CleverRoot

f a l l 2 0 1 7 | 4 7 The menu at The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle changes daily, but it consistently sets a table with pure ingredients from both land and sea. Executive Chef Bobby Palmquist was introduced to Provence rosé nearly a decade ago and has been drawn to these wines ever since. "Provence rosés are great with food and great alone," avows Chef Palmquist. "They are consistently more nuanced than New World rosés; there are more things going on in the bottle! New World rosés tend to be alcohol-heavy and just . . . big. That's not something I look for when I drink wine." Chef Palmquist paired Commanderie de la Bargemone rosé from Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence with a grilled tomato and nectarine salad atop a rye bread crouton laced with a tangy smear of shiso aioli. Châ- teau Routas rosé from Coteaux Varois en Provence had the weight to carry grilled sardines topped with walnut/parsley/shallot relish, while Château Barbanau L'Instant rosé from Côtes de Provence had enough vibrant acidity to marry with smoked lardo accented by marionberries and agresto. "I work so that there isn't a cacophony of flavors in a dish," says Chef Palmquist. "The tomato salad, for example, only has four ingredients, but each one is chosen for a reason. A lot of thought goes into making everything come together on the plate as one. And wine should contrast or complement. The fat of the lardo is contrasted by the acidity in the berries and in the wine. Yet the wine plays to the same weight as the pork and the wine's tart grapefruit and red nectarine fruit pairs well with the fruit in the dish. There is an underlying similarity of flavors and both contrast and congruency in this dish." All the flavors echo, and the ingredients are orchestrated that way. "The different regions in Provence offer such a diverse array of rosés [that] should be people's everyday wines," Chef Palmquist says. "There should never be a 'season' for drinking rose: It's a great wine year-round." Bobb Palmquis, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER, SEATTLE, WA photos by Joann Arruda Château Barbanau L'Instant rosé's vibrant acidity married well with smoked lardo accented by marion- berries and agresto. Château Routas rosé from Coteaux Varois en Provence had the weight to carry grilled sardines topped with walnut, parsley and shallot relish. Chef Palmquist paired Commanderie de la Bargemone rosé from Coteaux d'Aix-en- Provence with a grilled tomato and nectarine salad atop a rye bread crouton laced with a tangy smear of shiso aioli. ■cr

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