Food and Wine Pairings

[Nishla]

Last night we cooked a multi-course dinner, described here.

Wine 1: 2005 Burgans Albarino, Rais Baixas

Food:

Tomato stuffed with shrimp, chorizo and garlic.

Cod with fennel and watercress salad, bacon orange vinaigrette.

The albarino was good with the stuffed tomato, and great with the cod. It really brought out the orange flavor of the vinaigrette. By itself, the wine was rich and crisp at the same time, with citrus and floral notes.

Wine 2: 2004 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara

Food: Roast duck with parsnip puree and raspberry sauce.

I thought the raspberries might not work with the wine, but this pairing was really good. There was enough fruit in the wine with go with the sauce, and the earthiness went great with the duck and parsnips.

Wine 3: 2004 ia garnacha, Spain

Food: Roast pork with sweet potato, leeks and apple cider reduction.

This pairing was good, but the sweet potato and apple cider were a bit too sweet to make this a great match. The wine had dark berry and spice flavors.

Wine 4: 2004 Errazuriz late harvest sauvignon blanc, Chile

Food: Red wine poached pears, ginger snaps

This wine was really good...distinctly sauvignon blanc flavors of passion fruit and herbs, but sweet. It was perfect with the fruit dessert and spices from the cookies.

[RDCollins]

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the blind date on which I met my wife, so I pulled one of my better bottles from the cellar, a spectacular 1992 Beringer Private Reserve Cab. I paired it with the simplest and best thing for a big red: grilled beef steak, specifically a bone-in top sirloin that was on sale at the market for $4.77 a pound, if you can believe that, and it was really very good. Also had grilled asparagus and a baked yam.

My preference when pairing food with good wine is to keep flavors simple, not a lot of spice or herbs, no cloying sauces, especially when the wine is intended to be the star of the show, as it was last night.

[BC Galley Girl]

My favourite recent pairing was a BC wine with local halibut - Wild Goose Autumn Gold paired with a halibut in Panang Curry. It was a magical combination of a sweet aromatic white with the spicy thai cusine. I tried to post a picture for everyone but I couldn't figure out how.

[sadistick]

I am making a anniversary dinner for my parents this coming week, and was unsure as to which red wine would pair with:

White truffle pasta

and if possible - a wine that would pair with the pasta as well as with a calfs liver dish with a double smoked balsamic reduction.

Thanks in advance,

Justin

[Daniel Rogov]

The very best mature Brunello di Montalcino that you can afford!!!!!! If not that, certainly Sassicaia.

[David McDuff]

As white truffles hail from Piemonte and calf's liver dishes are part of its culinary tradition, I would strongly suggest any number of Piemontese wines. If your budget allows, a Barolo or Barbaresco of some age would be lovely; wines from 1989 and 1990 have been reentering the market from reputable producers of late, 1996, 1998 and 1999 options might be easier to find. If working with a more modest budget, look for one of the more special but traditional cuvees of Dolcetto such as G.D. (Aldo) Vajra's Dolcetto d'Alba "Coste & Fossati."

[SBonner]

I'd also recommend a Barolo or Barbaresco. Stay with a regional wine and food match and it should be a delightful dinner.

Cheers,

Stephen Bonner

Vancouver

[sadistick]

That could work well, I have a bottle that my dad gave me for my bday a couple years ago. I believe its a '98 or 99 Pio Cesare Barbaresco 'Il brico'

Also have some 98 Poigio Antico Brunello's...

Which would work better?

[David McDuff]

If you don't want to open them both, my first vote -- as above -- would go to the Barbaresco.

[Bernaise]

Masi: Campolongo de Torbi 1999 Amarone

Help! don't know what to pair it with!

Masi Mazzano 1999 Amarone

same problem...any suggestions welcome!

[Nishla]

Masi: Campolongo de Torbi 1999 Amarone

Help! don't know what to pair it with!

Masi Mazzano 1999 Amarone

same problem...any suggestions welcome!

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I forgot about this thread! Thanks for bringing it back.

I went to an Amarone wine tasting dinner once, and I remember having steak with thyme-red wine sauce, sauteed mushrooms on toasts, and duck (confit maybe?). So, I think generally earthy flavors and rich meats were suggested. Sorry I can't remember more specifics.

We've been having a lot of cocktails lately instead of wine, and recently our wine/food pairings have been very blah.

Tonight, though, we had success! Penne with creamy tomato sauce and sausage, paired with the 2004 Falesco Vitiano from Umbria. The wine has sweet, dark berry flavors, with some toasty notes. It really brought out the flavors in the sausage, and had enough acidity to work with the tomato.

