Help me please

[sarah w]

We are doing a dinner party on saturday and i wondered if you could help me with wine choices

Mini starters:

Scallop & Cauliflower Puree

Eggs and bacon (quails egg,cream sauce,crispy bacon)

white bean cappucinio

Beer battered beetroot with Horseradish cream

Oriental Pork belly with Pak choi & Parsnips

Cheddar & gorgonzola fondue with pear, figs & grapes

I have some ideas but would like some advice from the experts...

Thanks for your help

sarah xx

[futronic]

I'd go with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for the starters.

You could go with a German Riesling for the beetroot and pork, but I'd go for something off-dry for the pork pending its preparation style. Another option is a young Pinot Noir for the pork.

The fondue one is difficult in my opinion, because gorgonzola is a pretty big cheese and often pairs well with port (as do the figs). In a fondue, however, with pears and grapes, maybe it wouldn't work quite as nicely. Anyway, roll the dice with a Late Bottled Vintage port and see what happens.

I'm sure others will chime in with ideas.

[Florida Jim]

We are doing a dinner party on saturday and i wondered if you could help me with wine choices

Mini starters:

Scallop & Cauliflower Puree

Eggs and bacon (quails egg,cream sauce,crispy bacon)

white bean cappucinio

Beer battered beetroot with Horseradish cream

Oriental Pork belly with Pak choi & Parsnips

Cheddar & gorgonzola fondue with pear, figs & grapes

I have some ideas but would like some advice from the experts...

Thanks for your help

sarah xx

Mini starters:

Scallop & Cauliflower Puree

Eggs and bacon (quails egg,cream sauce,crispy bacon)

white bean cappucinio

Sauvignon blanc sounds good; where Bill would go with NZ I'd pick French, but that's splitting hairs.

Alternative: Fiano di Avellino

Beer battered beetroot with Horseradish cream

Again, I agree with Bill. I'd pick a Spatlese as it will have sufficient residual sugar to compete with the horseradish

Alternative: Vouvray demi-sec

Oriental Pork belly with Pak choi & Parsnips

I have never had anything like this so I have no idea what to suggest

Cheddar & gorgonzola fondue with pear, figs & grapes

My choice would be German, Auslese, especially if the fruit is served raw

Alternative: Recioto di Soave

Best, Jim

[futronic]

Sorry Jim, I'm not Bill!

[Florida Jim]

Sorry Jim, I'm not Bill!

Ooops, it is I who am sorry.

Best, Jim

[Brad Ballinger]

Of course, I like the idea of Fiano di Avellino with the starters. I also like the idea of Roero Arneis. And you can't go wrong with a Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

For the beet with horseradish cream, I agree with some sweetness, and you can't go wrong with a riesling spatlese. But I'd favor a vouvray sec tendre (demi-sec) here. Both would work fine.

for the pork, two different directions. One is a not overly sweet riesling VT from Alsace (some are vinified on the dry side). The other is a lighter Burgundy, perhaps from the 1998 vintage.

The fondue is a toughie. Part of me says Amarone. Another part says a Passito di Pantelleria from Sicily, like Donnafugata's Ben Rye or de Bartoli's Bukkuram.

[hollywood]

This is complicated. I'd simplify. White Rock Chardonnay and White Rock Claret. People will think you're a shill or a genius.

[Scott]

mini -Starters

Laurent Perrier - ultra brut. non dose style.

Beetroot with horseradish cream,

light red, maybe bourgogne passetoutgrains?

Oriental pork belly,

try a barossa valley australian grenache with a little sweetness, something like the RBJ or Rushdens.

cheese fondue

Baumard, quarts du chaume.

[GordonCooks]

A.) Sparking (Rose maybe?)- Schramsberg, Billecarte Salmon

B.) Reisling - Alsatian or a north american like Cave Spring Cellars

C.) Chateauneuf du Pape works well with a lot of asian pork or possibly, a Mourvedre

D.) Port or Madiera to accent the savory or TBA to make it dessert.