Page 138 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

A P E R F E C T M A T C H

Oysters With Grüner Veltliner

he Port of Houston is one

of the nation’s largest, sec-
Tond in volume only to that
of southern Louisiana. Along with
the freight that passes through

Houston’s docks, myriad cultures
have filtered into the city. This di-
versity is on vivid display in the lo-
cal food scene, where, alongside
Tex-Mex, barbecue and steak, there

are options for Vietnamese pho; ko-
laches, the Tex-Czech filled bread
specialty; Cajun po’ boys; Mexican
tamales; and Bavarian sausage.

In 2015, when restaurateur Ford
Fry pitched chef Bobby Matos on
his idea of opening a neighborhood
spot that would showcase many of
the city’s cuisines on the same sea-

sonal menu, “I thought he was
high,” Matos says. Yet five years on,
State of Grace is serving happy cus-
tomers a steady diet of gumbo, cacio

e pepe, Oaxacan queso, Spanish
grilled octopus, German schnitzel
and Nashville hot chicken.
Is there a common thread tying
together this culinary patchwork?
To Matos, the sense of freedom

that State of Grace inspires might
be that unifier: “Maybe it’s the
choices that hold it together,” he
reflects. Recently, a couple came

in and ordered a cheese enchilada
and 2 ounces of caviar. “That’s the
WINE PAIRING
weirdest combination I’ve ever
These buttery, briny, herb-flecked oysters call for a white wine that balances fruit fla-
heard of,” he says. “But whatever vors with mineral, herb and spice notes, offering a hint of richness to match the weight
makes you happy, you know?” of the butter and oyster meat. A fuller style of Grüner Veltliner or an Albariño would be

As a chef, Matos enjoys putting ideal; dry Alsace Riesling or white Bordeaux could also work.
“a little intrigue into something CHEF’S PICK Knoll Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wachau Loibner Ried Loibenberg 2017
that’s really quite simple.” That
WINE SPECTATOR PICKS Nigl Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich Freiheit 2017 (92,
approach is on vibrant display in $20), Bodegas As Laxas Albariño Rias Baixas 2018 (91, $22)

the wintry roasted oyster dish
shown here. The Japanese season- Bobby Matos
ings togarashi (a dried chile blend) and furikake (dried fish flakes and of Excellence. His choice, Knoll’s Loiben- State of Grace
seaweed) are spun into butter along with Parmesan, garlic, parsley, berg cuvée, bears the Wachau region’s high- Houston
Award of Excellence
lemon zest and sea salt. Oysters on the half shell are topped with the est of three quality designations, smaragd,
butter, then cooked until it is melted and bubbling. which uses the ripest grapes available.
“I think there’s a lot of potential in playing on those aromatics,” ob- Though the grapes are vinified dry, their ripeness imbues the wine TOP: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLIST: MONICA PIERINI; BOTTOM: JULIE SOEFER
serves general manager Matt Crawford, who pairs the dish with a Grüner with a measure of depth that’s just right for these oysters, Crawford
Veltliner from the restaurant’s list, which holds a Wine Spectator Award says. “[There’s] lots of richness, tons of flavor and intensity encapsu-

lated in each one of these shells,” he notes. “You need a wine that’s
GET THE FREE RECIPE not going to just limp into that, that can stand up to it, that really plays
AND VIDEO on those green herbaceous aromatics and savory components.”
WineSpectator.com/PerfectMatch022920
—Hilary Sims

132 WINE SPECTATOR • JAN. 31 – FEB. 29, 2020