Siena Wine
Before Siena ever opened, owner Stan Adams took his new management team to Italy. They traveled the back roads of Tuscany, searching for a collection of perfect wines to harmonize with Chef Harvey Harris’ food. Local wine distributor Mark Mattingly went with them, setting up Texas distribution for those small vineyards that had no importer here, all just so Siena could have the wine list that Adams felt his customers deserved. Manager Jay Knepp tells stories of helping an 80-year-old Italian farmer fill and paste labels on his wine bottles with the goal of learning the Italian wine business from the inside. The crew also went to VinItaly, the huge Italian wine expo held in Verona where they tasted hundreds of wines, many not available in the U.S. Again, they set up distribution to Texas. How many restaurants can you name with this level of dedication to wine? The payoff is a wine list that perfectly complements the menu, composed of many wines previously unavailable in Austin.
Which is not to say that Siena doesn’t carry some better-known Italian wines. Several of our favorites are served at honorable prices. Zenato “Lugana” Trebbiano ($25) has a rich flavor that mates well with tomato-based sauces and is a perfect match with the Fritto Misto di Mare (Mixed Seafood Fried, $9). The Pra Soave Classico ($33) will convert Chardonnay fans to the Italian style with its powerful fruit and perfect balance. Zefiro Proseco ($5 per glass), a delightful sparkling wine, is always a welcome addition to the beginning of a meal.
But do try to taste some of their more rare offerings. “Super Tuscan” wines are all the rage right now, and Siena has a list of 26 different labels. A standout in the category is the Uccelliera “Rapace” ($62), a dark, dense drink made from Sangiovese Grosso with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, which goes brilliantly with Pappardelle al Cinghiale (Wild Boar Pasta, $14). Changing to Chianti, the Castello di Ama Chianti Classico ($75) is a complex, long-finishing blockbuster wine with intense cherry and strawberry flavors. If you are a Chardonnay fan, Felsian “I Sistri” Chardonnay ($59) is a revelation. Because there is virtually no oak in the finish, the fruit is able to shine through in a way that most California Chards never achieve.
While there are many good wines at lower prices, we are thrilled to learn of Siena’s policy of giving the customers a chance to taste wines normally out of their price range. They will open any bottle of wine in their collection and serve it by the glass if you guarantee to buy at least two glasses. This allows you to simply taste a wine instead of having to buy a whole bottle, a boon to those of us without dot-com options. When you look at their efforts in roaming around Italy, and the 250 wines they finally chose, Siena has hit a home run with its wine list.
This article appears in September 8 • 2000.
