Thank you Cafe Campagne

I've been wine crazy for a fairly short time. Yet, through much drinking and reflecting, my palate is slowly becoming a little bit more experienced and discerning.

Unfortunately, I’m also now more likely to notice when a restaurant lacks a decent wine list. Too often the wine offerings are sweet, structureless wines that compete with, rather than complement, the food.

So these days, I appreciate it when a restaurant has a good wine list. Even better is a place with an extensive selection of wine by the glass, which allows me the flexibility to pair wines by dish (and of course with The Wifey pregnant, it’s great to not have to buy an entire bottle just for myself).

Café Campagne is one such establishment; it has a great wine list, including an excellent by the glass selection. Additionally, the food is solid and the atmosphere is warm and comfortable.

My wife and I enjoyed a pleasant dinner at Café Campagne just the other day. I ordered a three course, fixed price meal starting with a bacon and onion tart, continuing with vinegar and honey braised chicken, and finishing with Munster cheese.

As I’ve said before, I like putting experts in control. So I asked the Sommelier to select me an Alsatian wine with each course. The relatively crisp and clean 2003 Edelzwicker Reserve Albert Boxler was very nice with the tart, and the tawny Port like 2000 Banyuls Cuvee Mediterranee
Domaine Pietri-Geraud was good with the cheese.

But my favorite wine of the night was the 2000 Pinot Noir Burlenberg Marcel Deiss. This wine gives you plenty of black cherry and smoke over a firm structure. It overpowered the chicken unfortunately, but was enjoyable none the less. This wine is better suited to rich red meat with mushrooms, or perhaps game.

Some web searching and an email to the old importer (New Castle Imports) led me to the NW distributor (Odom Corporation), which in turn directed me to Pike & Western Wine Shop. I ordered two bottles for $27 each, which should be in by Thursday of this week. I love it when a plan comes together.

For more on Domaine Marcel Deiss, check out Bertand Celce’s blog and Jamie Goode’s web site. For tasting notes on the 2000 Pinot Noir Burlenberg Marcel Deiss, visit Tom Stevenson and Stephen Tanzer. (Photo: The Stranger/Annie Marie Musselman)