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Sommelier Jill Zimorski's Thoughts on the Albariño of Rías Baixas A good friend to Katie and Felix, wine consultant and fellow José An- drés alum Jill Zimorski knows the wines of Rías Baixas and its signature Albariño varietal well. As a sommelier at Andrés' D.C. restaurant Café At- lántico, where they all worked together (she also flew down to Asheville to help them open Cúrate), Zimorski spent six years getting to know Spanish wines and their pairing capabilities intimately, and she considers Albariño to be the best of Spain's whites. "Albariño is one of those rare wines that is very food-friendly, but doesn't need food to shine," she says, "very impor- tant when it comes to how to incorporate it into a wine program, because I can pour it by the glass and also feature a few on the wine list." To that end, Zimorski looks for differing styles when using Rías Baixas Albariño in different settings: lighter, crisper versions, like those from Val do Salnés along the coast for her by-the-glass offerings and the richer, rip- er styles, like those from the more southerly Condado do Tea and O Rosal regions, for her bottle lists. "One of the things I love most about Albariño as it relates to Rías Baixas is that with five distinct production areas, the region as a whole makes an incredible variety of styles that make one want to keep exploring the category." This breadth of styles also gives Zimorski the ability to work with different cuisines when pairing Albariño, an important attribute when she served as Wine Director at Chicago's Michelin three-star temple of gastronomy, Alinea, helmed by the visionary James Beard award–winning chef Grant Achatz. "Alinea's wine program was extremely regimented, and quite expensive," says Zimorski, "with clients expecting not just good wines, but good value for the money spent. If I wanted to include wines they may not usually consider pairing at our price-point with the multi- course meals we offered, I had to make sure that regardless of cost—mine or theirs—the wine was world-class. Albariño, particularly those that had ripeness and complexity from sur lie aging, fits in nicely." So, what are her overall impressions of the Albariño of Rías Baixas? "Rías Baixas Albariño, for me, should literally be considered one of the great white wines of the world," she says. "Along with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, Albariño personifies the characteristics of what makes a great white wine: balance, acidity and, most important, complexity. It also has an amazing ability to age, not something many people consider part of Albariño's lexicon." And does she have a favorite style she returns to? "I like them all," Zimorski says, "but my favorite styles are the riper, sur lie– aged styles. Their depth and com- plex flavor profiles make them simply wonderful with food." Almejas al Albarin ~ o Steamed clams with Rías Baixas Albariño, parsley, garlic and a little butter. ALBARIÑO IN ACTION: Cooking with Albariño from Rías Baixas is another way Katie likes to infuse authentic Spanish flavors into her dishes–even if this one's not on the menu at Cúrate! KATIE SAYS: "This dish is cooked with Albariño, so it naturally pairs well, plus the herbal notes of the parsley mimic those found in Albariño and the salinity of the clams is rounded out by the butter." FELIX'S PAIRING: "Martín Códax 2014 Albariño. Seafood is a classic pairing with this wine. The acidity will cut through the butter in the dish, while the stone fruit balances out the salinity." CLASSIC SPAIN: The Iberian pig is the tra- ditional breed of the domestic pig native to Spain, but it is the Ibérico de Bellota, or acorn-fed, that's known as one of the jewels of Spanish cuisine. KATIE'S INTERPRETATION: "We picked this dish to pair with the Albariño because it reminded us of the classic pairing of Austrian Grüner Veltliner with pork. Grüner and Albariño have similarities, and they both pair well with the pepper and fattiness of the pork." FELIX'S PAIRINGS: "Paco & Lola 2014 Albariño cuts through the fattiness of the pork, with slight pepperiness that matches the pork prepared simply with salt and black pepper or Santiago Ruiz 2015 Albariño for the same reasons, and also because the herbal notes of the wine pair nicely with the rosemary and thyme in the pork." Cerdo Ibe , rico Grilled Ibérico de Bellota pork with rosemary and thyme. Jill Zimorski is a wine consul- tant who is passionate about Rías Baixas Albariño. ■cr "Rías Baixas Albariño, for me, should literally be considered one of the great white wines of the world." f a l l 2 0 1 6 | 5 9