Back To Back Forty

I returned to Peter Hoffman's Back Forty on Avenue B last week to do something unusual and potentially disastrous: pair heavy, buttery comfort food with crisp, refreshing albariño. With two bottles on the table - the Don Olegario 2006 and Adegas d’Altamira Selección Albariño 2006 - my friend Chandni and I ordered fearlessly: pork jowl nuggets, and feta in toasted nuts and spices to start. The deep-fried fatty pork pieces were served in a spicy jalepeño jam, and paired surprisingly well with the ripe fruit of the Don Olegario, which is distinct from other albariños for its long, smoky finish. The sharp acidity of the Adegas d'Altamira cut the saltiness of the feta, making for a zesty combination. The main courses seemed more daunting: garlic and saffron marinated rotisserie chicken with peppery romesco sauce for me and homemade pork sausage atop a white bean puree with toasted hazelnuts for my friend. Being a Texan, she can handle double pork and, fortunately, so could the albariño. The full-bodied Don Olegario stood up to the hearty sausage, which was augmented by the wine's smoky finish. The buttery, savory chicken was balanced by the zippy Adegas d'Altamira, the garlic and saffron bringing out a touch of minerality in the wine. So, challenge duly completed, I decided that the albariños went so well with comfort food because both are so terribly easy to enjoy. And with all the stress that can creep into a New York life, why not take it easy when you can?