Food and Wine Pairings

[Kim Shook]

Kim:

Don't forget to serve a little chocolate with the strawberry shakes.  The raspberry flavors of the Rosa Regale will be closely echoed in the strawberry shake, but the Brachetto really needs just a bit of chocolate to make everyone have that "A-ha!" wine pairing moment.  There's nothing more delicious than Brachetto with chocolate.  A small but sinfully rich truffle on the side of each shake ought to do it.

Report back on your preferences after you've had the opportunity to try everything.

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I didn't forget you said that - I got a lovely little box of Belgian chocolates! Dinner is tomorrow, so I'll report back on Saturday. Thanks, again! The scary wine lady at my store approved of all my purchases and was obviously surprised by me ! She knows I am a ninny.

[Kim Shook]

Thanks again everyone for your help with my pairings. The dinner went so well and everyone was pleased with the wines and we didn't have to order any pizza (always a possibility with my experiemental meals ). My report of the meal is on the dinner thread but here is what I served with the meal:

the sherry - not sure how good it was since most of my experience with sherry until now was communion , but we liked it a lot and it sipped really nicely with the dates and cheese and ham.

the Rioja. Again, no expert me, but this tasted pretty darn 'big' to me. As a matter of fact, I don't think I would have liked it (being a mealy mouthed little white wine sissy ), if the flavors of the lamb and salsa hadn't been so assertive.

my favorite. This was soooo good! I kept tasting a little bit of chocolate and a little bit of wine. I wasn't 2 sips in before I was starting to plan what desserts I wanted to make in the future to serve this with. I will say that it was a LOT more popular with the ladies than the gentlemen.

Thank you again - I truly couldn't have done it without you!

[goofy md]

I am having some of my wine tasting group over and have selected some wines I want to serve. (trying to stay within my cellar). the problem is they don't match with the foods I want to serve- mainly because I cant serve meat.

I want to start with a tuna tartare with 2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg (a good match)

then couple pizza tart preparations with pistachio basil pesto and forest mushrooms with truffle oil paired with a 1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Soprana ( good match)

now the problem- I really want to serve a parchment paper hong kong style sea bass but I'd like to do it with a bigger red- a 1986 Chateau Montelena or 1997 Ojai Syrah Cuvée Henry Daniel . (the fish has a marin, but mostly soy sauce, vegetable broth, garlic, and ginger.)

And I'll probably make some sort of dark chocolate dessert either with a vintage port or Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume

I really want to throw caution into the wind and just do it. would that be a big mistake?

Edited March 15, 2008 by goofy md (log)

[DominicBruys]

In my in-expert opinion, but with some experience of odd drink-food mismatches, i would say that timing could curry favour. I know it's not exactly conventional but you could serve the wine before the third course, or move away after the meal for an aperitif. Or it could work anyway? sometimes things just work. even though they don't.

good luck anyhow.

[KatieLoeb]

The Chateau Montelena is going to obliterate that sea bass. And the salty sauce will make the wine taste funny. You need animal fat (generally meat, but butter will do too) to match a big tannic red. You need something acidic (and therefore probably white) if you're going with the salty Asian style preparation with the fish.

Is there anything else in the cellar you could serve? I'd hate to see such a gorgeous bottle of wine not get shown off to its best advantage. Save the Montelena for a night you're eating steak or duck or something it'll stand up to.

[goofy md]

I don't have many good whites, and don't like pinots, so mostly big full bodied wines. I personally don't mind most mis matches, but don't want to offend others.

what if I change my preparation. I still want to work with sea bass cooked en Papillote (in Parchment). Probably on a bed of carrots, mushrooms, onions. what else should I add to fit in better. Probably with a syrah- either a Ojai or maybe a Lillian.

[Raoul Duke]

Why not move up on the fish and consider salmon or another not so delicate as the sea bass, that may hold it's own with the wine.

[goofy md]

Why not move up on the fish and consider salmon or another not so delicate as the sea bass, that may hold it's own with the wine.

