Wine Dinner III: Chive Kitchen

I'd only been there once before, but Chive Kitchen, in Farmington, MI, is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.  The menu is almost entirely (aside from some cream available for coffee) vegan, and ENTIRELY fantastic.  They have a variety of amazing food, which I doubt most people would recognize for vegan, and a wonderful bar as well.  Naturally, I was very curious to see what pairings would arise!

It's not something they normally do (although I very much hope they'll start), but they were very accommodating of my quest for wine/dinner pairings.  I talked with the bar manager, Annmarie Zaremba (who, by the way, was fantastic - very patient, and completely fantastic, and went out of her way to help me with this project), and we came up with some wines to pair with what I felt like eating.

Acorda Soup with Pardavalles

First up was Acorda Soup (Traditional Portuguese bread & garlic soup with Swiss chard) with Pardavalles wine.

Pardavalles (Albarin Blanco Tierra de Leon, Spain 2014; indigenous grape Albarin Blanco) - Tart, dry, fruity nose.  Immediate mouth watering.  Slightly mineral.  Very tart and acidic on the tongue.  Slight apricot flavor.  Crisp, full of flavor.

With the soup:  The soup is very garlicky, tofu on top, with savory flavors.  The acidity in the wine pairs very nicely; it almost cuts through the garlic, and melts.  VERY good pairing.  Spoon, sip.  Spoon, sip.  Repeat.  Awesome.

Next up is the Mushroom Pasta, paired with the Pedra Pasta.

Mushroom Pasta (Gemelli pasta, cremini, oyster, enoki, leeks, zucchini, smoky cream sauce, finished with lemon zest, parsley, toasted pepitas & toasted breadcrumbs)

Pedra Basta Alentejano:  Spicy nose.  That spiciness continies, with great tannins; not too much, but not too little.  Definitely high alcohol, but not overpowering.  Dark flavors; leather, tobacco, oak.  Very full body, & fills the mouth & palate.

W/Mushroom Pasta:  The pasta is very earthy and savory.  The wine has a very different flavor... It doesn't really meld or compliment at all; it more clashes.  The pasta is delicate, the wine full-bodied.  It drowns out the pasta.

Thankfully, after talking with Annmarie, she offered a different wine to pair! I didn't try this one on its own, but with the wine , it was much better! Not nearly as full bodied a wine, and the fruitiness complements the (very) earthy pasta well.  THIS is the good pairing.

Chocolate pudding (dark chocolate fnished with Michigan cherry sauce)

Next up is the chocolate pudding dessert, paired with the Los Dos Grenache/Syrah blend.

Los Dos Grenach/Syrah:  Dry nose, with bits of dark fruit.  Cherry notes evident; quite tannic as well.  Mouth dry; wow.  Very tannic.  Delicious though.

It blends very well with the cherry and chocolate in the dessert.  The cherry notes in the wine just combine perfectly with the dessert.  The wine makes the chocolate feel like cherry-covered chocolate.  Or chocolate covered cherries.  Even without the actual cherries present.  It's amazing.  Wonderful together; both are better for the pairing.

Altogether I had a wonderful experience.  I can't thank the wonderful staff at Chive Kitchen enough.  They were wonderful, and helped me pair their food with the wine.  Solidified as one of my favorite restaurants, I'll definitely be back, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food (and wine!)