Food and Wine Pairings

[Carolyn Tillie]

I would have a bottle of red ready to pour as well - while Chablis or Vouvray is an excellent suggestion, there are the occasional red-wine-only folks who might consider a white wine too "girlie".

I'd consider a Pinot (there's that addage that Pinot Noir goes with everything). I often serve a Pinot with fish and think it would complement the cheese as well.

[john b]

Any suggestions for a main course I could make for New Year's Eve dinner which would be good with this sparkling riesling? I'm not a professional chef but I'm pretty good in the kitchen, so I can handle a recipe with moderate complexity.

It'll be dinner for two (I've given up on restaurants on NYE). I'm thinking crab or lobster (or both???), but I'm not sure...

[KatieLoeb]

John:

I think it depends how "dry" your Sekt is. If it's really bone chilling dry then something briny/salty is in order. Salt is the chemical opposite of acid, so screechingly acidic/dry wines taste much tamer and fruitier with a salty accompaniment. Think Sancerre and oysters, dry champagne and caviar, etc. A dish with a briny or salty component will compliment better. However, if your Sekt has some sweetness to it, then you'll want something really rich to counteract that like a buttery lobster, foie gras, etc.

[ledervin]

I am planning on having a cozy dinner with another couple for New Years Eve. In its the simplest form the menu looks like this:

Filet Mignon

Lobster

My friend and I are ready to spend a little money on some good red. We were thinking a big Bordeaux for under $100 was our goal. The problem is that it won't be so hot with the lobster. Suggestions?

How can this meal be presented to avoid a clash in flavors, the only thing I thought was to do a 3 course meal. going, Lobster, steak, dessert; red bordeaux, white, and some bubbly or sauternes.

Looking for suggestions.....help~

[KatieLoeb]

Condrieu, St. Estephe, Demi-Sec bubbly?

This is a wild guess besause really, you need to tell us how the mains will be being prepared. I'd certainly pair a diferent wine with a spice rubbed sirloin than I would with a straight grilled or broiled steak. Same with the lobster. Spices, sauces, accompaniments?

[estufarian]

Stick with your Bordeaux plan. It will still go surprisingly well with the lobster as it's a rich seafood. I recall how shocked I was having Chateau Latour with seafood (not within your budget unfortunately) - despite my doubts it was an extraordinary match and the participants (10 of us, over 10 years ago) still talk fondly about how surprised we all were.

[LOS]

First of all, Katie's right -- we need to know how these are being prepared.

And you've got an easy match if you are doing separate courses. So this is

really only a problem if you are doing the 'classic surf and turf' -- ie, all on one

plate.

In the "you'd be surprised" category, a big white burgundy like a Corton-Charlemagne

or Batard-Montrachet can match well with a simply prepared steak, especially

filet.

Still, my first choice would be a big, big champagne. Think Salon, Krug, etc. This

is not my favorite style of champagne, so you'll have to depend on others for

specific recommendations. Selosse has the rep of being in that style, but in my

limited experience it won't have the stuffing to stand up to the meat.

[Brad Ballinger]

Actually, a simple solution for you -- if serving surf and turf side by side -- is to serve two wines. Perhaps that Bordeaux you are thinking of plus something along the lines of a White Burgundy. You can make it fun for your guests by making something of a game of it. Ask them if the white wine goes better with the filet or if the red wine goes better with the lobster.

Yes, it may partly depend on how the items are being prepared. But I'm guessing your preparations are going to be pretty straightforward. The one thing about filet mignon is that it doesn't have much flavor on its own (at least compared to a ribeye or NY strip), so it won't need a powerhouse red unless you have quite a flavorful sauce. And a more medium-bodied red won't give the lobster as much trouble.

[Brad Ballinger]

You really have a lot of versatility here. Riesling goes with so much. 1999 was a ripe and fat vintage in many parts of Germany, so I would expect a bit more fruit in this sekt than in perhaps some others.

I would do a poached fish over a carrot-ginger puree with some type of light orange sauce or in a court-bouillion.