[froggio]

With an 18 month Comté Marcel Petite bought from the tiny shop at the Essex street market (before they folded), a Chardonnay fron Jean Bourdy in Jura.

With a slow-cooked artic char, a Muscadet (melon de Bourgogne) from Hautes-Noelles, a terrific deal for only $11 at BJ in NYC.

I read in an earlier post about a 1982 La Lagune served with cheese, what a waste...should have been served with its natural pairing: lamb. One type of wine that doesn't pair very well in general with cheese is red Bordeaux.

Edited December 13, 2006 by froggio (log)

[froggio]

The Dr. Loosen is one of my all time favorites.

Good wines and a nice guy too.

[sadistick]

Bernaise -

Let me know how that 99 Mazzano Amarone is...

They were release here (Ontario) not long ago, and I was hesitant to pick up a bottle with the $90 price tag...but I do love a good Amarone.

[Bernaise]

Bernaise -

Let me know how that 99 Mazzano Amarone is...

They were release here (Ontario) not long ago, and I was hesitant to pick up a bottle with the $90 price tag...but I do love a good Amarone.

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I certainly will! I have been advised to decant and drink it accompanied by only chunks of parm! oh yes and maybe a couple of friends..

[paulraphael]

I'm serving a dinner this weekend wiith a few courses. The main course will be a braised berkshire pork shoulder, with a red wine, apple, and thyme based sauce.

The preceding course will be a corn chowder with wild mushrooms, that's lightly enriched with cream.

Any general thoughts on types of wine?

[Brad Ballinger]

Pork -- Pinot Noir/Burgundy, Chianti Classico, or Rioja Crianza

Chowder -- Pinot Gris from Alsace

[Alan Smeaton]

I would definitely agree with pinot noir for the main, or even a good cru beaujolais. For the starter, maybe a pinot gris, or if it is very rich, something like rousanne, marsanne or viognier.

[Cook456]

As an appetizer I am serving a cold asparagus salad with blood oranges with a blood orange vinaigrette.

What wine do I serve with this?

[SBonner]

As an appetizer I am serving a cold asparagus salad with blood oranges with a blood orange vinaigrette.

What wine do I serve with this?

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I'd consider an Australian Riesling or an Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Both wines have considerable flavour and great acidity to tame down the blood orange.

Cheers,

Stephen Bonner

Edited April 6, 2007 by SBonner (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

Here's the rub: If you search through the hundreds of wine/food-pairing websites the general consensus is that there is NO wine that pairs well with Asparagus. It is something about the chemical make-up of the vegetable that conflicts with wine; either making the asparagus very, very bitter or the wine very, very acidic.

Gruner is probably the only wine that *might* work but I would like to suggest the addition of something like morels or another mushroom into the salad. The addition of something earthy will tame the whole dish down considerably and make it more wine-friendly.

[SBonner]

Here's the rub: If you search through the hundreds of wine/food-pairing websites the general consensus is that there is NO wine that pairs well with Asparagus. It is something about the chemical make-up of the vegetable that conflicts with wine; either making the asparagus very, very bitter or the wine very, very acidic.

Gruner is probably the only wine that *might* work but I would like to suggest the addition of something like morels or another mushroom into the salad. The addition of something earthy will tame the whole dish down considerably and make it more wine-friendly.

←

You are right... asparagus and artichokes are not wines' friend but I'm never one to stay away from a challenge. Another option could be a big herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (Marlborough) or South Africa and fight the fight with herbaceous flavours and high acidity.

Have a great meal!

Stephen

[JohnL]

A crisp dry white served at a cooler than normal temperature.

for something a bit more offbeat:

I would also try a cold sake or maybe a fino sherry.

[Cook456]

I'm well aware that asparagus is not wine friendly. I will go with the Australian Gruner Vetliner and a Zinfandel for the rest of the meal

asparagus salad

manicotti ( we're italian)

Leg of lamb roasted with lemon jiuce, baby artichokes and yukon gold potatoes ( no garlic)

Fava beans sauteed with prosciutto, garlic and mint

Easter wheat pie

[nikkib]

I'm well aware that asparagus is not wine friendly.  I will go with the Australian Gruner Vetliner  and a Zinfandel for the rest of the meal

asparagus salad

manicotti  ( we're italian)

Leg of lamb roasted with lemon jiuce, baby artichokes and yukon gold potatoes ( no garlic)

Fava beans sauteed with prosciutto, garlic and mint

Easter wheat pie

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Austrian gruner veltliner. This is one of my favorite wines, if you see any schloss gobbelsburg produced snap it up, its great.