After several visits to Jimmys Taverna, drinking and loving wines that I've never heard of before, there are a few lessons to be learned. First is the scientific fact that wine tastes different at altitude. With the in-town elevation at more than 7,800 feet above sea level, your taste buds are going to be more sensitive to tannins - so richer, rounder wines are going to generally taste better. (For more on this phenomenon check out this Wine Spectator article - http://www.winespectator.com/drvinny/show/id/Altitude-Wine-Taste-Cellar-55092)
So Chip, the sommelier at Jimmy's has selected a list of wines (largely Italian) that just work with the restaurant's Mediterranean cuisine as well as the altitude. Since Jimmy's is largely a fish-driven menu, full bodied white wines and medium body reds are great choices. And since I didn't recognize many of the wines by region or varietal on his list, your best best is to engage the wine buyer's knowledge and passion for these wines he hand-picked. On recent visits eating salmon and sea bass, we enjoyed these amazing wines from Italy.
The first, a delicate red, a 2012 Cannonau de Sardegna, has a similar mouthfeel to a Pinot Noir and was a great match to the both the beef carpaccio as well as the bold Loup de Mer fish.
Then on another visit, this 2011 Vermentino de Gallura was hand picked by Chip as a full-bodied white that could stand up to the rich and salty sea bass that the kitchen delivered.
If you want to have a passionately hand-curated food and wine pairing, check out Jimmy's and make sure that sommelier Chip makes a stop at your table. http://www.jimmystaverna.com/menu/
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