[Jason Perlow]

Seafood. Lobster, Crab, perhaps in an asian preparation. I'm thinking a Salt and Pepper deep fried lobster cantonese or crab. Salty and Spicy is the way to go.

[ledervin]

The filet will be seared served with a creamy mustard sauce with sauteed shallots and mushrooms.

The lobster will be served straight up with a dipping option of butter and creamy tarragon style remoulade.

I would definately want a big bordeaux for under $100....

anyone tried a Pichon Lalande or a Domaine de Chevalier

[Scott]

The filet will be seared served with a creamy mustard sauce with sauteed shallots and mushrooms.

The lobster will be served straight up with a dipping option of butter and creamy tarragon style remoulade.

I would definately want a big bordeaux for under $100....

anyone tried a Pichon Lalande or a Domaine de Chevalier

yeah,

maybe a white chevalier.

I think a red bordeaux is all wrong here, the red will overpower the lobster. especially given your preparation. Doesn't matter if your serving a good 1970, the wine will thump it into next week. you are thinking too much about the steak, which will go with many things provided the flavour is there, and the acidity is too. The lobster will not be so forgiving.

Condrieu - rich flavours, but no acidity to speak of. your steak and mustard sauce will laugh at it.

Batard or Corton charlemagne? could work, but would need to be 2000, to make your budget and have the intensity needed.

my call would absolutely be, grand cru chablis, perhaps 1998 or 2000. Fat, big wines, with rapier acidity. it's this thrust that will allow it to partner the steak and match a buttery lobster well also. R&V Dauvissat Preuses? maybe le clos, but the extra fattness of the preuses would come in handy.

you will be amazed at how it handles the mustard gravy, and navigates bloody meat.

Cheers

Scott

ps. a white chevalier could also work.

[Scott]

steer away from sauvignon, it won't hold.

Manzanilla is the way forward, balance the saltiness with a richer style - think palo cortado.

[Carema]

Condrieu - rich flavours, but no acidity to speak of.  your steak and mustard sauce will laugh at it.

I love when dead cows and mustard sauces laugh at wines that resemble jasmine flowers, bananas, and buttercup stamen, in that particular order. Dry Viognier works particularly well with toasted almonds, like good pastis, and IMO not much else. I rarely pair it with food. What do the folks there have it with? It has always reminded me of voracious, unctuous perfume, the kind you cannot rid yourself of, oddly compelling and not for every day. Maybe that (and the fact that the grape is so supceptible to all sorts of disease) is why there is so little of it.

[Scott]

Maybe that (and the fact that the grape is so supceptible to all sorts of disease) is why there is so little of it.

or it could be that it's a rubbish grape, making rubbish wine from the single most overrated appellation on the planet.

could be...

[disclaimer]

these thoughts represent that of the author, who can barely be trusted, and do not necessarily represent the views of the majority public.

[Craig Camp]

Great idea!

[Alex]

I made the soup (a winner, btw) earlier in the day, so we decided to check out how it worked with the dry sherry. The sherry was lovely on its own as an aperitif, but utterly wrong with the soup; the taste of both changed dramatically, and not for the better. (Sorry, Mark.) We both agreed that a champagne would be the way to go, and indeed it was. We agreed with Katie about not starting with too much liquid, so four of us shared a split of Nicholas Feuillatte. As several people mentioned, the bubbles cut through the richness and the acidity stood up to the lime juice and tomatillos. Thanks again to everyone for your input.

[wnissen]

Hello Folks,

Just back from a trip to Portland, I got a hankering to try a recipe tailor made to match pinot noir. That means reluctantly going to the second-most-frustrating cookbook I own, The Wine Lover's Cookbook (sorry, Robin, it was a gift...). It has a recipe for Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce. Two tenderloins are sauced with 2 T chopped shallot, 1 T olive oil, 1/2 cup each port and pinot noir, 2 T raspberry vinegar, 1/4 tsp peppercorns, 1/4 c. pomegranate concentrate, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1.5 c. stock, 2 star anise pods, 1 tsp. honey (or to taste), and 2 T butter. The book says, "This pomegranate sauce brings out a similar flavor in many pinot noirs - a sweet-tart character that is quite intriguing. The use of star anise in the sauce plays into the exotic Asian spice character that can show itself in both the bouquet and flavor of many pinot noirs."

