Wine and food pairing

[RPCookin]

I almost always enjoy wine with dinner, either out or at home and I am pretty open to different wines, but I do have several premier pairings.

If I have having rich bold beef such as a thick steak or a beef roast, they definitely require Malbec from Argentina. California Malbecs are a good subsititute.

For Italian fare I prefer a chianti or other Sangiovese.

For rich fish dishes I want a Torrontes, also from Argentina.

Milder fish I will have Pinot Grigio or Savingnon Blanc.

With pork and lamb, a good merlot, syrah (except Australian Shiraz, which I despise!) or a pinot noir.

Goat is best with Zinfandel or Tempranillo

I am bored to death with both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon so I only drink them if my cellar is low or they are getting close to their Best By date.

Thankfully I'll never have the stress of picking a wine to serve to you. It would be bound to be either despicable of boring. I prefer friendlier wines that happily pair with more than just one type of food or occasion. I do happen to like Cabernet Sauvignon and in the right circumstances, a dry Chardonnay.

I'm not terribly fond of the more acidic Chiantis from Italy- the tannins don't play well with my taste buds unless perfectly paired with the proper food. I did get to sample some really good Italian wines from Montalcino and Montepulciano and liked them except for the price (these were aged 10-12 years in the bottle to let the tannins mellow a bit).

Not a big fan of the merlot, or pinot noir that I've had, but then I may never have tried a particularly good vintner or vintage of those.

I do like some of the vin ordinaire that I've sampled - an everyday French red table wine, usually bought in bulk at the winery. I had the pleasure of tasting some of it years ago that my mother brought home from from St. Cyr sur Mer on the Cote d'Azur.

I'm working right now on a similar type of blended red from Chile - Fronterra Vintage Red - quite inexpensive and for me and my friends it's great with food or just for a glass out on the veranda on a summer evening - what I think of as a social wine that requires no particular event or food pairing. I also like their Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

[Lance Bushrod]

I almost always enjoy wine with dinner, either out or at home and I am pretty open to different wines, but I do have several premier pairings.

If I have having rich bold beef such as a thick steak or a beef roast, they definitely require Malbec from Argentina. California Malbecs are a good subsititute.

For Italian fare I prefer a chianti or other Sangiovese.

For rich fish dishes I want a Torrontes, also from Argentina.

Milder fish I will have Pinot Grigio or Savingnon Blanc.

With pork and lamb, a good merlot, syrah (except Australian Shiraz, which I despise!) or a pinot noir.

Goat is best with Zinfandel or Tempranillo

I am bored to death with both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon so I only drink them if my cellar is low or they are getting close to their Best By date.

Those are all good wines and when one lives in a wine state it's to try them all. I do love the Malbec, too, all the different mrtitage blends, the list does go on. One I like a lot is Silver Lake's Cab Franc but they don't always make it. It's perfect with grilled meat or bif game.

I've got wines over 30 years old and have not had a bad bottle yet, knock on wood. What is your Best by Date on a bottle of wine?

 

[Lance Bushrod]

Rick, I understand what you mean about the pinot noir. For me, the cheaper ones seem like they are watered down and the best are so pricy it's hard to justify the expense. When I do buy the better one's I get two bottles for a meal but it's for something special. Our everyday one is discounted to $8 a bottle and that's by the case.

 

[Julian31]

Let's not exaggerate here. In moderation, wine can be part of a healthful diet, but it is not a medication used to treat illness.

I should have put "prevent" instead of "treat", wine should never taken as drugs even associated with medecines. It is a prevention not a treatment.

I am also for friendlier wines like cabernet Franc wine which can be paired with almost everything though it is a parent to cabernet Sauvignon..it is excellent with crispy skin trout and pork belly

 

[Mad Cook]

I almost always enjoy wine with dinner, either out or at home and I am pretty open to different wines, but I do have several premier pairings.

If I have having rich bold beef such as a thick steak or a beef roast, they definitely require Malbec from Argentina. California Malbecs are a good subsititute.

For Italian fare I prefer a chianti or other Sangiovese.

For rich fish dishes I want a Torrontes, also from Argentina.

Milder fish I will have Pinot Grigio or Savingnon Blanc.

