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Digging Down Into Alta Bistro’s Wine Cellar With Co-Owner/Sommelier Eric Griffith

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by Treve Ring | If it’s hard to believe that Whistler’s Alta Bistro turns 7 this year, it’s harder still to imagine the mountain town’s dining scene without it. When Eric Griffith and Edward Dangerfield launched the restaurant back in 2010, sustainability was the key in everything from the French-inspired, locally sourced fare and the carefully and conscientiously edited international wine list all the way down to the pine beetle-damaged wood tables. The original, modest list has grown over the years, but Griffith’s guiding principles still show steady in its current incarnation. Recently, I took the opportunity to ask him about what he now has LISTED…

How many wines on your list? About 200.

How is your list organized? Varietal/Region/Country.

What one wine are you most excited about right now on your list? Domaine Piron Lameloise Chenas “Quartz” 2014.

What’s the top selling wine on your list? Road 13 Syrah Malbec, Oliver.

What’s the newest arrival to your list? Domaine Latour-Giruad Bourgogne Blanc 2014

The one product you will never list? De-alcoholized wine.

Money/availability is no option. What one wine would you list? DRC [Domaine de la Romanée-Conti].

Your fave food/beverage pairing currently in your restaurant? Elk Tartare & Foie Gras Parfait with a glass of Bott-Geyl “Les Elements” Gewurztraminer 2013 – die and go to heaven.

Favourite wine list in Vancouver? Mission in Kitsilano.

Your top food/wine pairing tip? Pay attention to acidity of the wine against the food to create balance and harmony on the palate to keep the mind focused on what is next.

MORE LISTS, OTHER CELLARS

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