For those of you keeping score, this is the third in a series of posts I’ve made about my unexpected opportunity to taste over 30 different wines from France, Spain, Italy and the USA ― all of which occurred over just six days in July 2024 and without me driving more than an hour from my house in Atlanta.

First, there was my return to Capolinea (a terrific restaurant that is reliably killing it), followed by a tasting at the not-quite-open-just-yet Vine Club in the buzzworthy West End Beltline District.

Dio and I first heard about this final event in our little mini-marathon in an Instagram post from The Chastain, which is a delightful, upscale neighborhood eatery that focuses on using locally grown seasonal ingredients (some of which come from their onsite garden). If you’re familiar with the notion of farm-to-table cuisine, kick that up a few major notches, throw in some seriously elevated service, and you’ll wind up with something close to this relaxed, three-meal-a-day destination.

The Chastain is one of our favorite restaurants in Atlanta, and we’d already dined there several times for both brunch and dinner. Over the course of those visits, Dio and I had gotten to know their Colombian-born Somm, Juan Fernando Cortés a bit. So, we immediately jumped at the opportunity to make a reservation for this six-course menu with wine pairings. It was a good thing we did, because it wound up being a highly anticipated affair that sold out completely soon thereafter. That may have been in part because these sorts of elaborate, paired menu tastings are not common at The Chastain. It’s more of a straightforward fine dining experience (with plenty of amazing wine).

In the Instagram post, the night was billed as “An Evening With: The Chastain, Expatriate and Canoe.” It was sponsored by Salty Magazine, and in addition to food prepared by The Chastain’s in-house chef, this was a chance to enjoy dishes created by the chefs from those two other exceedingly acclaimed restaurants.

Expatriate is an internationally acclaimed and famously convivial A-List cocktail lounge in Portland, Oregon, and Canoe is a high-end “farmed, foraged and fished” eatery in Toronto, Ontario that boasts a stellar quarter-century reputation and was recently named one of the top 253 restaurants in the entire world by Forbes Star Awards. The idea was that in addition to The Chastain’s Chef (and owner) Christopher Grossman, Chef Naomi Pomeroy of Expatriate and Chef Ron McKinlay of Canoe would all collaborate on this one-night-only meal.

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

We immediately began doing our homework on the chefs.

Before launching The Chastain, Christopher Grossman never went to a traditional culinary school, but he worked his way up the old fashioned way in the kitchens of bold, dedicated restaurants, eventually serving a stint at the famed The French Laundry in California (which I adore). He’s all about using sustainably raised, locally-sourced ingredients such as vegetables which ―in his words― “have never seen a refrigerator.”

Chef Naomi Pomeroy’s famed “drinking snacks” are served at Expatriate, which is located directly across the street from Pomeroy’s famed eatery Beast. In 2009, she was named one of America’s Top 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine, and by 2014 she’d been named Best Chef Northwest by the incredibly prestigious James Beard Foundation. She was subsequently featured on numerous high-profile TV cooking competitions as either a contestant or a judge, and is widely credited as being the person who almost single-handedly jumpstarted Portland’s now burgeoning food scene.

Canoe’s Executive Chef Ron McKinlay celebrates Canada by sourcing ingredients from Canadian producers, suppliers and gatherers and then using them in new, idiosyncratic dishes which are inspired by the wide range of landscapes and provinces across that country. Before Canoe, he traveled, trained and worked around the world, from Australia to the U.K. to the Middle East.

The Chastain had recently scored two major Michelin credentials. In both 2023 and 2024 they earned both a “Recommendation” (which is very close to earning a highly coveted Michelin Star, and is a designation given to outstanding establishments that use top quality ingredients which are prepared well) and a “Green Star” (which is only awarded to restaurants that demonstrate a serious commitment to ethical practices and sustainable gastronomy).

It's not uncommon for places which have received “Recommended” status from Michelin to move up to a full-blown Star status within just a few years, so it’s cool to get in on the ground floor of such an establishment, so to speak. So, yeah, to say we were looking forward to this meal was an understatement.

However, the day before the dinner, Dio just wasn’t feeling well and knew she would not be up to properly enjoying such a meal. She insisted I still go, and so I reached out to my friend Justin Sullivan, who also greatly appreciates fine food and wine. He and I are both part of a group called “Guys Wine Night” (or GWN for short) that meets once a month for an evening of ―you guessed it― food and wine. Justin travels frequently, but luckily, he was in Atlanta at that time and was into the idea.

Now, here’s where things take a bit of a tragic turn.

The following day, on my way to the restaurant, I learned that Chef Naomi Pomeroy had died in a drowning accident about a week before this event. Even though she and I had never met, her reputation preceded her, and she was a truly beloved figure in the American food scene. So, it was quite a sad and shocking development.

However, in just a week, the organizers had recalibrated this celebration of amazing food and wine into a bit of a celebration of her life and achievements. Which was touching, and about as nice a thing as one could imagine under such awful circumstances.

THE EVENT BEGINS

When Justin and I arrived at the restaurant and handed our cars off the valet, we were told to go around to the back of the building. This seemed odd, but this was described as a “Garden Welcome.”

