When George Siu and Park Heffelfinger opened their original Memphis Blues Barbecue House (1465 West Broadway, 604-738-6806) a decade ago this month, you would have been hard pressed to find any decent barbecue in Vancouver, let alone a clutch of good wines to go along with it.
The two read the writing on the wall as far as what lay ahead for fine dining in what seemed like recession-proof times. And they fostered the notion that wine should be approachable and fun, and devoid of snobbery-especially when paired with barbecue, at that time almost solely the domain of beer.
Heffelfinger's populist approach to wine came courtesy of the Vancouver Wine Academy, which he founded in 1993 with Mark Davidson. It was the first formal wine school in Vancouver.
Unlike too many restaurants that seem reluctant to do diners any favours when it comes to wine-pricing (read: gouge), Heffelfinger understands the importance of bringing good wines to the table and, more importantly, offering them at a fair price.
His chalkboard wine list is concise. Ask him the philosophy behind it and he'll tell you his three golden rules: Keep it eclectic, keep it inexpensive and keep it interesting.
He says it's important to streamline the wine list for the front line people who have to sell it. "We always have a consensus that these are the wines that we all like. As a result, the wines that go on the list are what everyone enjoys."
Although there's no shortage of food-friendly drops, from Gewurz to Pinot Gris and Grenache, there's always a good Riesling or two, which goes well with pork. "It tastes like Granny Smith apples," Heffelfinger explains. "It's like having a tart Granny Smith apple sauce with your pork."
Selbach QBA Riesling ($15.95 at B.C. Liquor Stores) fits the bill with its clean crisp style, apple notes and juicy, off-dry finish. As for B.C. Riesling picks, Heffelfinger likes Tantalus, Wild Goose and See Ya Later Ranch.
Coincidentally, one of the best food pairings we recently enjoyed was a late-night taste at Chambar, where small plates can be paired with a glass of interesting drops picked out by sommelier Robert Stelmachuck.
The match in question was a slam dunk pairing of lightly seared toro tuna with marinated sweet peppers in a perky jalapeno vinaigrette and crispy chorizo vinaigrette. OK, so what on earth is going to go with the richness of the tuna, the bite of the vinaigrette, the heat and the saltiness of the chorizo? Riesling! Stelmachuck's pick of the appletoned, off-dry Gruen '09 Rheingau proved to be the perfect partner. You can find it at Everything Wine for $21.99.
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A highlight of last weekend's Cornucopia in Whistler (aside from the mind-blowing spectacle of Masquerave) was the Painted Rock dinner in tony Four Seasons' Sidecut steak house. The Skaha Bluffs winery recently picked up some major accolades, including being ranked number one winery in B.C. and number three in Canada at the 2011 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards. The good news? If you're Whistlerbound in the next few weeks, you can cash in on the Four Seasons Sidecut's $35, threecourse menu (Wednesday to Sunday, until Dec. 11) with wines at half price. Could be worth the gas alone.
