While wine still forms the backbone to most restaurant drinks programmes, there is a new breed of experts looking to take pairings beyond the traditional list. International drinks columnist Douglas Blyde has scoured the globe to find the people behind the liquid proposals that are looking at food pairings from a fresh perspective. From vines on Mars to fruit juice matches and fermentations, here are 11 of the most interesting drinks lists on the planet
Igni, Geelong, Australia
Drinks mastermind: Meg Conway
Known for: Fascinating fermentation and kefir
This small but acclaimed restaurant is located between the Surf Coast, the start of the Great Ocean Road, the lush Bellarine Peninsula and rural western Victoria. “One of the joys of being outside the city is having winemakers like Ray Nadeson of Lethbridge on the doorstep,” says Meg Conway, Igni’s sommelier. She is equally close to the area’s farmers, too: “Fruit comes off the tree and into your hands,” she says. Igni’s pairings are all focussed on retaining an ingredient’s ‘dignity’. “Honouring produce as a whole encourages creativity in creating ferments, infusions and tinctures,” says Conway. With care given to exact temperature and dilution, these accompany a surprise menu of up to 15 courses. “With an abundance of end-of-season broad beans, the outer pods, usually discarded, are infused into a water kefir creating a bright tart drink which I combine with macadamia oil and wattle seed cola for a cheese pairing.”
Such kefirs as this and the aromatic Otway mint version are more delicate than a kombucha or jun [a tea produced in similar way to kombucha but often fermented with honey]. “When you drink it with our tomato dish, it evokes the smell of harvesting tomatoes at home,” Conway explains. Also from Otway, Conway uses young pinecones, their yeasts active, to ferment drinks. Meanwhile, demijohns brimming with fruit from old wild trees inform fresh cider, then liqueur and finally cider vinegar over the course of the year, all of which are used for the restaurant’s table.
Excess whey from homemade cottage cheese is utilised in fermented sodas, flavoured with greengage pips. The kitchen’s main element is fire. “We lay a mesh hammock in the exhaust fan to gently smoke citrus or fruit peels, while from more intense fire roasting, pips and stones can be extracted into teas,” Conway concludes.
Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Drinks mastermind: Pablo Jesus Rivero
Known for: Making Argentina more than Malbec and meat
Pablo Jesus Rivero’s team invests three months per year blind tasting 3,000 samples to determine what is listed alongside cuts of Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle from La Pampa húmeda. Rivero, whose father and grandfather were livestock producers in Santa Fe’s Rosario, opened their bottle-lined restaurant in 1999 and last year, it was named The Best Restaurant in Latin America, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. All pairings at the leafy corner site feature Argentinian wines, although Rivero often reaches beyond merely matching meat with Malbec. Indeed, at one supper-club, Rivero married the menu wholly with sparkling wines including the Pét-Nat he makes with Nat Bule.
Rivero is particularly proud of his allocation of Volare de Flor’s ‘organically-aged’ Chardonnay from Mendoza’s Gualtallary, which he says “is a label I would never want to lose from my cellar” and flights from Francisco Bugallo in Barrial, representing “a different level and expression” to what has been done before in the province of San Juan. Wine, says Rivero, is intrinsic to Argentina’s culture, “and represents the family.” For guests wishing to abstain from booze, though, Rivero offers an interesting tangy, citric, green verjus.
Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
Drinks mastermind: Søren Ørbek Ledet
Known for: Impeccably considered juice pairings
For diners who have savoured “too many tasting menus over a short period”, Geranium’s nuanced, balanced, varied juice menu holds special appeal, says wine director and co-owner Søren Ledet. A pioneer in the cultivation of juice pairings in the city and co-owner of the restaurant currently ranked No.5 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Ledet believes the key to success is to devote as much time and thought to juice pairings as one would to wine selections. “As a former chef, I know that if the dish includes celeriac and thyme, an apple-based pairing would be a good option, while an oyster dish needs citrus, be it lemon, lime, orange or something emulating the acidity, such as sea buckthorn.”
Ledet considers the density and fat of a dish in determining whether to add moderating drops of oil. “Shake a juice over ice or add drops of an infused oil and you change the mouthfeel,” he says. Another technique involves roasting, burning or smoking “as a bridge” to create fresh flavour profiles. Glassware is given consideration, too. “In terms of acidity and sweetness and [it’s important to focus on] where the liquid first comes into the mouth,” he explains. With salted scallops, red beetroot and horseradish, Ledet developed the match of shaken green apple juice with lemon thyme oil. “When someone discovers a non-alcoholic pairing which is well done, it awakens an emotion...”
