Pairings

Wines of the World
PO Box 36330
Denver, CO 80236-0330
Phone 1-888-827-8484 (1-888-TASTINGS)
FAX 303-986-0058
Email flightcommand@starnetsite.com


``Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it."Anonymous


Pairings

BEFORE we begin, we have to decide what wines to choose or decide what kinds of food to have. So often wine and cheese tastings (more later on the inherent disadvantages of combining wine and cheese) are built around the choice of wines followed by, almost as an afterthought, “oh, by the way shouldn’t we have something to eat or at least snack on?”.

Next consideration: Will this gathering be dinner or a snacking? Will there be hot and cold foods or only one of the two. Let’s go for the simplest for now with the more complicated later. Five appetizer sized, cold and prepared in advance foods and one surprise piece de resistance. (Recipes are available at the end if you don’t want to wing it.)

Next, decide how much food and how many different foods you wish to have. A good starting place is five foods and five wines. Plan on about 2 ounces of wine per person (you will need a measured pour spout-readily available at most liquor stores that have a good wine selection) and about 2 snacks per sample of wine. If the event goes as planned, it will probably last anywhere from an hour and a half to two and a half hours (longer if you are making this more party than pairing) depending on the number of people, whether everyone arrives at the same time etc.

You don’t have to go out and buy an extensive set of new wine glasses, but having at least one glass per person that is designed for white still wines, one that is designed for red still wines and one that is designed for sparkling wines will greatly enhance your wine experiences. (Hint: several of the dollar stores sell a variety of wine glasses at $1.00 each).

Plan on a water carafe or bottle for each person. I prefer to have some unflavored carbonated water available for guests.
While it would be possible to suggest infinite possibilities for food and wine, here is one short list; others will follow on some other day. Serve in the order written.

Wine: Proseco A Dry, sparkling white
Food: Cremini crunch

Wine: Pouilly-Fuisse¢ A Medium dry, still white
Food: Grilled salmon w /chipotle cream

Wine: Sancerre A Light dry, still white
Food: Garlic puree on bread

Wine: Chablis A Dry fruity, still white
Food: Chicken scaloppini on a stick

Wine: Pinot Noir A Medium Body, still red
Food: Roast beef sandwichettes


Dessert: Piece de Resistance Unfrosted Chocolate brownie chunks which we will have with a small glass of the Pinot Noir!

Assuming the highest price for each bottle of wine and assuming the wine is exactly spread over the number of people attending, you should be able to put on the whole spread for under $20 per person (if you come from the thrifty part of Scotland, however, it can be done for under $12). The food prep should take no more than 1 hour.

Voila! A wine and food pairing!

Cheers!





The Cellarmaster at
Reds N Whites
Recipes
Wine: Proseco Zardetto-Conegliano, IT
Food: Cremini crunch

1. About 1/8 lb. cremini mushrooms & about 1/8 lb. white mushrooms per person. (= 1 portion).


2. ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil per portion.


3. ½ shallot or onion equivalent per portion.


4. ¼ teaspoon ground thyme per portion.


5. Salt and pepper to taste.


6. ¼ cup dry Sherry (Cooking Sherry is ok)


7. 1 loaf baguette or narrow French bread, sliced.

Clean & trim mushrooms and, along with shallots or onions, chop medium fine in food processor. Heat skillet over moderate heat. Add oil and butter to skillet and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms are deep brown and tender, roughly 5 to 6 minutes. Add Sherry. Place mushroom mixture in small serving dishes, toast bread slices and serve.

Wine: Pouilly-Fuisse¢ Louis Jadot- 2003,Burgundy, France
Food: Grilled salmon w /chipotle cream

1. About 1/8 lb. fresh salmon per person fillet w/skin. (= 1 portion).


2. ¼ oz. Sour cream per portion.


3. ½ teaspoon chipotle powder per portion.

Mix sour cream and chipotle cream and set aside. Rinse & pat dry salmon fillet removing any stray fish scales from flesh side. Add hickory chips to charcoal or smoker box. Spray aluminum foil with oil and place salmon, skin side down, on aluminum foil. Place over coals at medium temperature or height adjusted to achieve medium temperature. Grill until flesh begins to change color to light pink at edges. Carefully turn salmon over and grill for another 2 minutes. Remove from grill and remove skin. Cut in 3” squares and serve with chipotle sour cream.

