Ask a Sommelier - Vegetables and Wine with Ubuntu's Daniel Sarao

by Pervaiz Shallwani, Posted Jun 18th 2009 @ 2:00PM

Ubuntu Sommelier Daniel Sarao
Photo: Michelle Branton

At Ubuntu, Napa Valley's acclaimed vegetarian restaurant slash yoga studio, it falls to wine director and general manager Daniel Sarao to find harmony between the lush bounty of on-site gardens and a vino list sparkling with biodynamic sips.

The son of Italian immigrants who taught him an appreciation for wine, Sarao put himself through college and grad school working at restaurants, cutting short a trajectory towards a liberal arts Ph.D. for the life of a full-time oenophile. We chatted with him about the myths around pairing wine with veggies (yes, you can drink red!), the wonders of caramelizing and five inexpensive summer sippers to pair with grilled veggies.

Are you a vegetarian?
I am not a vegetarian. The chef is not a vegetarian and neither is the owner. But we believe that vegetables can stand on their own. We are breaking the stereotype.

How much of what you serve comes from your garden?
Right now we get about 75 to 80 percent of our ingredients from [our garden]. Our goal is to get almost everything from there. It makes an amazing difference. Squash and peppers are [in season] right now.

Learn more, plus five great wines for under $25 to pair with vegetable dishes, after the jump.

What are some misconceptions people have about wine and veggies?
That vegetables are paired only with white wine. That's probably the biggest. Also, that you can't have a bold wine.

Are there rules to pairing wines with vegetables?
There are fewer rules than people think. If I was painting with broad strokes, I would say you want to look at the fruit component in the wine; second, the weight; and third, the acidity. Acidity is a connector between wine and food. You want something that has enough acidity. The more complex the food, the more acid you want.

How would you go about pairing if you were grilling a basic squash or pepper?
If I was keeping it light and crisp -- just olive oil, salt and pepper -- I would move to something light like a Sauvignon Blanc or a rosé. [Those vegetables have] a pretty simple flavor. The oak with Sauvignon Blanc adds a little bit more weight since you are caramelizing [by grilling].

So a very light white like a Pinot Grigio wouldn't work?
When you caramelize a vegetable you are adding flavor and bringing out weight. Pinot Grigio is not going to stand up to the caramelization. The food is just going to go over it. Unless you want something to clean your palate, you want something more.

What about when adding spices or say, balsamic vinegar?
When I think grilling, if you do a balsamic of something with a little bit more weight or a dense or rich sauce to it, this is where you look for a red. For us here, we use a lot of spices like vadouvan and things that build structure around the vegetable.

Below are Sarao's five favorites under $25 with his tasting notes. From a Sauvignon Blanc for simply grilled peppers to a medium bodied Côtes du Rhône for spicy or heavily sauced veggies, they sound like welcome additions to the party for vegetarians and carnivores alike.

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Gamble Family Vineyard, Yountville, Calif: "A touch of oak, medium bodied with a touch of oak to stand up to caramelization you get from grilling with citrus notes to help finish it off."

2008 Languedoc Rosé, Château de Lascaux, Coteaux du Languedoc, France: "It's a Grenache-Syrah blend, light bodied and sweet, with a dry mineral finish."

2007 Gruner Veltliner, Hopler, Burdenlend, Austria: "Relatively dry notes, apple and pear and a white pepper finish that mixes well with the caramelization from grilling and spices you add to vegetables for grilling."

2005 Pinot Noir, Campion, Santa Lucia Highlands, Central Coast, Calif.: "This is a little more forward fruit, strawberry, raspberry, a little plum. On the finish a little bit of a tea characteristic and smoke."

2005 Côtes du Rhône, Domaine la Millière, Southern Rhône, France: "Dark cherry, little bit of prune plum, medium bodied. Wonderful spice finish. I think baking spices, a little bit of nutmeg, a little bit of anise."

Filed Under: Drink Recipes, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants
Tags: ask a sommelier, AskASommelier, Daniel Sarao, DanielSarao, sommelier, ubuntu, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian food, VegetarianFood, wine, wine pairings, WinePairings, wines