96 Vougeot. Though it was beautifully mispronounced they were still around the same price. The wine gods were smiling on me this day. We thanked our professor, selected the ‘85 Gevrey and eagerly waited for our meal to come together.
Preparation of our meal and the wine took long enough for me to contemplate the pairing that was so recommended to me. If not saki, the parings that I knew of for sushi were crisp, dry white wines. Low alcohol, no tannins, and of course, no oak. Loire Valley whites, both Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis and maybe dry light Rieslings, German not Alsatian. New World white wines might have oak and would have too much alcohol... meh. The few red wine pairings I’ve heard of always talked about lighter reds with lower alcohol and low tannins, maybe a lighter Oregon Pinot Noir or even a Rose. However, I never had much luck there.
It didn’t really dawn on me until I had my first taste of the ‘85 Gevrey. Being a well-aged wine, it opened up quickly. The aroma was as expected with amazing notes of faded roses, lavender, leather, an array of Christmas spices, as well as a touch of coffee. The flavors went on forever with dried red fruits, some rustic gamey notes, and more mulling spices. Perfect structure with some power and exquisite elegance. But here is the key! Because it was French the alcohol was below what many new world whites would have and because it was aged well, the beautiful silky tannins took backstage to all the incredible mouth-watering nuances that only burgundy can provide on occasion. And this was such an occasion. Lower alcohol and low hidden tannins in an elegant form. This could work!
Maybe the chef/host/proprietor didn’t speak a lick of English, but he certainly knew sushi and wine. Communicating with hand gestures, he understood why I was there and started us out with fatty tuna sashimi. And thanks to my new friend from Okinawa, I knew I didn’t even want to smell soy sauce or wasabi which was not a problem, he never offered them.
It was unbelievable how the Gevrey cut into the sashimi, wrapped around and entwined itself with the tuna. Uplifting, yet never overpowering, the sashimi itself was incredible. I didn’t know whether to close my eyes and feel my experience or just sit there and droll over the complex flavors I was tasting. In truth, I probably did both. The salmon was next, it seemed he was choosing oilier fish. I also loved the clam with the wine, its slight salty character was made for a fine red. I looked over to Thea and knew she was feeling it too. She had that smile going on that I recognize as, “This is something special, this is very cool!” She doesn’t describe it the same way I do, but Europeans don’t dissect their wines. They use non-quantifiable words like elegance, style, grace, and purity of flavors. To me this is what fine wine is all about. This is one of the reasons I love Europe (and of course Thea).
Time to share with my professor friend. “Would you and your wife like to try a glass?” I asked.
“My wife doesn’t drink, but sure, I would like to try a glass.”
I was thinking that if she doesn’t drink she clearly hadn’t spent any time in Boston so I poured him a single hefty glass of the burgundy and watched him as he took a sip.
“That’s goooooood!” The biggest smile of the day came from my new friend. “And it tastes very good with sushi. Maybe I will buy a bottle. Would you and your wife share it with me?”
I was thinking, fuck yeah, we would! but instead I replied, “We would be most pleased to share it with you.”
The ‘90 Chambolle Musigny (Top Cru of course) was brought out and served. We spent the rest of the evening toasting to his health, his lovely wife, and of course Boston and Boston College.
Once again, I have learned that these remarkable moments are so much more than the technical aspects of the food and wine. It was on a special day in a special place with new and old friends. The sun, the moon and the stars seem to line up to give us this gift. I have told this story to all of my friends and at least 6 of them have insisted on my guidance so they could repeat the story when they traveled to Kyoto. One actually texted me pictures of the Burgundy he was offered so I could help him with his choice. Of course I helped him, as this is a gift that must be shared.
Cheers,
Chris Upchurch