GABRIEL KREUTHER

A Taste of Alsace in Midtown Manhattan

- BRUCE SANDERSON

Gabriel Kreuther loves wine. In a recent conversation, the chef of his namesake Manhattan restaurant confided that as a teen in Alsace, France, he wasn't very interested in wine until his uncle suggested he try a glass. It was a grand cru red Burgundy from the excellent 1959 vintage, and that taste convinced him that wine was special, complex, improved with age, and, most importantly, something to enjoy with food and friends. He has been buying and sharing wine with friends and customers ever since.

That passion informs the wine program at Gabriel Kreuther. Drawing on a cellar of more than 2,200 selections and an inventory of 9,000-plus bottles, chef Kreuther, wine director Aukai Bell and the team are constantly thinking of creative ways to surprise and inspire guests.

"Whenever I taste a dish, I start salivating and think, 'What would I drink with that,'" says Kreuther with his infectious smile. "We like to find pairings that surprise, especially for serious wine lovers that maybe aren't expecting a certain wine with the food. We like to surprise them and hope they enjoy it."