With pork and lamb, a good merlot, syrah (except Australian Shiraz, which I despise!) or a pinot noir.

Goat is best with Zinfandel or Tempranillo

I am bored to death with both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon so I only drink them if my cellar is low or they are getting close to their Best By date.

But what would you drink with bear?

Seriously though, this is very interesting and helpful both to the beginner and us "old soaks".

Although Australian wines have improved no end since the old "Yates Wine Lodge" rot-gut days, some of those at the cheaper end can still be a bit of a headache.

I'm not a wine snob but I find that, as a generality, many non-European reds can set off my migraines but European reds don't so I tend to stick to the latter. Whites are less of a problem.

 

[Granjie]

Hi Granjie,

There are so many health benefits from drinking wine but if you drink too much, for sure that you will have health problems that's why drinking two or five glasses of wine per week is best recommended.

Julian.

It reassures me, having to stop using wines in cooking seems impossible for me And yet, there are so many varietals in our cellar which I brought from Italy, France, Argentina... I wouldn't throw them away for the world Here is the pairing of the day : a full-bodied Merlot with chargrilled steak, I was also planning to enjoy it with cab to check if it is really true that both wines can be paired with the same sort of dishes.

 

[Julian31]

It reassures me, having to stop using wines in cooking seems impossible for me And yet, there are so many varietals in our cellar which I brought from Italy, France, Argentina... I wouldn't throw them away for the world Here is the pairing of the day : a full-bodied Merlot with chargrilled steak, I was also planning to enjoy it with cab to check if it is really true that both wines can be paired with the same sort of dishes.

Sounds you cannot live without wine Granjie Anyway, I love your pairing. Cab can be paired with the same sort of dishes as Merlot but we have to stressed on the body type "a full-bodied Merlot" meaning neither medium nor light bodied Merlot are included.

many non-European reds can set off my migraines but European reds don't so I tend to stick to the latter. Whites are less of a problem.

I would recommend the opposite Mr Mad cook, it is said in this article that red wine is high in cancer-fighting, would you believe it?
Which is Healthier: Red Wine or White Wine? | Prevention

 

[Mad Cook]

Sadly, where I live it is difficult to find a proper, independant, wine merchant who knows what he is selling and can advise the customer without prejudice. I'm stuck with supermarkets which are fine if you know what you want - well, some are - but hopeless for the "newby" wine purchaser.

 

[Mad Cook]

Sounds you cannot live without wine Granjie Anyway, I love your pairing. Cab can be paired with the same sort of dishes as Merlot but we have to stressed on the body type "a full-bodied Merlot" meaning neither medium nor light bodied Merlot are included.



I would recommend the opposite Mr Mad cook, it is said in this article that red wine is high in cancer-fighting, would you believe it?
Which is Healthier: Red Wine or White Wine? | Prevention

MISS Mad Cook!

What does "cancer-fighting" have to do with my migraines?

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I prefer friendlier wines that happily pair with more than just one type of food or occasion. I do happen to like Cabernet Sauvignon and in the right circumstances, a dry Chardonnay.

All of the wines I mentioned can be paired with many different foods, I was just stating the best pairings for each. I also discovered that with Argentine wines, Malbec from the lower elevations are superior to the ones from higher elevations, and vice versa for the Torrontés.

I am burned out on both Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay because I have had so many different brands, years and terroirs.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

But what would you drink with bear?:rofl

When Yogi and Smokey come to my house for dinner, they always bring the wine. In fact, yogi is pretty good at food/wine pairings because he is, after all, smarter than the average bear.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Rick, I understand what you mean about the pinot noir. For me, the cheaper ones seem like they are watered down and the best are so pricy it's hard to justify the expense. When I do buy the better one's I get two bottles for a meal but it's for something special. Our everyday one is discounted to $8 a bottle and that's by the case.

Life's Too Short to Drink Cheap Wine - Cliff Hakim

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Sadly, where I live it is difficult to find a proper, independant, wine merchant who knows what he is selling and can advise the customer without prejudice.

I recommend laithwaites.co.uk. They have reviews of all the wines they carry from different sources and they buy their wines worldwide. You can order on line and have the wines delivered right to your door, and if you receive a wine you don't like, they will cheerfully refund the purchase price and that wine's portion of the shipping charges.