So, what would you pair with this somewhat sweet recipe? Here is the selection of pinot noirs in the cellar, courtesy of CellarTracker:

375ml 1998 Acacia Pinot Noir Carneros (Carneros, Napa Valley, California, USA)

750ml 1996 Régis Bouvier Côte de Nuits Villages Cuvée Vielles Vignes (Côte de Nuits Villages, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France)

750ml 2001 Brick House Pinot Noir Cuvee Du Tonnelier (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml 2000 Firesteed Cellars Pinot Noir (Oregon, USA)

750ml 2001 Navarro Vineyards Pinot Noir (Mendocino, North Coast, California, USA)

750ml 2001 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvee (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml 2001 Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml 2001 St. Innocent Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml 1997 Tollot-Beaut & Fils Bourgogne (Bourgogne, Burgundy, France)

750ml 2001 Torii Mor Pinot Noir (Oregon, USA)

750ml 2000 Van Duzer Pinot Noir "Barrel Select" Estate (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml 1999 Van Duzer Pinot Noir "Flagpole Block" Estate (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

750ml N.V. Georges Vesselle Coteaux Champenois Grand Cru (Coteaux Champenois, Bouzy, Champagne, France)

750ml 2001 Willakenzie Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon, USA)

Honestly, I don't know whether to go with a riper Pinot or one with more acid. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Walt

[Rebel Rose]

Mmm, you've got several of my favorite Pinots on that list! I'd save the orange juice for last, make the marinade, stick my finger in, and then decide, while dribbling the oj in to taste. With the star anise, it sounds like maybe a deeper Pinot, but oj can have an incredibly brightening effect. Sounds like an interesting marinade for pork!

[wnissen]

Hi DoverCanyon,

Thanks for the tip, I will wait on the OJ until it's almost all boiled down. Actually, the above recipe is the sauce, I didn't even include the marinade, which was red wine, chopped shallot, ground allspice, crushed star anise, olive oil, salt, and pepper! I like that cookbook, but the recipes with two dozen ingredients are a pain to put together.

If anyone has a specific recco, please let me know, I'm about to start cooking!

[Rebel Rose]

I recommend that you post pictures.

Edited to add a very happy face.

Edited July 31, 2004 by DoverCanyon (log)

[LOS]

With that much sweetness and spice, I'd recommend a very fruit-forward wine. I've not had many of those wines from recent vintages, but based on what I do know I'd recommend either the Brick House or the Willzkenzie. Be sure to decant well in advance.

[wnissen]

Hee, you crazy guys! Well, I did go with the Willakenzie, which turned out to have a combination of bass, serious cherry notes with lighter underripe strawberry. A very interesting wine. The sauce was not as sweet as I had anticipated (I ended up adding all the orange juice) and was not harsh at all with the 13.8% Willakenzie. The star anise and allspice really showed off the fruit and spice of the wine, and I was completely impressed.

The only thing that didn't work out 100% was the grilling of the tenderloin, which was about 35F when I started. It took twice as long as specified, and the sugar on the outside got a little burned, which detracted a tiny bit from the flavor. Live and learn. Thanks for your comments.

Walt

[Really Nice!]

That means reluctantly going to the second-most-frustrating cookbook I own, The Wine Lover's Cookbook (sorry, Robin, it was a gift...).

Why is this book frustrating?

[wnissen]

That means reluctantly going to the second-most-frustrating cookbook I own, The Wine Lover's Cookbook (sorry, Robin, it was a gift...).

Why is this book frustrating?

You can read what I wrote a little while ago when I was more down on it:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ntry462214'

It's frustrating because it does often produce excellent pairings, but sometimes it's very blah. Of course, now that the pinot succeeded it is back in my good graces and I love it and want to make more recipes from it. Very love-hate.

Walt

Edited August 2, 2004 by wnissen (log)