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you may be right. maybe I'll "bag" the sea bass and try a salmon instead. I'll head to whole foods to see what fish looks good. I do make a mean cedar planked salomon with a spicey brown sugar rub. practice run tonight !

[goofy md]

The salmon locally is all farm raised and looks awful.

O.K. I'm getting the idea that my square peg (fish) is not fitting in the round hole. I'm a little hard headed sometimes.

what if I do a grilled portobello stuffed with ratatouille? I'd still want to serve it with one of the previously mentioned wines-a 1986 Chateau Montelena,1997 Ojai Syrah Cuvée Henry Daniel or 1995 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage , maybe the Hermitage to keep the provincial theme. or would you pick another one?

[GordonCooks]

The salmon locally is all farm raised and looks awful.

O.K. I'm getting the idea that my square peg (fish) is not fitting in the round hole. I'm a little hard headed sometimes.

what if I do a grilled portobello stuffed with ratatouille? I'd still want to serve it with one of the previously mentioned wines-a 1986 Chateau Montelena,1997 Ojai Syrah Cuvée Henry Daniel or 1995 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage , maybe the Hermitage to keep the provincial theme. or would you pick another one?

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Do they sell lamb in your neck of the woods?

[goofy md]

[KatieLoeb]

You're still wasting really good wine that's weeping like a martyr to have meat with it. There's no fish or other parve alternative that is going to stand up to any of those big phat tannic red wines. Really. Even by reverse engineering the meal, and choosing the wine before the food, the thing that matches is red blooded animal protein with a good dose of fat. It is what it is. The wine won't be bad, but you'll have completely missed showcasing it with a well matched menu. If you have cases of it lying about I guess it doesn't matter, but if that's your only single bottle of something you could surely do better.

Is there any way in hell to convince your wife to have the parve portion of the meal be dessert???? Perhaps you could prevail upon her to lighten up about the dessert course, which would make the entire construction and flow of the meal a lot easier to handle.

[DominicBruys]

My initial reaction is starting to sound silly.

I can only tell so much from a judgement call like 'good match' or bad match.

A bigger red and a soft white fish, ya, a bit tricky

How did you come to decide on the menu in the first place?

[Torrilin]

Would your wife be comfortable with an appropriate delay between a chicken dish (perhaps a coq au vin or something in the same vein) and a milk dish? I know kosher traditions vary a lot in terms of mixing milk and proteins...

[goofy md]

Would your wife be comfortable with an appropriate delay between a chicken dish (perhaps a coq au vin or something in the same vein) and a milk dish? I know kosher traditions vary a lot in terms of mixing milk and proteins...

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you right, unfortunately we go 4 hours. my mind set at this moment- which does by the way change from moment to moment, is

to grill the sea bass on a cedar plank and serve it on a eggplant, mushroom, olive tapenade with a Hermitage. i don't know.

[goofy md]

We had a great night. one couple dropped out at the last minute, so my wife made me drop the pizza course.

Started with a spinach and roasted garlic hummus with :

1997 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (4/4/2008)

lemon, apple and honeydew nose. great balance, minerality, pineapple good long finish (94 pts.)

then had a tuna tar tare and avocado tower on a bed of heirloom lettuce with heirloom tomatoes with:

2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (4/6/2008)

lemon meringue nose with citrus undertones. nice big oily attack with complex middle and very long finish of crisp apple. (95 pts.)

then had a cedar plank grilled Iron jaw snapper encrusted in Herbs de Provence over ratatouille (the fish guy at whole foods suggested it. I thought it worked fairly nicely. I'm not sure it added much to the wine, but in my opinion, it didn't take anything from it either.)

1995 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (4/6/2008)

rubber, tar , earth, mushrooms, black pepper and cherry nose. good acidity, with more earth on the finish. good balance. (93 pts.)

Dark chocolate brownie with chocolate chips and almonds in an Oreo cookie crust covered in a chocolate ganache and topped with raspberries.

1977 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (4/6/2008)

nice nose of cherry, rhubarb, carmel . good richness and dept with a long finish. decanted for 12 hours and needed all of it- was too medicinal/alcoholic at 10, but this resolved by 12. (92 pts.)

