America's Pairing Meccas
Crabtree's Kittle House; Chappaqua, NY
Wine director Glenn Vogt's 6,000-bottle list and 60,000-bottle cellar are almost insanely huge, a nice counterpoint to Bradford McDonald's precise New American cooking.
1 of 5
La Toque, Napa
Napa Valley's best pairing spot happens to be in a Westin hotel. Chef Ken Frank and wine director Scott Tracy's brilliant combinations (like quail with chestnut gnocchi and premier cru Pommard) are unmissable.
2 of 5
Alinea, Chicago
Sommelier Joseph Catterson comes up with incredible pairings for each of the 25 courses on chef Grant Achatz's avant-garde tasting menus, a daunting task, especially when the dishes includes things like red-pepper taffy and hyacinth vapor.
3 of 5
Quince, San Francisco
Quince's superstar wine director, David Lynch, and chef Michael Tusk invite top winemakers to spend time "in residence" creating special pairing dinners.
4 of 5
Frasca; Boulder, CO
Master sommelier Bobby Stuckey brings the staff on an annual eating-and-drinking sojourn to Friuli. For the customer, that means excellent pairing advice.