Wine & Food Pairing

[adrian1]

This is my first post as an eGullet member. I look forward to more.

I was recently handed the following menu to match wines with. I would appreciate hearing other members' thoughts on appropriate matches.

1. KOBE BEEF CARPACCIO with sesame pickled ginger and a wasabi dressing

2. SOFT SHELL CRAB with a fennel wakame salad & a blood orange vinaigrette

3. BRAISED DAIKON with organic carrots, honeycomb mushrooms & organic miso

4. YUZU, LIME BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER with kimchee spaetzle

It's quite the interesting challenge!

Look forward to hearing from you.

[PCL]

I have found that aromatics work well with this thing called "fusion."

As a matter of fact, I've just come back from lunch at a great Modern Thai place, called Longrain, here in Melbourne, and I can report quite assuredly that the following drops work well with the flavour profiles you've described in your menu:

Pinot Gris/Grigio

Riesling (New World)

Rose (as in the pinky light red stuff)

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (NZ especially, Marlborough)

Sparkling whites do well too, and if you want to funk it up, try a sparkling Australian shiraz

[adrian1]

Thanks PCL for your quick reply.

My thoughts were, exactly, on Riesling & especially Sparkling as well as Rose. Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc had never crossed my mind. Here in Toronto your Aussie wines are hugely popular. Sparkling Shiraz...I wonder???

[Syrah]

What about Verdelho?

[adrian1]

What about Verdelho?

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Verdelho should go quite well, I think, with the dishes with some sweetness in the ingredients. Interesting, that we are all thinking of white wines.

[jrufusj]

1. KOBE BEEF CARPACCIO with sesame pickled ginger and a wasabi dressing

Can you move this course to the end? Could it be done in a substantial enough way to be the finisher?

If so, I would probably go with a Côte-Rôtie on the more elegant side, like Jasmin (my favorite Côte-Rôtie producer). For a new world twist, you could go for one of the Aussie shiraz-viognier wines like Laughing Magpie(?). The Rhone is more to my taste, but they aim at the same thing (and are made from the same grapes), just in different styles. You can also find some syrah-viognier blends more in the value range from southwest France.

If you can't move the course, I might look toward a more pinot noir-driven Champagne. At the higher end, Bolly's Grand Année would do well. For a grower wine (and lower pricing), you might look to one of the Egly-Ouriet cuvées. Finally, if you need to focus more on price, you could look to a Franciacorte (made from pinots bianco, grigio, and niero).

In any case, make sure the client reins in the wasabi or any match will fall flat.

2. SOFT SHELL CRAB with a fennel wakame salad & a blood orange vinaigrette

Hard to know what this dish will be like. Assuming the citrus-vinegar element will not be OTT and that there will be some unctuousness/sweetness from the softshells (however cooked), I'm thinking Loire. Whether I looked to a bone-dry Savennieres or a more demi-sec range Vouvray would depend on the balance of the dish. In any case, a good chenin that balances richness with acid and has some mineral to play off of the salty sea taste of the crabs is sounding good to me. Lots of good value choices here.

If the acid isn't overpowering and the crab richness needs a sharper foil, I could also see a Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé working. If the acid isn't overpowering and the crab prep brings out a nuttiness (could see from sauté in browned butter or from frying), then I could definitely see a Soave here. Very good values available from Soave.

3. BRAISED DAIKON with organic carrots, honeycomb mushrooms & organic miso

For this one, you could go completely opposite directions. There's loads of umami in the mushrooms and miso, plus nice earthiness if the carrots are really good. I could see a red Burg doing very well, particularly something from around Beaune or Savigny or Pernand-Vergellesses. Good values here as well. Given the next dish, though, it would require more menu shuffling to insert a red here.

If you do move it and want a bigger and very distinctive finish, a Bandol would be great. You can probably find '95s or '96s in the market. That's enough age still to be lively but also to have taken on some great secondary character.

If you need to go white, I think I'd enjoy a northern Rhone here. If money is no object, an Hermitage Blanc would be excellent. If you need to step down a notch, there are also good options from Crozes. For a new world slant, there are some good Rhone-ish whites coming out of Cali. There are probably still values, but these have gotten popular.

A risky but fun choice would also be to go with Valentini's Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. Just be aware that this wine is "challenging" to some. It definitely is subject to reduction and needs a ton of air to show well. If this is a professional gig and you don't know the wine, I would definitely take a pass on this one -- or -- buy a bottle now and spend a couple of days with it to see what it can do and how much time it needs.

4. YUZU, LIME BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER with kimchee spaetzle

With the yuzu and lime, I'm definitely thinking I want to find a way to do a riesling. As much as I love them, I'm not seeing Germans on any scale of size or sweetness working with the kimchi späetzle, though a big Rheingau trocken might work.

I'm leaning more toward an Alsatian riesling or maybe an Austrian, probably a Smaragd from Wachau, though a bigger one from Kamptal or Kremstal could work.

The more the kimchi spice is going to intrude, the more I would lean toward Alsace.

A completely different direction to go would be to pair Champagnes all the way through. If you're interested in that and have a specific budget with which to work, let us all know. That would be a fun exercise.