Saison, San Francisco, USA
Drinks mastermind: Mark Bright
Known for: Winery to table perfection
A short stroll from South Beach Harbour in the historic Electric Light Company building, Saison famously originated from the collaboration between chef Joshua Skenes and wine director Mark Bright. Bright is formerly of the Bellagio, Las Vegas, where he was first introduced to the “other worldly” wines that influence his forward-thinking pairing decisions at Saison, whose own winery he has developed. He works the harvest and creates blends at Saison’s own eponymous Napa vineyard, which released its first vintage in 2010, the year after Saison began as a Sunday-night-only pop-up in the Mission district. Resulting wines dovetail with a procession of plates, such as Pinot Noir from Regan vineyard with roasted quail.
From elsewhere, Bright has amassed an extensive collection of bold Beaujolais from Château du Moulin-à-Vent including “all the single vineyards and vintages since the Parinet family took over.” His most cherished bottle at Saison, a 50 Best list regular for many years, comes from further south in the Rhône, however, being Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 1988. When not at the restaurant, winery or operating a wine brokerage for Saison’s top clients, Bright takes cross-country road trips in an RV Mobile Home with his wife and two-year-old.
Story, London, UK
Drinks mastermind: Jonathan Kleeman
Known for: Creating parity between bar and cellar
“Sommeliers shouldn't neglect spirits,” says ‘director of hydration’ at Story, Jonathan Kleeman. “It’s all alcohol, guys – we should know both!” Previously, head sommelier at Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House in London, Kleeman refined his cocktail skills at the Blind Pig bar above the restaurant. With a dish by chef Tom Sellers (formerly of Tom Aikens, Noma and Per Se) of Orkney scallop, cucumber and ash, Kleeman developed the Gin Garden cocktail, featuring gin, elderflower, cucumber, mint and dill. He has also collaborated with the Talented Mr Fox cocktail lab to pair a Caviar Martini featuring Polish caviar-infused vodka and dry vermouth with cooked oyster, blood orange sabayon and caviar.
An enthusiast of natural wines, Kleeman prefers to list “elegant, fresh and showy” renditions rather than “funky” or overly weighty. He shares that Sellers, who “didn’t stop during the lockdowns”, plans to add a second storey to Story, allowing Kleeman to swell the wine list, including tasting-menu-only bottles. “A tasting menu is a true expression of chef’s food with no temptation to put on crowd-pleasing dishes for easy sales,” he explains.
Alo, Toronto, Canada
Drinks mastermind: Christopher Sealy
Known for: Organic, biodynamic and natural wines
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Despite its sleek appearance, Alo takes its name and inspiration from the old Latin for ‘nourish, maintain, feed and support’, according to sommelier Christopher Sealy. A former photographer, DJ and football player, Sealy first gravitated to drinks when working as a bartender in Paris. At Alo, he views his role as far more encompassing than simply “to pour wine and go home”. Hence his highly personal list is based on travels to date and meaningful meetings with winemakers.
Alongside the blind tasting menu dreamt up by chef Patrick Kriss, Sealy playlists nimble bottles. Rather than ‘blue chip’ wines which appeal predominantly to “staunch Burgundy acolytes or neophytes”, selections tend towards organic, biodynamic and natural. “We list wines which drink with pleasure in their youth, even though they will certainly give enjoyment over time,” he says. Sealy shares a comment he might use tableside: “Like a grumpy dad, if a wine is a bugger now, it will likely still be, as a grumpy grandparent, a bugger down the line.” Sealy tries to keep prices ‘democratic’, meaning, “anyone could save up for a special night at Alo.”
Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau, Switzerland
Drinks mastermind: Anna Junge
Known for: Celebrating locality
Anna Junge recalls the first wine she drank with her husband-to-be on their first date: “2007 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de Monts Luisants 1er Cru by Ponsot,” she rattles off, as if it were only yesterday. However, you are more likely to find her recommending a local wine to the regulars at the remote, fairy tale-esque 13th-century Schloss Schauenstein, which is the dining destination currently ranked No.50 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. “We always try to remind our guests – and ourselves – where we are and what the land around has given us,” says Junge. Hence, the presence of producers from the Bündner Herrschaft wine region a mere 20 minutes’ drive from the castle’s imposing steps.
Whether their vines are planted near or far, Junge knows all the winemakers on her list personally and offers a rapidly rotating selection with the menus of chef Andreas Caminada, who similarly celebrates local produce in all of his dishes. Not all dishes are matched with wine, though. Langoustine and lemon, “a classic dish from 2008 served as a surprise course”, might arrive at the table “with a small gin and mountain spring tonic”.
