Adventures is pairing wine and food

With the exception of tonight’s New Years Eve celebrations and tomorrow’s football dominant TV attractions, the long holiday season has begun to wind down.  Starting with Thanksgiving, seasonal holiday meals have been traditionally driven to exhibit a wide variety of dishes with diverse flavors, textures and palate-appeal appearing side-by-side on the table and everyone’s plate.
 
With that in mind, we can simply ignore the idea of a “great wine pairing” and resign ourselves to enjoying the moment with friends and family alongside the host’s vinous choices.
 
Many people see wine and food pairing as an exact science and are often intimidated by making the wrong choices. Thankfully, the frequently heard timeless mantra of "white with fish and red with meat" is now far from today’s reality, especially given the myriad of tantalizing wines and culinary delights available.
 
I recently saw a humorous cartoon depicting two "stone age wine geeks" discussing wine pairings: "Simple rule of thumb; if it tries to eat us serve with red.  If it runs away serve with white." But what to do with vegetarian dishes, luscious creamy and sharp cheeses, fruit based or chocolate desserts and so many other dishes we now see?
 
Sure, there are the classic pairings of Sauternes and Barsac (classic Bordelais Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc based sweet wines) with foie gras to start the meal or with desserts to finish it, Champagne with oysters and Port with walnuts in front of a warm fire. However, there are also numerous non-traditional pairing choices available for those willing to explore. 
 
Cabernet Sauvignon is thought to be a perfect pairing with a hearty roast beef and I would agree.  Yet there are several bolder Pinots, Barolos, “Super-Tuscans” and Syrahs that could also fill the bill. A well-balanced Chardonnay may be a good candidate with grilled salmon, but a more delicate Pinot Noir may be a better choice.
 
When thinking about pairing your favorite wine with a chosen dish; or preparing your favorite dish to pair with a specific wine, there are two avenues to follow.  You can either complement or contrast your choices. 
 
Cabernet Sauvignon with a charred rare steak is a complementary paring as both are rich and savory.  And a full-bodied Chardonnay with a filet of sole Veronique would complement the rich creamy, buttery sauce.  Both work well and are examples of complementary pairing decisions.
 
Looking at the flip side, a Chianti Classico with its high acidity and in-depth structure would provide a contrasting approach to the steak.  Just as a bright Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino – with their pronounced acidity – would do the same with the sole as they cut through the rich Veronique preparation. 
 
Neither direction is right or wrong and both work beautifully.  It’s just your choice as are all pairing decisions.
 
For the past 35 years I have co-chaired a large charity wine event,  "A Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters," in Southern California.  It has always been my “job” to pair the 125+ wines poured by 75 California wineries with the dishes of 50 renowned chefs from across the country.  This is a fun task and has given me a perspective of looking at wine pairings in a broader, far less restrictive manner.
 
I don't try pairing  only one variety (e.g. Cabernet, Zinfandel, Riesling, Chardonnay, etc.) with one type of dish (e.g. beef, fish, fowl, etc.).  Following this method is a simpler way of showing both the chef’s and winery’s contributions, but from the inception of “Winemasters,” I made the decision to follow a different path.  
 
Not only did the simpler/safer direction sound boring, I also wanted to give our1200+ guests choices they can appreciate or dismiss.  I arrange the food and wine stations with compatible wines often of differing varietal composition paired with each dish and preparation in different ways. 
 
With one or two chefs and two, three or four wineries at each station (and there are 26 stations) the combinations are endless and the pairings demonstrate wine’s versatile role in the adventure.
 
In a time-honored tradition, I look first at the wines and pair the chefs’ dishes to match their stylistic expressions.  Remember, the wine is already in the bottle while chefs have an unlimited range of options at their disposal.  Executing the proper pairing dish is only limited by the chef’s knowledge, experience and imagination in creating a broad range of choices. 
 
To make the presentations most appealing for the wines, I focus on the structure, weight and flavor profile more than simply the variety or blend.  In looking at the dish, I not only consider at the core ingredient (beef, pork, fowl, etc.), but also the preparation as the wine must complement or contrast the entire dish.
 
Not too long ago, I was asked to lead a wine and food pairing dinner for twelve.  I chose to showcase some lesser known Old World varieties and blends now being grown in California.  I worked closely with the chef to create a five-course menu that would pair with the various wines. To demonstrate the flexibility of wine in the pairing scheme, I included two compatible wines for each course that were similar in general but varied greatly in aromatics, structure, weight and flavor. 
 
While some guests preferred one or the other wine with each dish, others appreciated both wines for distinctly different reasons. In one course the depth of Grenache Blanc beautifully complemented the black cod and mushrooms while the tightly structured Arneis was the perfect foil to the accompanying roast squash by cutting through the sweetness and brightening the total experience,
 
In a later course the opulence of Mataro (aka Mourvedrè and Monastrell) brought out the texture of the raviolo of oxtail while the tartness of the Carignan presented itself as a counterpoint to the richness of the dish. 
 
Over the last 15 years, my wife and I have hosted more than a dozen land trips and cruises to Europe and beyond around a wine and culinary theme.  One challenge presented itself a couple years ago while sailing from Southampton to Amsterdam with our group of 53 wine and food lovers.  
 
On the cruise, I conducted two tastings featuring an array of wines from Europe and a five-course wine pairing dinner.  In my initial planning, I had decided to construct the dinner around the treasured wines of Italy.  However, it turned out the featured restaurant onboard was “very” French in theme with a highly skilled French Chef at the helm.
 
So, what to do?  In Old World traditions, regional culinary choices evolved through the centuries around the wines of the area, and there’s not much similarity between France and Italy in this regard.  Again, I worked closely with the Regent Cruise Line’s Food & Beverage Director and the ship’s Executive Chef in charge of the Chartreuse Restaurant to design a menu that would combine the best of both worlds. 
 
Planning this dinner (titled “When Italy meets France”) for our group was indeed a challenge.  Yet the final menu worked well and became a talking point among our group along with the ship’s wine and culinary staff for the balance of the cruise.  A little imagination coupled with an open mind as to options can work wonders when thinking about “perfect” pairing combinations.
 
Over the years, and after countless wine/food pairing meals and experiences I’ve planned and conducted along with others I attended, I’ve learned to come away with a somewhat different outlook:  While there are perfect pairings that should be enjoyed as such, there’s also a whole world of experimentation and diversity available to make the adventure exciting, memorable and worthwhile."