Wine: Sancerre Cherrier &Fils-2003, Sancerre, France
Food: Garlic puree on bread

1. One fresh garlic clove per person. (= 1 portion).


2. 1 loaf baguette or narrow French bread, sliced.

Remove white outer husk to reveal garlic cloves. With sharp knife, cut tips from cloves while leaving cluster of cloves intact. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake on cookie sheet or ovenproof dish in preheated oven at 350 ° until cloves are easily pierced by fork and spreadable (about 30 minutes). Serve individual clusters with bread slices and knives to spread on bread.

Wine: Chablis Gerard Tremblay-2002, Poinchy, France

Food: Chicken scaloppini on a stick

1. About 2 oz. boneless chicken breast per person. (= 1 portion).


2. ½ cup chicken broth per portion.


3. 3 teaspoons lemon juice per portion.


4. 1-teaspoon cornstarch per portion.


5. ½ cup flour, salt and pepper to taste.


6. ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil per portion.

Mix chicken broth and cornstarch until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium until sauce thickens. Pound chicken breasts until about 1/3 inch thick. Dredge each thoroughly in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Add butter and olive oil to skillet and heat skillet to high, short of smoking and add chicken breasts. Sauté until edges begin to brown, turn and continue to cook until both sides are browned. Remove from skillet and cut in 1” strips. Cut strips into 3” lengths and insert toothpick in each curling strip into semicircle. Cover strips lightly with lemon sauce and serve two strips per person.

Wine: Pinot Noir Estancia-2003, Monterey, CA

Food: Roast beef sandwichettes

1. About 2 oz. Deli roast beef per person. (= 1 portion).


2. ¼ cup mayonnaise per portion.


3. ½ teaspoon horseradish portion.

Mix mayonnaise and horseradish thoroughly and spread lightly on split roll. Add two slices of Deli beef to roll and cut into eight pieces. Serve two pieces per person.



Dessert: Piece de Resistance Unfrosted Chocolate brownie chunks which we will have with a small glass of the Pinot Noir!

Wines of the World - A Tasting

Wines of the World
PO Box 36330
Denver, CO     80236-0330
Phone 1-888-827-8484 (1-888-TASTINGS)

FAX 303-986-0058
Email flightcommand@StarNetSite.com


``Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it. “Anonymous


Tastings

Wine and food pairings or wine and cheese parties versus wine tastings, seem to be used interchangeably by many.  Why wine tastings became lumped together with wine and food pairings or wine and cheese parties, I don’t know.  For me, wine tastings, are intended as events to introduce some of the sights and sounds  (OH!, ooh, aah, ick), aromas, bouquets and tastes of different wines and to marginally increase one’s knowledge of wine.  Arguably, wine and food pairings are intended to expand the universe of –"Boy, these sure do go well together", while wine and cheese parties are intended as social events to provide folks the chance to intermingle while having something wonderful to munch, sip and discuss.

Even more, I don’t know why wine, which can be the gentlest, friendliest, most compatible and socializing alcoholic beverage of choice, seems to bring out the worst in some people ("My, that’s a pretentious Cabernet, don’t you think?").

I would hope to make one thing clear.  The suggestions I make are what please me, based on both experiences with what I didn’t like and what I did!  If they don’t please you, that’s okay, just change them.  For instance, I like to decant (aerate) red wines about 2 hours before drinking.  I also like to refrigerate them for about 20 minutes before drinking so as to serve them at what I perceive to be cellar temperature.  Try this and if you prefer another style - feel free.  There are no wine police.

So let’s begin.  Let’s have a tasting.  The object is to meet with a few friends, relax, have one of those “that was so much fun, let’s do it again” kind of gatherings and, furthermore, to do so without spending an excessive amount of time, money or energy.  At another time we’ll dissect the pairings and the party.

A wine “tasting” is normally held in an appropriate social setting so the participants can relax, enjoy some wines they may not heretofore have tasted and socialize, like: Your house or mine? The conference room at the office.  Poolside at the clubhouse and like that.

