Amuse-Bouches

Pav on Juice: All Things Pink 
A monthly look at Arizona wine with Valley dining impresario Pavle Milic.

I’ve discovered the best companion for the pool – kiddos and wife aside – to mitigate this unrelenting heat: Rosé Pops! 

The folks from Garage-East at Barnone in Gilbert are responsible for these pool-friendly, icy-crunchy pink slushies, with a little assist from Valley confection legend Tracy Dempsey, who helped them come up with the production method. “These are made from our AVA Certified 2016 rosé, which is made from Grenache grapes grown in the Cimarron Vineyard in Willcox,” says Garage East co-owner Brian Ruffentine. 

Keep these on the top shelf of the freezer so that your kids won’t mistakenly, well – you know. The three-ounce treat is available for purchase at Garage-East for $4. 

Garage-East at Barnone
3000 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert
480-493-7151, garage-east.com

Pav on juice Round 2: Summer Sipping
In the vein of all things summer, I reached out to fellow restaurateurs and sommeliers around town to find out which local wines they’re drinking this summer. 

• Chris Bianco (Chef – Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, Tratto): “If poolside with the family, I’ll go with an ice bucket full of Dos Cabezas Pink Cans. No glass necessary. Dry heat needs wet and chilly.”
• Jason Caballero (Sommelier – Bourbon Steak): “The 2015 Bodega Pierce Sauvignon Blanc is fire.”
• Cullen Campbell (Crudo): “The 2015 Sand-Reckoner [Vineyards] Malvasia Bianca is just the style of wine I like with food. I love the minerality, weight and texture.”
• Kevin Lewis (Sommelier – Kai): “Dos Cabezas Pink: So vibrant and crisp, but it also craves food.” 
• Scott Stephens (Sommelier – Beckett’s Table, Southern Rail): “Sand-Reckoner Picpoul Blanc with food, and Callaghan [Vineyards]’s Lisa’s White Blend with the pool.”

• The Monday $20 Charcuterie and Wine Deal at Linger Longer Lounge

Doesn’t seem like a particularly crazy deal until you hear the punchline: It’s an entire bottle of wine… which normally sells for more than $20. In essence, LLL is paying you about $1.50 to eat its awesome charcuterie board, piled high with toasted, balsamic-drizzled artisanal bread, amusing cheeses and a hearty selection of cured meats. Split it and your bottle of tasty mid-shelf wine with a friend, or go full Rabalais and consume the whole dang thing yourself. (Uber fare not included.) 

6522 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-264-4549, lingerlongeraz.com

It makes good, solid sense that the winner of our 2017 Best of the Valley readers’ pick for Best Happy Hour should also feature one of the Valley’s most cruelly irresistible weekly specials. Granted, it’s cheap, mass-produced Mexican beer – Modelo Especial or Tecate – but that ilk happens to pair excellently with the crispy, caramelized fattiness of CRUjiente’s pork belly, which also won Best Pork Belly this year. We’ll take three. 

3961 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-687-7777, crutacos.com

It’s not quite as gobsmacking as the Linger Longer deal – you need four fellow diners to buy in at $20 each to get the bottle of wine. But remember you’re at Crudo – one of mankind’s most celebrated eateries. It starts with a family-style “farmer’s crudo” of local veggies and dovetails into a creamy polenta board featuring a different protein each week. You can’t do Crudo for a better price. 

3603 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-358-8666, crudoaz.com