Apart from happy guests, top resorts also accommodate the finest wines and foods.

Crafted amidst 12-million-year-old granite boulder formations on 1,300 acres in the Sonoran Desert foothills of Carefree, just north of Scottsdale, The Boulders, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, is a premier hospitality destination and a destination itself for superlative cuisine and spirits. Bernard Philippe, the resort’s Director of Food & Beverage, has selected six wines to pair with selections at the Palo Verde Restaurant, adjacent to the sixth golf fairway and the duck pond. (The Southwestern-style bistro is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for hotel guests and visitors.)

•  The Erath single-vineyard Leland Pinot Noir from Oregon complements the herb-roasted half chicken. “The slight sweetness and touch of pepper come out of this wine very well balanced and pair nicely with the earthy flavors of the artichoke and asparagus along with chef’s seasonings on the poultry,” he says.

• For the Blue Hill Bay mussels, Philippe recommends Oyster Bay Chardonnay. “This outstanding wine from New Zealand is ‘unoaked’ and pairs perfectly, allowing the mussels to come through very clean and brings out the natural flavors of the chardonnay grape from this region,” Philippe says. 

•  The Palo Verde cannelloni pairs with Belle Glos “Meiomi” Pinot Noir, a California blend. It results, he says, “in a very balanced wine with a rich feel in your mouth. This combination creates a very hearty meal which leaves one lingering for more of the same.” He notes the restaurant’s housemade cannelloni is prepared with the chef’s specialty ricotta and freshly made Bolognese.

•  The crisp Sterling Sauvignon Blanc matches the frisee salad beautifully. “This salad is topped with a duck egg, which brings a creaminess to the palette, and the Sterling has the acidity to cut through and still stand on its own,” he says. “The end result is a wonderful example of what happens when you pair food with wine.”

• “One of the all-time great pairings is cabernet sauvignon with a perfectly grilled cut of beef,” Philippe says. “The Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from Napa, Calif., and we serve it with our house dry-aged rib eye. The end result is a masterful combination of deep dark fruit flavors with the natural tenderness of the meat.”

• Finally, the Klinker Brick Zinfandel from Lodi, Calif., pairs beautifully with the duck confit. Philippe: “From the bouquet of wild strawberry and plum to the flavors of black cherry, vanilla and soft tannins, this zinfandel is a perfect match for the combined flavors of the house-made, southwestern France’s favorite duck confit paired with the soft Beluga lentils and peppercorn sauce.”

TO LEARN MORE
Palo Verde Restaurant at The Boulders
www.theboulders.com/dining/palo-verde.