Sommelier Smackdown

To the winer goes the spoils

By TYLER BALLIET

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Every month at Gordon's Fine Wine and Culinary Center in Waltham, two wine heavyweights from the biggest restaurants in Boston do battle. Louis DiBiccari and Ian Grossman from Sel de la Terre prepare a four-course feast of curveball dishes, and the sommeliers have only four minutes to pick a wine from Gordon's inventory to best match the food. Votes cast by a crowd of paying, tasting spectators ultimately declare the winner. Sandy Block, master of wine and VP of Beverage Operations at Legal Sea Foods, was in attendance at the most recent Smackdown.

THE CONTESTANTS:

The challenger, Michael Meagher, from the French wine meccas of L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre: Lean and mean, he can smell cherry aromas from over 100 yards. The reigning champion, from the mixed drink capital of Kenmore Square, is Eastern Standard's Erin O'Shea. She can tame any Sox fan with a glass of white wine.

COURSE ONE: GRILLED MARINATED TRAP SQUID "PANZANELLA"

Four minutes after tasting, O'Shea raced back with the 2006 Prieure de Montezargues Tavel Rosé ($20), but Meagher took the win with the crowd's and Block's preference, the 2005 Val de Sil Valdeorras ($17) white.

COURSE TWO: PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ASPARAGUS, BLACK CURRANTS + SPRING-DUG PARSNIP EMULSION

Snap! Although Block plays down the difficulty of pairing wine with asparagus, this is no easy task. The contestants furiously search the store while our over-caffeinated chef, DiBiccari, states, "Emeril I am not." He plates the food and explains, "I do have a lot of Rachael Ray in me." He quickly retorts, "But just the good parts." O'Shea returns with the 2006 Lurton Vale de Uco Pinot Gris ($9) and Meagher with the 2006 Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Rosé ($16). Block gives his two cents and disagrees with both selections, but chooses Meagher's selection as the lesser of two evils. The crowd agrees.

COURSE THREE: CHEESE

Grossman hums, "They don't take the funk, they live the funk," as he whips out a smelly, Chimay-washed cheese and places it next to a French camembert. His evilness continues as he places polar-opposite vegetable and fruit jams beside the cheese. Stumped, the sommeliers taste, then dash through the store. O'Shea returns with a bottle of Dow's Fine White Porto ($14) under her arm. "They're too cold," she whispers. Meagher opts for the big guns of the 2005 Paso Robles Ridge Zinfandel ($32). Block is definitive in his dislike of both wines, but the tasters overwhelmingly side with O'Shea.

COURSE FOUR: CHOCOLATE FONDANT CAKE WITH SPICED STRAWBERRIES

The cake was topped with the berries and a blue cheese whipped cream. O'Shea opts for the sweet and sparkling Coppo Passione Brachetto d'Acqui ($29), while Meagher goes for the crisp Bugey Cerdon Sparkling Rosé ($19). Block states that wine should be sweeter than the food when pairing desserts, and his—and the crowd's—blessing goes to O'Shea.

THE VERDICT:

After the last bite of cake, plates are cleared, ballots collected and votes tallied. In the end, the tasters vote for O'Shea's selections. She holds her title as reigning champion! "They should hang my jersey from the ceiling," she jokes. Next month, she'll return to the stadium to battle Matt Reiser of UpStairs on the Square. [Thu. 5.8. 894 Main St., Waltham. 781.893.1900. 7pm/$65. gordonswine.com]

FOR MORE INFORMATION: THESECONDGLASS.COM