So, on to the wine tasting.

BEFORE we decide what wines to choose, let’s decide IF we are going to have food and, if so, what kind.  I am going to suggest, for wine tastings, you plan to have a tasting and then eat afterward.  The reason you might choose to do it this way, especially if you are relatively new to a variety of wines, is food can be a distraction when learning about wines.  Eating after a fun, informal, tasting can enhance both experiences (I believe).

The next task is to decide what kind(s) of wine to include and how many.  I suggest you limit each tasting to 4 or 5 wines, with fewer and you don’t have the breadth for comparison; with more you risk losing the individuality of each in the crowd.  In addition, I recommend all reds or all whites and all still or all sparkling if you are relatively new to a wide variety of wine.  There will be plenty of time to mix reds and whites and still with sparkling as you journey along.

Start with a varietal with which someone in the group is familiar, say a (white) Sauvignon Blanc.  Try to get the same year of each wine and try for different vineyards, regions, states or even countries.  Obtain some information about the varietal, area and particular wine if possible and make copies so each person can have one.  Check out http://www.winearomawheel.com for a free download of the users’ guide. This will give you easy instructions on how to make up samples mimicking some of the bouquets, aromas and defects found in wine.  These can be made from inexpensive items found at the grocery store and will really clarify the common components of wine.

Plan on at least one, (2 or more are better) appropriate wine glasses and a water carafe or bottle for each person, a container to empty unfinished wine into as well as to spit the wine sample into (spitting not a requirement).  I prefer to have some unflavored carbonated water available for people as well as some small chunks of fresh, unflavored white bread to help cleanse the mouth between samples.

It’s important to understand the place spitting out samples has in regard to a wine tasting.  Where there is a small group and a limited number of wines, four or five, spitting is likely not necessary.  It has its origin amongst vignerons and others who are required to repeatedly sample a larger number of wines.  In order to keep their palate as refreshed as possible, as well as not getting smashed, they pour a larger amount of wine into a glass in order to test its aroma and bouquet, take a portion into their mouth to get the mouth feel and taste, but swallow only a small amount.

Now, answer the door, seat your guests, open the wine and

L’Chayim—a wine tasting!






The Cellarmaster at
Reds N Whites

Wines of the World X-Spurts

Wines of the World
PO Box 36330
Denver, CO     80236
Phone 1-888-827-8484 (1-888-TASTINGS)
FAX 303-986-0058
Email flightcommand@StarNetSite.com


``Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it."Anonymous


X Spurts.

Why is it that everyone and his unemployed brother is an expert on all beverages, alcoholic - except wine?  I mean, when’s the last time you stopped into your favorite overpriced restaurant and asked them to send over the “beer expert” so you could discuss which year of Coors you were going to order?

Okay, okay.  For you wine experts – there’s a difference between types, years and regions of wines.  There’s also a difference in the years, types and regions of Scotch, but how many people, (other, perhaps, than your Uncle Hootie) do you know who make their living hanging out at (fill in the name of the restaurant) advising diners on their choice of Scotch.  My objection is that choosing and enjoying wines should be simplified, not complicated, by those with some experience and expertise.

Definitions.

It stands to reason that everyone has to be on the same page if they hope to communicate.

So it is with wine.  It is at least useful, if not important, to have some basic common understandings.

Take the word sommelier.  What exactly is a sommelier?  Well, first, a sommelier is someone who has spent a great many hours studying the colors, bouquets, aromas and compositions of wine.  Unfortunately, sommeliers may also be the only people in the world that, not only know what cassis is, smells and tastes like, but the only ones who care.  Second, for many sommeliers the technical complexities of wine are what they find attractive (not to mention it gives them a chance to show off).  My point is, perhaps, we don’t have to ask complete strangers about something as simple and straightforward as the fermented juice of a grape.  I say this for good reason.  Unlike many parts of the world, most places in the good old US of A have drinkable, if not palatable water.  We therefore never had to substitute wine for water (pity!).  
So, while the French were growing up sipping while they supped, we were slurping H2O and our palates were never schooled in vin pays versus Premier Gran Cru (truth be told not a lot of French schoolchildren were running around sipping Premier Gran Cru either, but at least they might have sampled something more upscale than vin ordinaire).  Many Americans have never learned that wine, unlike either beer or Scotch, is more food than beverage!  Think about the many uses of wine in cooking.  At a minimum, wine is similar to the herbs and spices we use when we cook.   Once you make that distinction, whether fermented grape juice has overtones of rich leather or just the subtle hint of the aroma of newly mown grass or not becomes much less important than whether you find including wine in your meals to be a real pleasure.

