ESP Hi-Fi

Round two of Chefs vs. Sommeliers. Today's somm is Aiyana Thoma, wine director at ESP Hi-Fi (also a wine seller for Yes Wines, a Denver distribution company). The location is ESP Hi-Fi itself — a Denver bar inspired by Japanese jazz kissas. "I get to play around with a really fun experimental wine list," Aiyana said, which she did on camera.

Contestants: Justin Freeman, chef at Somebody People, and Sam Maher, owner of Somebody People. The dish was built around the bar — small bites that match the experimental wine direction.

The wines

Wine one was unusual — pretty yellow with a little fizz on top, slight cloud. Sam suspected a Cava or a Spanish sparkling. Justin went Vouvray Chenin Blanc, $18. Reveal: the curveball — Costa 320 SLM, a 100% Glera done in a slightly frizzante style from the Veneto. Glera is the grape Prosecco is made from, but this version is more rustic, with skin contact, made by a producer Aiyana chose specifically because it's technically Prosecco-zone but stylistically nothing like Prosecco. "The biggest curveball wine of the lineup," Aiyana confirmed.

Wine two was a green-tart, funky white. Light acid, round, salty back end. Sam guessed an Italian wine, maybe Verdicchio. Justin worked through it more cautiously. The wine was a reductive-style natural white — Aiyana's other deliberate curveball. Reductive winemaking traps acidity and structure, making wines that age longer; the gas blows off in the glass, revealing flavor.

Wine three was a Riesling from Alsace — Laurent Bart Riesling. Aged. The kind of wine where the lees-y richness sits against bright acid in a way nothing else on the list did.

The pairing

The Laurent Bart Riesling won. "It complimented all the flavors really well," Justin said. "Really cool age on it. I wish it was sparkling because I do think the frizzante helps cut through a lot of the fat. But overall, the Riesling would be my favorite." Sam went wine number one — "I'm a party monster, I love a cocktail party." The disagreement is the format's whole point.

If you're at a cocktail party and someone hands you small bites, the frizzante glera wins. If you're sitting down to dinner, the Alsace Riesling wins. Both are correct depending on which version of the night you signed up for.

Thanks, Aiyana. Thanks, ESP Hi-Fi. Best wine bar in Denver.