Editor's note: Long before Chris Shepherd became a James Beard Award-winning chef, he developed enough of a passion for wine to work at Brennan's of Houston as a sommelier. He maintains that interest to this day. In this week's column, he recognizes a restaurant that just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Take it away, Chris.

On January 20, 2014, the city of Houston’s dining scene changed. A group of talented individuals took a chance on a space that was unoccupied on a street that had a lot of potential in a neighborhood that needed this concept — a neighborhood restaurant with a stellar lineup of snacks, delicious vegetable dishes, amazing pastas and pizzas, and a Spanish-style wood-burning oven to give all the roasted items a depth of flavor.

The restaurant was small, only about 50 seats, with a nice bar, and they could almost double the footprint and supply a lot of the menu with an onsite garden. Who doesn’t like to enjoy delicious vegetable dishes while sitting directly next to place they were harvested? This is a brilliant idea. The bar featured some very delicious cocktail and spiritless options, including the most beautiful G&T in town and a just-big-enough, thoughtfully-selected wine list. Throw in one of the most extensive amari selections in the city, and this might just work.

Ten years ago, Coltivare Pizza and Garden was born, and one of the busiest restaurants in this city opened. Back then, they didn’t take reservations, and they were full from 5 pm until close every night. Every other restauranteur watched in amazement, including myself. The place was and still is bustling every day. Ryan Pera, Morgan Weber, and the team have absolutely developed a restaurant model for the long haul, and we are lucky for it.

Leonora Varvoutis joined the team a few years after Coltivare opened as general manager and sommelier. Leonora has put her mark on this wine list in such a beautiful way. Yes, it’s an Italian-focused list, but she’s included wines from all over Europe and a few selections from the U.S. The wines on this list are light and elegant, very expressive, and food-friendly. You won’t see some of the big hammers on this list. Instead, it’s a list that is meant to pair with the subtle and strong flavors from the kitchen.

If I order by starting with the simple backyard lettuce salad with lemon and olive oil and the chicken wings with chili, lemon verbena, and basil, then move on to the cacio e pepe, and finish with wood-grilled chicken with agrodolce, pine nuts, and pickled grapes (which quite frankly is our pretty standard order), I am making pairing somewhat difficult. At Coltivare, that’s okay. Whether I pick white, pink, or red, any bottle I choose (or Leonora chooses for me) will go with all of it 99 percent of the time. It’s a skill to be able to look at the whole menu and write a wine list that is awesome with everything! Well done!

I talked to Leonora about her six years at Coltivare.

Chris Shepherd: How has the list changed since you’ve been at Coltivare?

Leonora Varvoutis: The list was super classically driven when I took over from Jeb Stewart (who was at our 10 year anniversary last night!) and how I would take over was one of the main things Ryan, Morgan, Vincent, and I talked about when I was first hired. What I wanted from the list was to make sure the garden and Ryan’s menus were really driving what I’m pouring. I wanted it to be as seasonal as our food and cocktail menus, so it took a lot of digging to create my ideal wine menu “for the season.”

I would study menus in Barcelona and St Sebastian for summer, I would go into steakhouse mode for fall, then some more locally driven Italian and Parisian wine lists for winter. All while staying current with my friends and competitors.

Essentially, I looked at my wines as ingredients, making sure they would compliment whatever new dish Ryan was about to put on our menu. The confit meyer lemon pizza that is going on in winter is complimented by a southern Italian Verdeca from Produttori di Manduria. Just before we put on the oxtail casarecce I bulk up on some aged Bordeauxs and an Aglianico, something full bodied with high acid to cut through that sleepy-time pasta. Each wine has a food pairing with it, representing our seasonal menu.

CS: How would you describe the list as it is now?

LV: I guess I’ve just been thinking this way for six years, and it always seems so obvious. Like, duh, Leonora, pair your wine with your food. I forget that not all people do that — there are definitely wine buyers who make lists based on what they want to drink or what their guests want to drink. Which is so typical of American drinking culture, right? Drinking and eating don’t necessarily always have to compliment each other.

For the list that I’ve been making over the years, I want to build a relationship with my guests. While the wines on my list may not be familiar, their flavor profile will be, I promise. I want people to trust me, understand that each wine has a place, has a reason for being on my list, while still hitting those notes my guest is looking for when craving wine. But it all stands second to the food menu. I think that’s the most important change I’ve tried to make.

CS: Anything else you want to say about Coltivare and its wine program?

LV: It’s been 10 years of not trying to recreate the wheel over here at Coltivare. A freaking decade of trying to put out simple food, great hospitality, and delicious beverages. And I do feel that tenure of this kind is sometimes misunderstood — under the radar excellence takes so much hard work each and every day.

I feel like I’ve poured every wine offered in Houston, and it’s so much fun to still get excited about something new. I just love knowing that this reflects in our clientele and hopefully with the professionals around us. Coltivare is tried and true, trusted to always be there for you. And after 10 years of doing this, it’s just kinda crazy looking back on it.

CS: I am so glad that we have Coltivare in our city. It’s a beacon of deliciousness and consistency. Thank you Coltivare and congratulations on 10 years.

Leonora’s Favorite Wines:

Produttori di Manduria “Alice” Verdeca – my everyday wine. Just drink it, and preferably lots of it with good friends.

Bischofliche Weingut Trier “Ayler Kupp” Riesling – the perfect winter Riesling in my opinion. A bit of lees aging, sweet but not too sweet, perfect for those layered and complex dishes we put out during the winter.

Cyprien Perchaud Sauvignon Blanc – oh my god, it’s been so long since I remember loving a Pouilly Fume. This one is just so well balanced and reminds me why I love Sauvignon Blanc.

Cave de l’Orlaya Gamay de Brenson – number one, getting my hands on Swiss wine is just difficult in general, especially at a reasonable price. Mathilde Roux is a badass female making some delicious wines that are perfect for our menu. All the deliciousness expected of a serious gamay from a place that is new to most drinkers of the general public.

Dirupi “Vino Sbagliato” Sforzato di Valtellina – number one, I love Nebbiolo, but especially Nebbiolo from Valtellina. They’re so green and racy and cherried. I just love them. That is not this wine though. Two school friends make their dream wines with a twist — it’s Nebbiolo, but make it Amarone, and holy s—, it’s life changing.

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What’s your standard order at Coltivare? Tell Chris Shepherd via email at chris@chrisshepherd.is.

Chris Shepherd won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2014. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit he co-founded with his wife Lindsey Brown, has distributed more than $11 million to hospitality workers in crisis through its Emergency Relief Fund. Catch his TV show, Eat Like a Local, every Saturday at 10 am on KPRC Channel 2.