Once there, they told us we’d have our choice of “welcome drinks” to enjoy in the garden and then later be shown to our seats. The options were Champagne or a cocktail. I chose Champagne (shocker) and Justin requested the cocktail, which he really enjoyed. Although it was served a bit warmer than I prefer, the NV Telmont Champagne Brut Réserve was a really good start.

(As always, feel free to check out my CellarTracker notes to read my full thoughts on all of the libations we tried that evening)

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After a few minutes, we were shown to our table, and at this point I should mention that for those who are reading this who’ve never had occasion to visit The Chastain, of all the restaurants I’ve been to in Atlanta, this one has the most “Napa-esque” vibe. By that I mean it has a low-key, farm-to-table aesthetic and architecture and a relaxed dress code and energy ― yet it’s still a very upscale place to dine with outstanding food and service.

I’m flipping through the menu, and on the back page there was a lovely dedication to Chef Naomi Pomeroy.

Now, I was unfamiliar with her work and her reputation before this meal, but throughout the night, as we talked to the staff, it was easy to see by the way they spoke of her that she must have been an incredibly talented and beloved person in that field. This was a rather somber start to the meal, but it did cause me to reflect, and to remind myself that it’s very important to live life to its fullest.

That means different things to different people. I suppose my version of “living life” is spending time with friends and family, and sharing great meals, great wines and experiences with them. This particular meal really drove home the point that none of us are promised tomorrow, you know? That point was further hit home a few weeks later when The Chastain made a touching follow-up post on Instagram, which read:

“A few weeks ago we had the honor of hosting a Salty Magazine Collaboration dinner with Guest Chef Ron McKinlay of Canoe Restaurant in Toronto. Despite more adversity than we could have imagined, our teams came together and recognized their potential to surpass expectations. The evening reminded us that when magic happens 1+1 can equal 3, and even more importantly, we should not take these experiences for granted. Do not ever forget to step back and appreciate every moment for what it is, be happy, stay positive, and regardless of what is thrown in front of you, with enough luck you’ll get an opportunity to solve more problems tomorrow, and hopefully make some memories along the way. A very special thank you to Chef Geeta of Salty Magazine and the ACVB teams for bringing Chefs together to create these memorable experiences.”

Once I saw the page of the menu which detailed the wines we’d be trying that night, my anticipation for this meal and its pairings soared. You see, as much as I love New World wines from Napa, Sonoma, Washington State, etc…, the wine which first got me into this culture was an Old World one: an amazing First Growth Bordeaux which I had back in 2006. So, truly, my heart is still drawn to Old World wines.

That’s what I go for first when I’m thinking about what I’d like to drink. Lo and behold, there was nothing but Old World wines on the menu, from France, Italy and Spain. It was awesome.

Some of them I was unfamiliar with, but one of the main reasons I like doing wine pairings is I enjoy discovering new wines and intriguing pairings I would never have known about and likely wouldn’t have come up with myself. And knowing that Juan the Somm had helped put this together made it even more exciting. Dio and I had both been extremely impressed in the past with his knowledge and attention to fine detail. But don’t take our word for it. He’s received serious recognition for what he’s been doing there at The Chastain.

In 2023, Juan won the highly coveted Michelin Guide Sommelier Award for Atlanta. That’s the first one they’ve ever handed out in this city. There’s a very cool interview he gave around the time of that recognition, which you can read here.

THE MEAL BEGINS

For starters, they brought out tater tots(!), bread and a fig dish. As far as I’m concerned, the house-made bread at The Chastain is the best in the entire city. And this fig dish was perhaps the tastiest fig I’ve ever had in my life.

Then it was time for my second champagne pour. The NV Gaston Chiquet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs d'Aÿ was served nice and cold (my preferred temperature) and boasted green apple notes.

The next wine we tasted was a 2022 Fanny Sabre Bourgogne-Aligoté that was described by the server as being made from “the other white grape of Burgundy.” Aligoté is a much rarer grape than Chardonnay (which is by far the dominant varietal in that corner of the world), and according to him, Fanny Sabre is considered one of the finest producers of these grapes. Here’s a short clip of him explaining this to us as he pours this wine from a Magnum.

It was really cool to taste a type of wine from Burgundy I’d never had before, and it paired wonderfully with one of the restaurant’s staple dishes, “Vonnie Sprouts,” which is kind of exclusive to them, and something that Dio and I get often.

This was followed by a 2023 Chêne Bleu Rosé from the Southern Rhône in France. This was a wine I’d had before at a wine pairing at Atlas, and I’d really enjoyed it. But what I found really intriguing was how the pasta dish which it was paired with on this evening interacted negatively (to my palate) with this particular Rosé. When I had it at Atlas, I’d given this same wine an extra point when it was paired with that dish. But in this case, while I really enjoyed both the pasta and the wine on their own terms, when paired together, there was just too much of an acidic taste for my liking. So, I dropped it a point when in tandem.

In other words, the combination of this specific dish caused me to enjoy this really great wine just a bit less. It’s fascinating how wine and food interact with each other in (sometimes) unpredictable ways.

Again, taste is subjective, and your own mileage may vary. But to be fair, this was the only gastronomic bump in the road for the entire evening.

