Restaurant Dante Wine Director And Wine Steward Interview

I recently sat down with two very wine savy gentlemen from Restaurant Dante in Cambridge, MA. We had a real fun time going over their wine list and talking about why Dante is a destination for wine lovers. Filippo de Magistris is the Co-Owner and Wine Director. Chas Boynton is the Wine Steward and Staff Educator. Chas worked with Sandy Block for a couple of years at Legal Seafoods before joining Filippo at Dante.

Boston Wine Buzz (BWB): Filippo, please tell me a little about the Dante wine list?
Filippo de Magistris (FM): The original idea for the Dante wine list was to make it an eclectic mix of wines. But now that the food at the restaurant is moving more towards a Northern Italian theme, we have increased the number of Italian wines on the list. The idea is to marry the wine with the food as they do so well in Italy.

BWB: What makes the Dante wine list different?
FM: We pride ourselves on focusing on “different” varietals and competitive price points. For instance we have a section of the wine list that focuses on Sake. We also spend a lot of time training our staff on our wine offerings. Chas spends 30 minutes per meal going over the wines with the staff. It is very personalized.

BWB: What are a couple of your favorite wines on the wine list?
FM: I love the Mulderbosch 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. I love the herbaceous and tart flavors. That wine is listed for $60 on the wine list. For a red, I like the 2003 Spice Route Winery’s “Flagship” Pinotage. It has finesse for a South African Pinotage. I like that. It is also reasonable at $50 per bottle.
BWB: I couldn’t agree with you more on the Mulderbosch. Chas, how about you?
Chas Boynton (CB): I really like the Dona Isidora 2006 Riesling from Chile. This wine is interesting. It is a medium bodied Alsatian styled wine which is versatile and crispy. It’s a different wine at a great price point. It is listed for $30 per bottle on the wine list.

BWB: What bottle would you recommend to your best friend if he/she and their spouse came to Dante for their anniversary?
FM: An anniversary is a real special occasion, I’m going to a top shelf sparkling. I’ll choose the 1997 Ca’del Bosco “Franciacorta – Brut.” It has that yeasty and bread style I like. It's listed for $120 per bottle.
CB: I’ll stay with sparkling wine and go the value route. Cava from Spain goes through the same process as Champagne, but it is less toasty and more fruit forward. So I will recommend the non vintage Segura Viudas “Cava - Brut Reserva.” It is a lot of sparkling wine for the money at $30 per bottle.

BWB: O.K. fellas, what are a couple of the best deals on the wine list? And is there a steal on the list?
FM: A lot of people will not necessarily believe that a $200 bottle of wine is a deal. But there is virtually no mark up on the Domaine Caillot “Batard Montrachet” from Burgundy. It is a Chardonnay for a special occasion.
CB: I’m going to have to say the 2004 Peter Franus “Brandlin Vineyard” Zinfandel. This is the best bottle of wine that I have had in the last month and a half. It is very complex and a great ride. It starts with raspberry fruit forward flavors and turns chocolaty over time.
CB: For a steal, I think we would both agree that the 2002 Jardin “Cobbler’s Hill Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa is an outstanding wine and has a great quality to price ratio for $55 per bottle.

BWB: Please talk a little bit about your wines by the glass program?
FM: We have all the standards. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc. We try to pick wines that are approachable and our customers can relate too. We also try to have a high price and low price option for each variatal. For instance for Pinot Noir we have the 2004 Yering Station from Australia for $9 and the 2004 Kenneth Volk Vineyards offering from Santa Barbara, CA for $14. For Sauvignon Blanc we offer the 2005 Seven Terraces from New Zealand for $9 per glass & the Mulderbosch is $15 per glass. We also keep the wines fresh, by using the Vacuvin system.
CB: We are also considering a flight program similar to what I did at Legal Seafoods. This would allow us to show case more of the wines.
BWB: That’s a terrific idea!

BWB: What is the best deal in your wines by the glass program?
CB: The 2002 Small Gully “The Formula” Shiraz from Australia. This wine has a big strawberry bouquet and is quite chewy on the palate. It pairs nicey with Beef Wellington.

BWB: Finally, why should the wine lovers of New England come to the Restaurant Dante?
FM: Wine lovers should come to Dante because they can sit on the patio and take in the views of the Charles River and Boston. We also pay a lot of attention to the wine we serve. We work hard to pair it with the food we serve. It also pairs well with the moment when on our patio. We like to think of Dante as an escape with great wine, food, and views.

BWB: That sounds terrific. Filippo, if our readers want to stop by for some great wine, food, & views where can they find you?
FM: We are located at 40 Edwin H Land Blvd Cambridge, MA 02142. You can call us @ (617) 497-4200 or visit us on the web at http://restaurantdante.com/ for hours, directions, and reservations. Hope to see you soon.

I know we will be in for some dinner soon.
Cheers,
Ken