Retailer wine selections: the Cheers National Wine Panel recommends a lineup of top food-friendly wines

Cheers, Nov-Dec, 2005

Increasingly, operators are being asked to pair wine with dishes they serve. To aide them in their search for the perfect match, we've asked our national wine panel to pick their favorite food friendly wines, and give us a sense of which dishes pair well with them. You'll find the full range of wines here, from sparklers and minerally whites to full-bodied reds and sweet finishers. As always, these selections include brief tasting notes, a numerical rating and the wine's suggested retail price (which varies market to market).

FIVE STARS

***** (97) Bollinger Special Cuvee Pinot Noir/Chardonnay NV (France). Seamless aromas of oatmeal and bread dough complemented by flavors of white chocolate and raw mushrooms; great length on the mid-palate with crisp racy acidity; pairs well with creamy wild mushroom risotto. ($56)

***** (97) Domdechant Werner Hochheim Domdechaney Riesling 2003 (Germany). "Erstes Gewachs" is the "grand cru" of Germany; the Werner estate has been family-owned since 1780; boldly aromatic with floral and tropical fruit notes, it totally coats the palate with fruit and creaminess; stunning; pair with grilled Northwest king salmon. ($45)

***** (96) Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 2001 (California). Smooth and elegant yet possessing enough soft tannins to make it approachable now and possible to cellar for 10 more years, as well; clean cherry flavors and a note of vanilla and toasty oak rounded out by cedar wood and tobacco; superb with rack of lamb, venison or rib-eye steaks. ($58)

***** (96) La Selvaccia Brunello 1999 (Italy). A dazzling display of truffles, mocha, anise, black currants and tar all swirled together in this exceptional Tuscan masterpiece; product of its incredible vintage and masterful winemaking, it's drinkable now and for the next decade. ($40)

***** (95) Poggio Le Coste Barolo 2000 (Italy). Exquisitely crafted and exceptionally complex, this beauty begs for a porterhouse or leg of lamb; wild berry flavors combine with sweet spices, lavender and rose petal to culminate in a full-sensory explosion on the palate; delicious now and sure to improve with a few years of bottle age. ($40)

***** (95) Domaine El Bordj Coteaux de Mascara A.O.G. 2000 (Algeria). What a delicious, food-friendly wine at an incredible price! A.O.G. (Appellation d'Origine Garantie) is the equivalent of France's A.O.C.; predominantly grenache and carignan; cinsault, syrah, mourvedre, cabernet sauvignon, alicante bouschet and local varieties are present; great with roasted leg of lamb and couscous. ($9)

***** (95) Ottella Lugana D.O.C. 2004 (Italy). Lugana is in Lombardy at the southern end of Lake Garda; made from trebbiano di Lugana; fragrant with floral and fresh pear notes; creamy on the palate with hints of melon and pineapple, crisp and dry on the finish; elegant; serve with crab vermicelli. ($18)

***** (95) Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles 1995 (France). A youthful wine, full bodied with citrus, honey and a pretty spicy component; rich and powerful yet perfectly balanced with an impeccable lengthy finish. ($75)

***** (93) 2 Up Shiraz 2004 (Australia). From the Kangarilla Road winery comes this delightful, less expensive shiraz named for a popular game of chance played in pubs throughout Australia; the wine is dense, dark and delicious. ($15)

***** (93) Rombauer Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Califomia). Rich, ripe and juicy flavors of berry, currant, plum, and blackberry, hints of pepper, and spice; super-smooth; serve with roasted duck or beef. ($44)

***** (93) David Bruce Sonoma Pinot Noir 2003 (California). Fantastic effort from David Bruce; elegant, fruit-forward, friendly, just plain yummy to drink by itself or with roast chicken, grilled veggies or with simple salmon and tuna. ($28)

***** (93) Fabula Rosso Monteregio 2003 (Italy). Aromas of cherry, black olives and forest; pronounced flavors of dark cherry and black olive abound in a crisp, medium-bodied package that shows abundant but beautifully integrated tannins; grilled lamb with rosemary and black olives are a seamless match. ($15)

***** (92) Murphy-Goode Snake Eyes Ellis Ranch Zinfandel 2002 (California). This is a huge zin with gobs of fruit, pepper and spice; will need a couple of hours airing out; long finish; have with a thick Tuscan steak or T-bone. ($39)

***** (92) Schramsberg Brut Rose 2002 (California). This flavorful, complex, and dry sparkler is well balanced with strawberry/raspberry flavors and subtle notes of creamy vanilla and spiced orange; grilled salmon with a selection of summer vegetables off the grill, or seared Ahi tuna with micro greens, and aged (2 to 3 years) Vermont Shelburne Farms cheddar are all excellent pairings. ($32)

***** (92) Giacomo Conterno, Barbera d'Alba 2001 (Piedmont, Italy). A guardian of traditional wine making, Conterno represents textbook barbera; lush and rich black cherry flavors abound, balanced with good acidity, good with pan roasted duck breast with an espresso fig sauce, chestnut puree. ($22)