 

[di reston]

Matching wine with food

One thing I learned when I was actively in the wine trade and got my DIWSA certificate in wine studies is that, if you are seriously pairing culinary dishes and wine, it isn't necessary to bring out the famous names, or the percieved 'right' dish for it to go with - in my view, it's far more about pairing a wine, whatever it may be, that sets off a given culinary dish so that you achieve 'nirvana', so to speak. There are many humble wines that and great dishes that do this, like, for example, a modest Barbera grown on the right side of the hill with a Brasato al Barolo (beef topside braised in red wine, Piedmont's most prestigious red wine).

Also, the age of the wine matters, and whether it's aged well or not so well, whether it's travelled well or not, and whether it's been properly cellared and finally properly prepared for serving with the chosen dish. If you meet all these 'must do's' then you will have a memorable meal whatever the price of the wine. You can pair a rough chianti with a plate of spaghetti and tomato sauce, or an unknown white wine with a simple plate of grilled fish, provided the wine is properly cellared and cared for.

Obviously, anybody putting out a top wine like the Burgundy 'Clos des Réas'
a top single vineyard Vosne Romanèe would require not only careful handling but also a prestigious dish to accompany it - or merely local cheeses!

The main thing to consider about all these things is never to get 'precious' about wine, but to aim to get the very best both from the wine and the dish that accompanies it so that it's a very good experience at whatever level, be it modest, which in itself can be great, or great, which can be modest at the same time.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[Julian31]

Sadly, where I live it is difficult to find a proper, independant, wine merchant who knows what he is selling and can advise the customer without prejudice. I'm stuck with supermarkets which are fine if you know what you want - well, some are - but hopeless for the "newby" wine purchaser.

Do you mean that it never comes to your mind to buy wines from wine merchant?

What does "cancer-fighting" have to do with my migraines?

It is just an additional info Miss

 

[Julian31]

Rick, I understand what you mean about the pinot noir. For me, the cheaper ones seem like they are watered down and the best are so pricy it's hard to justify the expense. When I do buy the better one's I get two bottles for a meal but it's for something special. Our everyday one is discounted to $8 a bottle and that's by the case.

Unfortunately, the really good ones are never cheap

 

[di reston]

The USA produces wines of astoundingly good standard. If I lived there I would definitely stick with US produced wines. Preparing a wine for a drinking as you all know better than I do is essential - don't chill a white too hard or too fast, and don't bring your reds to room temperature too fast, and remove the cork about two hours plus before drinking. To tell when it's ready, pour a little in your wine glass (not tumbler), swirl and then swirl again in the mouth. You should not notice too much difference in temperature. Experiment with blending different reds together and also different whites - the results can be astounding! Above everything else enjoy your wine and enjoy your menu - it's all about enjoyment not snobbery.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[LindaMend61]

Do you usually pair wine and food ? what is your favourite menu?

Hi there,

I always do during a family dinner with in-laws or an usual meal with my husband and son. The fact that we all enjoy wine passed on from generation to generation.

We've been living in Glasgow for many years and my grandfather hold a small vineyard in Bothwell during his life time, he died at 61 and the property is now for sale...we still have a tiny cellar but most of the bottles are no longer drinkable so I often went to Mitchell Street wine store to buy any bottles wich best matched with the menu. Our last pairing was a white Bordeaux (Chardonnay) with chicken, spring veg and creamy sauces; it was excellent. For easter, we had roast turkey with Belgian blonde ale, some people said that this beer is the equivalent of chardonnay, it has the same fruit flavors I admit

 

[Lance Bushrod]

I've eaten a bit of bear and always had a cabernet sauvignon, even cooked the bear roasts with it, but now any of the maritage or clarets would be fine.

I have wine over 30 years old and anything over 10 years I decant using a jelly bag strainer and let it breath. I've only had one that was iffy and one from Tunisia that was bad. Of course there is always a younger wine in reserve for times like that. BTW, the young wines from Tunsia were not bad but no way I'd go back there now.

 

[Dawgluver]

I will happily drink the wine, but I think I'll skip the bear roast. I'm sure it's lovely though.