Knife Pleat

Billecart-Salmon Champagne (pairing inclusion) — $115

The entry-level wine pairing anchored by Billecart-Salmon — one of the most consistently over-delivering Champagne houses relative to prestige-tier pricing — makes the base pairing the easiest math on the menu. You're getting a somm-curated flight across multiple courses for what a single bottle of Krug costs at retail.

Domaine Huet Vouvray

Most tables at a French fine-diner are hunting Burgundy and Champagne — and they should be — but Huet's Vouvray is one of the Loire Valley's great undersung whites. Whether it shows up as a demi-sec or sec depends on the vintage and the somm's call, but either way it's a wine that rewards attention and outlasts the food it's served with. Don't let it slide past you on the pairing.

Krug Grande Cuvée (à la carte)

Krug is extraordinary and we have nothing against it — but ordering it off a fine-dining list in a South Coast Plaza penthouse means absorbing serious restaurant markup on an already expensive bottle. The pairing program gives you better value per dollar. If you want Krug, drink it at the bar before dinner and let the somm handle the table.

Chapoutier Northern Rhône Syrah + Roasted duck

Northern Rhône Syrah — dark-fruited, savory, with that signature olive and cracked pepper edge — is essentially purpose-built for duck. Chapoutier's wines from Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph hit those marks without demanding the full reverence (and price) of a Hermitage, making them the smart call when the duck course lands.