In any case, enjoy.

Jim

[edited for truly awful spelling]

Edited March 16, 2006 by jrufusj (log)

[GordonCooks]

1. KOBE BEEF CARPACCIO with sesame pickled ginger and a wasabi dressing

- Big Cal non-malo chard or Chablis/Meursault

2. SOFT SHELL CRAB with a fennel wakame salad & a blood orange vinaigrette

- The Verdelho if you have it, maybe an Albarino (works well with the seaweed)

3. BRAISED DAIKON with organic carrots, honeycomb mushrooms & organic miso

- A red or rose if you wanted to use one (Cru Beaujolais depending on the stock)

4. YUZU, LIME BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER with kimchee spaetzle

- Gruner Veltliner goes well with Kimchee (I do a lot of Kimchee with soba) maybe a Sancerre or NZ Sauv Blanc (Matua)

Stretches but have worked in the past - Greek Vilanas, White Oporto,

[SBonner]

My suggestions in red are:

This is my first post as an eGullet member. I look forward to more.

I was recently handed the following menu to match wines with. I would appreciate hearing other members' thoughts on appropriate matches.

1. KOBE BEEF CARPACCIO with sesame pickled ginger and a wasabi dressing

Barrel influenced Champagne: Bollinger, Krug, or super rich Cava

2. SOFT SHELL CRAB with a fennel wakame salad & a blood orange vinaigrette

I thinking Chenin Blanc from South Africa: Morganhof comes to mind.

3. BRAISED DAIKON with organic carrots, honeycomb mushrooms & organic miso

Marsanne or Roussane blend or a lighter Pinot Noir from Oregon

4. YUZU, LIME BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER with kimchee spaetzle

Australian Clare Valley Riesling with its rivotting lime cordial notes from start to finish

It's quite the interesting challenge!

Look forward to hearing from you.

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Sounds like a great meal.

Cheers,

Stephen Bonner

Vancouver

Edited March 16, 2006 by SBonner (log)

[jrufusj]

Stephen --

Great minds think alike!

You and I have basically made the same suggestions, just with mine being very old world and yours very new world. Either could be perfect depending on what wines are available, the stylistic preferences of the diners, and the details of the flavor balance in the food.

In any case, I thought it was uncanny how close we were in theory -- even down to the weight/profile of pinot and the character of Champagne.

Take care,

Jim

[SBonner]

Stephen --

Great minds think alike!

You and I have basically made the same suggestions, just with mine being very old world and yours very new world.  Either could be perfect depending on what wines are available, the stylistic preferences of the diners, and the details of the flavor balance in the food.

In any case, I thought it was uncanny how close we were in theory -- even down to the weight/profile of pinot and the character of Champagne.

Take care,

Jim

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John,

I noticed your suggestions; they sound brillant. I guess I was looking at the new world with the whole Asia Pacific Rim thing in mind. Out of curiousity are wines expensive in Japan? Here in B.C. the government has its fingers in the wine pie so the taxes and end product are relatively expensive.

Cheers,

Stephen

Vancouver

[jrufusj]

John,

I noticed your suggestions; they sound brillant. I guess I was looking at the new world with the whole Asia Pacific Rim thing in mind. Out of curiousity are wines expensive in Japan? Here in B.C. the government has its fingers in the wine pie so the taxes and end product are relatively expensive.

Cheers,

Stephen

Vancouver

←

Wine pricing is spotty in Japan. There are a few simple ways to avoid overpaying:

1. Know what something should cost. The same wine can appear in similar shops at radically different prices. And it's not consistent which shops are high and which are low. The same shop will have items and both ends of the spectrum. Being informed is the best defense.

2. Shop (at least for comparison) online. I've found the general quality of the merchants who are accessible through Rakuten to be very good. Touch wood, but I've not yet had a problem of badly stored or mishandled wines. The comparisons help to minimize the risk of a highly inefficient market.

3. Don't ever be in the position of needing to buy something. If you find yourself in that position, you're likely to get burned.

4. Act quickly when you find something that is well-priced. Things don't last. If it's a good buy and you want it, you'd better act now!

5. Develop a relationship with a few merchants and trust them. They'll do a few things for you. One, they'll tip you off when there are good buys coming/available. Two, they'll steer you away from things that are too good to be true. A few instances of avoiding mistakes that only look like bargains will easily cover whatever premium a good merchant charges.

You know, this is good advice that I would give any wine consumer in the US or elsewhere.

Re: the wine matches for the fusion menu. Agree that the bold flavors of some of the new world areas you point to often go very well with Pacific Rim cuisine, especially the spicier Korean/Thai/Indian-influenced things.

The Asian side of this menu, however, was almost entirely Japanese in both ethos and ingredients. I have not found Japanese food (or food that is heavily Japanese influenced) to do as well with new world wines. Not that they can't match, but I find that they call out for more restrained flavors.

Then again, it all comes down to taste. And everyone's taste is a little different.

Jim

Edited March 21, 2006 by jrufusj (log)

[adrian1]

Thank you All for your input. You've put a great deal of thought in your responses.

WE will make a great food and wine paring!!!