8 2 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t
Antonio Abizanda, Chef/Partner of La Grotta in Atlanta, presents
the grilled beef tenderloin in gorgonzola crema that accompanied
Murrieta's Well Cabernet Franc 2014.
Murrieta's Well Merlot 2014 alongside
polenta with Italian sausage, roasted peppers
and caramelized onions at La Grotta.
PHOTO:
JENA
ANTON
PHOTO:
JENA
ANTON
Daring Pairing at
La Grotta in Atlanta
While designing pairing menus at this cel-
ebrated fixture for Italian cuisine, Managing
Partner Christian Favalli starts by honing
in on the nuances of the featured wines.
That sharp focus on specific characteristics
made for some bold matches at the five-
course Murrieta's Well wine dinner hosted
by La Grotta. The menu included Favalli's
personal favorite: The Spur alongside
risotto with scallops, porcini, mascarpone,
truffle oil and balsamic reduction. Shellfish
notwithstanding, he said, "the earthiness
of the dish paired extremely well with the
terroir-driven red blend." But his team also
dared to pair notoriously wine-unfriendly
asparagus with the strawberry-toned Dry
Rosé and a dessert of vanilla-bean crème
brûlée with the oak-touched The Whip—
proving Meyer's point that his wines are
designed to "appeal broadly with a lot of
different dishes."
