Desolation

[Craig Camp]

I am desolated. I have just discovered that I have wasted twenty five years. On the table beside me is the reason for my desolation. The headline on the page is large and sears into my soul. “Every dish has a perfect wine. It is just a matter of discovering the match,” says the article on Il Capriccio restaurant near Boston in La Cucina Italiana magazine’s March issue.

The perfect wine for each dish? Just discovering the match? Then they make things worse by recommending two different wines for each recipe. Which one is perfect? Why not just tell us the perfect one? What a cruel joke.

With the Osso Bucco they recommend 1997 Martilde Ghiro d’Inverno or 1999 Vacca Lange Rosso. This is particularly devastating as I have eaten and made Osso Bucco countless times, as it is one of my favorite dishes, and I only just now discover that I have not had the experience of matching it with ‘the perfect wine’. Now I must begin my search so that I can discover which of these wines is the perfect one. How can I live without that experience? It is sad to think that all of those wonderful wines I have had over the years with Osso Bucco are now somewhat less than I thought they were – after all they are not one of the two possible ‘perfect wines’. Now I know the 1982 Lafite, the 1985 Marcarini Barolo Brunate, the 1987 Spottswoode and other wines that I had enjoyed with Osso Bucco over the last few years were all somehow lacking as a food and wine match. What a shame, I had thought they were quite good.

I am embarrassed by my failure to realize these wines were really not the perfect match that I was supposed to be searching for, surfers search for the perfect wave and now we must search for the perfect wine and food match.

Well take heart and begin your search anew. Knowledge is power. Now that we know there is one perfect wine out there for each dish we can begin our search. It only makes me sad to know that with so many dishes and so many wines to experiment with that I will miss having the ‘perfect wine’ with so many dishes. Hopefully you will have learned this younger than me so that you have more time.

[SFJoe]

You want desolation? I'll give you desolation.

The 1947 Marques de Riscal that was to pair with the wild Scottish partridges at dinner for the visiting Spanish wine geek was corked.

[Craig Camp]

You want desolation?  I'll give you desolation.

The 1947 Marques de Riscal that was to pair with the wild Scottish partridges at dinner for the visiting Spanish wine geek was corked.

You are on a roll with Spanish wines - I saw your note about the Albarino over at Therapy. Was this for the same guest?

I have dusted off my black armband and am wearing it today it sympathy with your loss.

My sincere condolences.

[SFJoe]

You are on a roll with Spanish wines - I saw your note about the Albarino over at Therapy. Was this for the same guest?

I have dusted off my black armband and am wearing it today it sympathy with your loss.

My sincere condolences.

Two separate dinners.

The '47 shared the altar of Portugese sacrifice with a 1997 Dom. Pepiere Muscadet Cuvee Buster. Sadly, both of these were visible behind the TCA as great wines. Fortunately the '85 Dom. Pepiere showed very well with the Belons, and the '46 Marques de Riscal, while clearly not the wine that the '47 was, was still quite nice.

Your sympathy is much appreciated.