2014 Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti 750 ml

Thomas Keller’s “Oysters and Pearls” — 2014 Tiefenbrunner Vigneti delle Dolomiti

While just a teenager, Thomas Keller landed a job as a dishwasher at the Palm Beach Yacht Club. But even as he rinsed plates and polished silverware, he couldn’t keep his eyes off “the line.” Several months later, he was promoted, trading his sponge for a set of German-made knives. Over the summer, Keller moved to Rhode Island. Again, he found his way into a commercial kitchen, where he was discovered by Master Chef Roland Henin. Henin, who would go on to become the coach of the 1992 Gold Medal U.S. Culinary Olympic Team, took a special interest in young Keller, and asked his future protégé to cook staff meals at the Dunes Club.

To this day, Keller credits Henin with providing him with the inspiration that gave birth to America’s two most critically acclaimed restaurants — The French Laundry in Napa Valley and Per Se in NYC.

Located in the concourse of the Time Warner Center, with magnificent views of Central Park, Per Se’s Carte des Vins is filled with First Growth Bordeaux, including vintages from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Méo-Camuzet, and Roumier. Still, for those of us with more modest T & E allowances, Keller remains true to his humble origins, also proposing some of the most inspired bargains in the world.

Keller’s cuisine emphasizes freshness and simplicity — relying on surprising combinations of flavors and perfumes in lieu of more heavy-handed, classically prepared sauces. As such, there are mineral whites in abundance — steely Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre, chiseled Chardonnays from the likes of Raveneau and Dauvissat in Chablis, and the bracing Rieslings from Alsace and the Rhine.

But when it comes to northern Italy’s most popular white, the rich, bracing Pinot Grigio grown on Alto Adige’s steep hillsides in the shadow of the snow-capped Dolomites, just one makes the cut. Not surprisingly, that brilliant alpine white is crafted by the Tiefenbrunner family in the Südtirol from the chalk and gravel soils of the 15 hectares of Vigneti delle Dolomiti.

Tiefenbrunner’s gorgeous 2014 shows off both its richness and vitality beautifully accompanying Chef Keller’s “Oysters and Pearls” (the “pearls” being white sturgeon caviar!) and Risotto with Castelmagno cheese and shaved white truffles — effortlessly highlighting the purity of the first dish while cutting the salty fats of the second like a knife.

13% alcohol, with total acidity of 6 g/l and pH of 3.5! Pale straw in hue. Crisp, clean, and fresh on the attack, infused with mouthwatering aromas of white flowers, pear, and saline minerality. Rich and surprisingly weighty for a Pinot Grigio from the Südtirol, filled with ripe apple and pear, finishing with terrific penetration and zippy acidity. Drink now-2019.

$67/bottle at Per Se — and an absolute bargain at that. $16/bottle today on WineAccess — summer cold-pack shipping included (when necessary) right to your door!