Pairing Boutique Wine & Food
 At I‘O restaurant in Lahaina, wine is celebrated nightly. Featuring a healthy wine list of over 120 wines plus 20 wines by the glass, the restaurant’s wine director and co-owner Stephan Bel-Robert cares passionately about the wine selection. “Our wine list is mostly boutique wineries, smaller and family-owned,” says Stephan. “We believe smaller vintners pay more attention to the vineyard and production. They put a little more love into the wine.” Likewise, I‘O’s kitchen, headed by Chef James McDonald, utilizes organically grown produce from the restaurant’s own upcountry farm. “If we invest in growing our own food to ensure organic, flavorful ingredients for our dishes, then having wine worthy of accompaniment is a no-brainer,” says Chef James. Each menu item lists a suggested wine pairing, including the daily specials. But the marriage of food and wine begins, not on the plate, but in the earth. So it’s not a surprise that I‘O’s wine steward Richard Clark doubles as the farm’s manager.
“Soil composition and fertility are important factors in wine production,” says Richard. “It is also important for food, which is why we practice organic, diversified farming.” Understanding that all crops take on the nuances of their environment, just like wine, Richard is able to finesse the garden’s production. “The best foods and wines in the world will have a sense of place about them,” says Richard. “We share our sense of place at the farm with our tour guests and our restaurant patrons. We have close ties with wine proprietors and smaller artisanal wineries, they know us and visits us.” When Napa’s acclaimed organic winemaker Mark Neal visited I‘O for a winemaker’s dinner, he went first to the farm. “Mark spent a day at O‘O [the farm] with us,” says Stephan. “We compared notes, talked about how to do our own vineyard and toured the vegetable gardens.”
 The chemistry between winemaker, chef and sommelier is showcased at I‘O’s popular wine club events. “For the last five years we’ve been holding winemaker’s dinners,” said Stephan. “Now we offer wine tasting on a monthly basis with pupu and wine stations.” Some of the recent themes have included wines of the Northwest, mushrooms and wine, Spanish wines vs. French wines, island wines and sparkling.
I‘O’s wine presentation is also a point of pride for the restaurant. They pour wine at the correct temperatures, decant older vintages, and educate the staff at weekly trainings. The wine list ranges from $30 a bottle to $3,000.
For more information about wine club events, dinner reservations or O‘O farm tours, please call (808) 661-8422. Or visit their website at: www.iomaui.com
Pictured on Cover:
Executive Chef James McDonald presents
seared Peruvian Bay scallops with
mango foam, avocado puree and Tobiko.
Recommended pairing:
Vouvray, Chenin Blanc, Marc Bredif, France.
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