Folli, Stockholm, Sweden
Drinks masterminds: Béatrice Becher and Jonas Sandberg
Known for: An amazing array by the glass
Founded by Béatrice Becher and Jonas Sandberg, Folli wine bar, with its vast by-the-glass selection adjoins neo-bistro Voisine. Partners in business, Becher and Sandberg share a similar taste in décor and wine. “We wanted a warm, inviting space which will endure,” says Sandberg. Hence, flea market finds fit within a scheme of brass, marble, oak and concrete, “which will get more attractive over time.” Sandberg was head sommelier at the remote and now-shuttered Fäviken, with a stint at Gordon Ramsay’s London flagship, while Becher grew up in her family’s restaurant, “bussing tables aged 11”, later becoming an importing consultant.
Although classical wines feature in their selection, it is the discovery of humble wines which “blow us off our feet” that set the restaurant apart. Compared to Folli’s small plates, Voisine’s wholehearted dishes include grilled mussels with seafood bouillon, gherkins, apple and seaweed, matched, perhaps, with a saline Loire Chenin.
The accompanying musical playlist features albums only, always from vinyl. Upon Folli’s pastel pink walls, Mats Bäcker’s portrait shows Iggy Pop casually reading a newspaper. The vast majority of the wines are available by the glass, which gives visitors the opportunity to take a flight of drinks they might like to try, but wouldn’t want to commit to the purchase of a whole bottle.
Rebel Rebel, Singapore
Drinks mastermind: Miku Yamagishi
Known for: Japanese natural wines
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Inspired by the David Bowie song, Rebel Rebel sings to its own motto: ‘a mutiny in every glass’. This translates to “thought-provoking but fun wines,” according to sommelier Miku Yamagishi. Yamagishi began working for a Japanese multi-national after graduating from university. “Then a good friend started an izakaya in Namba, Osaka, and I offered my help, finding it much more exciting than my sedentary day job,” he says. When Rebel Rebel was in conception, Yamagishi’s name came up as someone who could represent the cellar with a fresh approach. “So I moved to Singapore and the rest is history,” he adds.
Among a worldly selection served in a space lined with wine growers’ portraits, expect indie and indeed old Champagnes alongside amphora-raised Friulians and Japanese wines. Of the latter, Yamagishi says, “Our guests want to try something unknown and new, such as 50% skin contact Fujimaru Glou Glou, made from Delaware, a variety from the USA.” Although Rebel Rebel doesn’t ‘do’ wine pairing, this complex pour might work with dishes such as devilled eggs with ikura and horseradish, or lamb ribs with Chongqing spice, realised by chef Deborah Yeo.
Masque, Mumbai, India
Drinks mastermind: Prateek Sadhu
Known for: An ayurvedic approach
Kashmir born executive chef and co-owner of Masque, Prateek Sadhu has been excited by India’s wines since undertaking a tour of its vineyards with the Taj group in 2006, which he recalls as “my baptism into the world of wine”. Expect several Indian wines to be listed, therefore, including parcels from Vallonné, and, come the restaurant’s fifth anniversary in autumn 2021, the announcement of a new producer partnership. Masque’s bar philosophy, meanwhile, draws upon the five vital elements thought to constitute all creation. “It stemmed from the similarities we drew between ayurvedic philosophy,” says Sadhu. “Like the food, drinks revolve around seasonal ingredients and house-made infusions, syrups, and mixers.”
Masque’s most popular cocktail, the Terra, features turmeric-infused gin while guests can select their own profile from the gin lab’s grid of seasonal botanicals which are infused, tableside, using a siphon. The team at this newcomer on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is constantly experimenting with new non-alcoholic drinks and ferments, too, such as the coffee hydrosol with green tea kombucha and smoked cinnamon ice cube, which changes the flavour from coffee to the smokiness of cinnamon as the ice melts.
Trivet, London, UK
Drinks mastermind: Isa Bal
Known for: From the first vines to Mars
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Isa Bal was born in 1971, “a great year for Alsace, Germany, Burgundy, Tuscany and Piedmont,” he says. He launched Trivet with chef Jonny Lake, with whom he worked at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, a member of the Best of the Best group of restaurants, for a dozen years. The crisp space near the overhauled London Bridge area was envisaged by architect Umay Cevilker, who is a contributing author to The World Atlas of Wine. Aside from Lake’s food and Cevilker’s design, both of which are masterfully precise, Bal’s ‘Cellar Book’ is the draw. Its contents are ordered by epoch, from 7000BC Georgia reaching t 3000AD, where Bal predicts that vines will be sown on Mars.
Bottles are often sustainably inclined with a renewed focus on natural wines from Austria. Notable is the absence of big hitter Champagnes, which Bal reasons can be found elsewhere. Meanwhile, care is lavished on sake and shōchū. One of Bal’s favourite matches is grilled veal sweetbreads with Maitake mushroom, pickled lingonberries and cumin with mature, Nebbiolo-like Turkish Prestige ‘Bogazkere’ from Kavaklidere Winery, near Diyarbakir. “The high tannin and acidity deals with the cumin to create a fresh fruitiness,” he says.
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