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Marcus Wareing Although only thirty-three years old, Marcus Wareing is chef at Petrus, where he has already earned a Michelin star for his brilliant cooking skills. Before moving to London in 1996, he demonstrated these talents in New York, Amsterdam, and Paris. His restaurant is named after the famous Bordeaux wine, seeing as he has many great growth wines in his cellar. However, since Petrus is a modern restaurant, it also offers fine wines from around the world as well as from every major French region. Sommelier, Alan Holmes is in charge of these precious bottles. Marcus and Alan work closely together to create delightful, delicate wine and food combinations. Their close communication is reflected in the superb balance between wine and food at Petrus. With a little smile directed at his colleague, Marcus admits that Alan is the most adventurous of the two. "My cooking is quite classic in terms of ingredients and techniques." Inspired by French cuisine, Marcus' dishes have a contemporary touch, and go very well with great Bordeaux. "But what makes a wine great?" wonders Marcus. "History, tradition, vintage, terroir, or grape varieties? Many elements that must be taken into consideration, and they all change from one year to the next - like cuisine... What makes food, like great wine, special is human expertise". Marcus' dishes complement Palmer beautifully. "I think 1966 Palmer would be delightful with filet of sea bass in a matelote sauce. The smoky, ripe fruit flavours would go perfectly with the sauce's smoky fragrance". Marcus also wonders, "Why not enjoy this wine with another strong-flavoured firm-fleshed fish in a smoked eel sauce, for example?I am happy to overcome certain traditional barriers, but by no means wish to destroy them". In fact, both Marcus and Alan agree that tradition and modernity can combine to produce either dishes with an elegant simplicity or more elaborate creations to the delight of food-loving wine connoisseurs. |