Sea Scallop Entrée with Chehalem 2007 Stoller Vineyard Pinot Blanc is Brian’s Pairing of the Week

Weekly Wine Notes From Our Wine Steward, Brian Kemmerle

Bentley’s Wine Steward, Brian Kemmerle regularly offers his insight and experience to help select the perfect wine to accompany Chef Derek Ridgway’s dishes…….

This week’s featured pairing is with a new Sea Scallop entrée on the “Specials” menu. Six “dry” scallops are pan seared, drizzled with basil oil and served with black olive tapenade, herbed risotto and grilled asparagus. We have some delicately flavored and tender scallops with a herbal note, which would require a delicate white wine. Salty and strongly flavored tapenade, so we need something to refresh your palate. We would need a wine to cut through rich and full flavored starch like the risotto and a vegetable with a strong green flavor and some char,  which requires a wine with low or no tannins and no additional green flavors. My pick is the Chehalem 2007 Stoller Vineyard Pinot Blanc. This wine shows aromas of white flowers, mostly jasmine and barely ripe nectarine. On the palate with wine shows some richness and flavors of lemon zest, licorice and white pepper with some refreshing acidity.