At Lescombes bistro, diverse menu and wines suit most palates

Founded in 2007, the D.H. Lescombes Winery and Bistro sits at the boundary between Las Cruces and Mesilla, and somewhere on the spectrum between a bistro and a slightly fancier brasserie.

The staff are young, dressed in black and friendly; the dining room and patio are both elegant; there are nice linens on the table; and dinner is sometimes accompanied by soft, live music. Scan the diners who assemble here seven nights per week and you will likely notice a variety of dress codes in practice: special occasion, date night or casual splurge.

This is a showcase, naturally, for the Lescombes family’s fleet of wines, produced in Deming from grapes cultivated in Grant County. There are pairing suggestions throughout the menu for meals and desserts. A diner unacquainted with Lescombes wines could go with the suggestions and not be led far astray, but the palate is personal. There may not be a sommelier here to guide you, but the serving staff are generally familiar with the wines and meal ingredients.

The Lescombes brand, which some locals still refer to by its well-known label, St. Clair, operates bistros in Alamogordo, Albuquerque and Las Cruces, as well as a tasting room with some food items in Deming and a wine bar in Santa Fe.

The Las Cruces restaurant is a good place to try the old reverse-pairing trick, deciding what kind of wine you want to drink first and then choosing your entree. I like drier New Mexico wines, and even some of Lescombes’ drier offerings have fruity notes, so I recommend talking about selections and even tasting if you have preferences. Lescombes staff are not at all snooty about wine and happily hone their suggestions to taste.

Some of their limited releases are better enjoyed on their own anyway. The suggestion of petit verdot to accompany their flatiron steak and creamy golden potato mash ($35) will turn out differently depending on how you want your steak cooked. A glass of their heritage syrah, if you’re me, may suit it better.

A house suggestion with which I concur is pairing their grilled salmon over rice and asparagus ($22) with their delectable heritage semillon, my go-to among their dry whites since I have, evidently, drunk every last barrel of the Lescombes dry malvasia bianca, which is no longer available. (Sorry, everyone. It was me.)

While I am giving confession, I will whisper this suggestion to the diner who prefers white wine even when eating tomato sauces: The marinara here is light enough that the semillon can stand in for a chianti. At risk of having my Italian heritage revoked, I say, “Provalo (try it).” Or, since there is no chianti here, the heritage pinot noir makes a good companion.

Reverse-pairing also works here because the menu is versatile. Even the fussy eaters in your party might be happy with a burger ($14) or pot roast ($18) with gravy. Meat lovers can tuck into meatloaf with green chile ($18), or filet mignon with shrimp in bearnaise sauce ($45). There are standbys like chicken Parmesan ($20) or fish and chips ($17), pastas with marinara or cream sauces, or blackened rainbow trout ($22), all handsomely accomplished, beautifully plated but simple enough in preparation. Many of the distinct flourishes come from sauces, aiolis or fresh pico de gallo that liven up the meats and starches while mingling with the wine you choose.

Or craft beer. Or a cocktail: Their brut makes a nice mimosa ($10), and they have convinced me that margaritas, like most things, are better with green chile ($12).

For a recent dinner, I had a poblano soup ($6) that upstaged my entrée: It was cheddary and flowed lazily from the spoon with an ensemble of poblanos, chiles and mushrooms. The wines may be the stars here, but the chefs are not sleeping on the job, even when it comes to soups. There are interesting salads, too, including one featuring melon and prosciutto ($15), and a varied nosh menu if that fits the occasion.

If you have had enough wine by dessert time, the creme brulee ($8) or chocolate torte ($8) stand up on their own, but come now: Ending a nighttime meal with St. Clair port, chocolate and caramel is a fine way to live.

At Lescombes bistro, diverse menu and wines suit most palates

Algernon D’Ammassa is the Albuquerque Journal’s Southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.