It doesn’t take a lifetime of exposure to wine, the often overpriced experience of what is “popular” nor the advice of a restaurant wine professional, to learn to appreciate, enjoy and distinguish among many well priced, tasty representatives of “le grape” from around the world.  

It’s not that sommeliers don’t know a lot about wine.  It’s that too few seem to take joy in that knowledge.  Many seem more bent on parading what they know.  Above all else, wine and the knowledge of wine should be shared and enjoyed with pleasure and happiness, not some high falutin’ nonsense.  (It is only fermented grape juice after all).  

Hopefully, as we continue our journey through wines, their myths and their mysteries, we can all be better for our introduction to “the nectar of the gods”.  

Salud!




The Cellarmaster at
Reds N Whites

Wines of the World - Rules of Engagement

Wines of the World
PO Box 36330
Denver, CO 80236
Phone 1-888-827-8484 (1-888-TASTINGS) FAX 303-986-0058
email flightcommand@StarNetSite.com

``Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it."Anonymous


Rules.

In my opinion, there are few rules for the understanding and enjoyment of wine. There are only guidelines, some of which are ever changing. However, I do believe there should be one rule regarding wine – relax, try wine your way, if that doesn’t work try a different wine a different way, or with different companions.. Above all, wine should be an enjoyable acquaintance rather than a homework assignment.

My views on wine are simply a series of “I believes”.

I believe wine is a food, not a beverage.

I believe wines should be good companions to the foods with which they are paired. Like a good marriage or relationship, they should be comfortable without either being overbearing or subservient.

I believe all wines should be given at least a second chance. Maybe it was the food, the weather, the surroundings or even your mood that relegated a particular wine to the scrap heap. Reseal it and try again in a couple of days with something (or someone) else.

I believe most wines should not be served at normal American room temperature of 68 to 72 degrees. However, It’s not beer and shouldn’t be served at 42 degrees. I prefer to have most red wines chilled slightly to somewhere around 64 degrees (about 20 minutes in the fridge before drinking should do it) and most whites a few degrees cooler.

I believe all red wines benefit from being poured into a decanter so they aerate for a short time before being served.

I believe most wines and cheeses are delightful - just not together.

I believe a tasting should be a tasting. Tastings were originally intended to concentrate on a wine or wines without the distraction of food or a cocktail party atmosphere. In a way, tastings are more about the knowledge of wine than about having a party.

I also believe a pairing should be a pairing. To me, one of the endlessly amazing characteristics of wines is how dramatically they can change when paired with a different food (to test this statement, try a piece of unfrosted chocolate brownie with a full bodied Pinot Noir and with a Sauvignon Blanc). Pairings are about finding delightful combinations of food and wine.

Finally, I believe a party should be a party. For me, a wine party is primarily a social event, leavened by information and conversation about wine.

I believe wine was the “peoples choice” of beverage before beer and liquor were either available or reputable.

I believe you can enjoy good, companionable wine for $6 to $12 a bottle and you can enjoy good, companionable wine for $150 a bottle - unfortunately it isn’t the price that makes the wine good. You can pay $6 or $150 for Plonk!

I believe the moral of the story The Emperor’s New Clothes is applicable to too many who write about, judge or pretend to enjoy wine.

I believe much of the currently popular language congregating around wine, its consumption, your potential pleasure in it and its relative merits and value is meaningless, pretentious drivel! I have never met a wine that fled so that I couldn’t “approach” it!

Most of all, I believe that learning about, tasting and enjoying wine and learning about all the ingredients, people, weather, “terroir”, soil and other complexities, including Lady Luck, make for a fascinating, never ending, enjoyable educational and gustatory journey that never ends.

A votre sante.





The Cellarmaster at
Reds N Whites