Next up in this six-course extravaganza was another wine from Burgundy: a 2022 Domaine Sylvaine & Alain Normand Bourgogne Blanc. For me, this was the best pairing of the entire meal. That’s notable because I wound up receiving a completely different course and wine than Justin. Because of my seafood allergy, they had prepared a corn soup for me, and Juan chose an alternate wine for me that he felt would be a better match for my soup.

It was like Juan “called an audible.” He even came over to the table himself to explain the situation. According to Juan, this Bourgogne Blanc was “brighter” than the Val De Mer Chablis that others received with their seafood. I felt this pour was nicely balanced with a good amount of acidity.

GOING INTO THE RED ― IN A GOOD WAY

Starting with the next course we moved over to the meats, Which meant we shifted to red wines. First up was a lamb dish, which was matched with a 2018 I Custodi Etna Ætneus from Sicily. Actually, it was from Mount Etna, to be specific. This wine was fairly spectacular, and I think I need more Etna in my life! Up to this point, I would say this dish was the most visually attractive. See how colorful it is in the pictures below.

The wine was bright red, with tons of fruit and refined tannins. It was served a bit cooler than I might normally prefer, but in hindsight I think the temperature enhanced the flavor of the wine. For me, this was the WOTN (Wine of the Night), and two days later at a Sommelier Guild of Atlanta event I was still raving about it. Another Somm Guild member overheard me and chimed in that he’s a huge fan of wines from Etna. He wound up offering a lot of neat information about the various producers from that area that he collects. He also let me know which ones can be found in Atlanta. So again, great insight into the world of wine can come at any time. Before this, I wasn’t really familiar with Sicilian wines at all, but now I’ve got this good info to go on and I’m going to seek out more wines from that area.

TURF & TURF?

The second (and final) savory course was a “Surf & Turf” dish. At least that’s what Justin and (I assume) everyone else received. However, due to that pesky (see what I did there?) seafood allergy of mine, I was served what was jokingly referred to as “Turf & Turf”: Steak, Steak, potatoes, onions, etc… It was all cooked perfectly, which did not surprise me. I’ve come to expect that from The Chastain. They reliably do a great job on steak, and more often than not that’s what I order when I’m there. This course was paired with a 2011 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia that offered up notes of stone fruit and cherry. A really delightful wine that blended nicely with my dish.

HEADING FOR THE FINISH LINE

How do you cap off such an impressive array of dishes? Well, how about with two (!) dessert courses?

The first was based around the flavors of caramel, fennel and peach and was so beautiful and artful in its presentation that I’m just going to let the descriptive video I took speak for itself.

Elaborate, no? It was paired with a 2010 Château Rieussec, which is a French dessert wine which hails from its namesake region in a section of Bordeaux called Graves. The grapes used to make this kind of sweet wine have been partially raisined from a fungus known as Noble Rot. This concentrates and alters the flavor of the wines they are used to create.

The second dessert course was also very good. I’m a huge fan of chocolate, so for me, the little chocolate bites they brought out were a perfect end to this amazing meal.

Justin and I had been there for several hours, which gave us plenty of time to get to know each other better, as we’d only hung out briefly a few times earlier in the year at group events. It was good to have some quality one-on-one time with him and hear about his travels and what he’d been up to since we’d last spoken.

THE FINAL VERDICT

Other than that one pairing which didn’t suit my palate, this was a terrific meal and tasting. Justin agreed, saying that he’d been to The Chastain many years ago, but that this meal was on another level entirely. It was so impressive it actually surprised him, and he wound up rating it as one of the best meals he’d had all year. I’d have to agree.

Much later, as I was preparing this post, I reached out to him to see if it was cool for me to include his name in this writeup, and he was so enthused that he texted me back, “Hell yeah!” He then added that he had fallen back in love with The Chastain and had returned there on his own twice since we’d been there for the pairing dinner.

The more I think about it, it was truly fantastic to have this unplanned hang with a new friend and to also get to know Juan the Somm a bit more. He came to our table several times throughout the night and couldn’t have been nicer. Plus, he volunteered all sorts of serious wine knowledge. I’m very glad I know Juan.

Now, with all that being said, I must admit that I was initially surprised that only two red wines were included in this pairing. Five or ten years ago, that might have actually bothered me! A decade ago, I always used to say, “I avoid drinking white wine so I can drink more red wine.”

But at this point in my wine journey, as I experience more styles which are outside of my comfort zone of dry red wines, I am finding that I’m really loving a wide variety of white wines, Rosés, sparkling and even dessert wines. If I could do it all over again, I would sit myself down and give myself a good talking to. Because I am certain I missed out on a ton of great wines due to that narrow approach.

I’ll leave you all with this thought: For anyone out there reading this who feels they only like red wine, I would submit that you probably just haven’t found the great white wines out there that you would greatly enjoy.

Well, I did it. Over 30 top-notch wines and impressive live experiences in six days, all within a short drive of my house. Atlanta did itself proud this week. Here’s to the next great meal at The Chastain…

Go to My Tasting Notes

Six-Course Pairing at The Chastain: “Juan” For The Ages!