[aidan]

I am getting married this summer, and I am still trying to decide on the wine. My fiancee and I are planning and paying, and as a young couple we aren't overly endowed with money. So what I am looking for, is some advice on good wines to pick that are:

A. easily accessible

B. not too expensive (under 10 dollars a bottle wholesale)

C. good for a summer BBQ

As far as the food, we are having BBQ. There will be ribs, pulled pork, corn bread, watermelon, and some chicken as well. I want a variety of wines, and I am really leaning towards rose. I also want some bottles of white, and only a few bottles of red. This is an outdoor wedding, and more than likely it will be hot, so a cool rose or a white would probably be more readily consumed than a red by the majority of people. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[gfron1]

Thanks for this question since just yesterday I was asked to cater a "Cowboy Chic" wedding.

[wkl]

rose is a great idea. there are plenty of liter sized bottles of decent reisling, gruner veltliner, and muller thurgau. look for some that carry the terry thiese selection label. for reds i'd look for some 2006 or 2007 beaujolais or beaujolais villages.

[thirtyoneknots]

I really enjoy drier Alsatian Riesling with bbq, although German or even Australian Riesling would be a good choice as well. For a red wine, I think Zinfandel for sure. And you can never go too wrong with Rose.

[Jaymes]

When I think 'outdoor' and 'cool' and 'summertime' and 'wine,' I can't help but think Sangria!

You might have several bottles of whatever wines you choose, but also some beautiful pitchers of sparkling Sangria with their colorful slices of lemon, lime and orange. One advantage of this is that you can buy cheaper wine, and you can stretch it with fruit juices and/or lemon lime or other soda water.

Here's my personal very favorite summertime drink. Which, I might add, I've served successfully with barbecue many times. It's light and tasty and absolutely gorgeous.

Peach Sangria

2 ripe peaches, peeled & sliced (in winter, I use frozen)

1 lemon, sliced thinly, seeds removed

1 orange, sliced thinly, seeds removed

3 T sugar (or to taste, depending on size of lemon)

1/4 c Peach Schnaaps

750 ml dry white wine (about the size of one standard bottle)

Combine all and chill well, at least one hour. Serves two very jovial people at two generous glasses each.

As is immediately apparent, there is no brandy, so this is a pleasant, light, fresh-tasting summertime drink.

And on occasion I have, at the end of the evening, fished out any remaining peaches (now wonderfully marinated) and served them over pound cake and ice cream for dessert.

[Brad Ballinger]

First, have beer available. Lots of it. But good stuff.

Red: Just go with a Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Zin or Cline Old Vines.

White: Pierre Sparr "One" or Hugel Gentil or Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling.

Pink: Rosa del Golfo Rosato or Domaine Fonsante Vin Gris.

[Jaymes]

First, have beer available.  Lots of it.  But good stuff.

Brad's right. You might not be thinking that beer fits in with your desired ambience, but everybody loves it and you'll go through a lot.

[aidan]

First, have beer available.  Lots of it.  But good stuff.

Brad's right. You might not be thinking that beer fits in with your desired ambience, but everybody loves it and you'll go through a lot.

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Beer has already been taken care of. That was the easy part. We have a couple of great microbreweries by my house that we are getting a few barrels from. As far as ambiance, the wedding caters to a beer drinking crowd.

Thank you all for the suggestions so far. I was thinking about a Beaujolais for a red, but was slightly worried about an almost overpowering fruitiness to it. I am toying with the idea of chilling it slightly. This is a day wedding, so it could get pretty hot. I am also leaning towards an Australian Shiraz.

[Jaymes]

I was thinking about a Beaujolais for a red, but was slightly worried about an almost overpowering fruitiness to it.  I am toying with the idea of chilling it slightly.  This is a day wedding, so it could get pretty hot.

Well, when they say reds should be served at 'room temperature,' they mean 'wine cellar' temperature and not 'sunny southern summer day outside' temperature. I'm no expert, but I think you'd be fine to chill it slightly.