Does it bother you when other people pair wine and food 'wrong'?

WINE TALK
21

Barry- seems like your heart is in the right place here, but stop worrying about what other people eat and drink.

22

I assure you my heart is in the wrong place.




Kidding.



Thanks, Anthony. Good advice.

23

I think Champagne (especially rose) and meat is a wildly underrated pairing. Not only does tannin cut fat, acid does it as well or better.

24

I think people if they’re into wine will figure out pairings they like with their food, if they’re not, then it doesn’t matter too much.

I do discover new pairings often that I wouldn’t really have thought of it I hadn’t broken the “rules”

25

No, it does not. If someone serves me Fettuccine Alfredo with Screaming Eagle, I will just politely say that I want to make sure that I truly appreciate the wine without clouding my palate with food, drink the wine, and then move on to the food.No big deal. It has taken me decades to learn to shut up and be tactful - many hear believe I still have not learnt - but it makes for much better relationships. But then again, when my BIL insists on giving me Ridge Zin to drink with my Matzoh Ball soup, I tell him that his wine pairing is like serving bacon to Rabbi Schneerson.

26

Mike.

This is what we have Berserker offlines for. [whistle.gif]

27

Jaaaay. When you mention Rabbi Schneerson, you have to say in a sing song voice, the lubuvitcher Rebbe, Mendel Schneerson. z"L
No come over and I’ll give you a dollar bill.

The Rabbi, now long gone, use to give visitors a dollar bill. Non-Jews reading can google his name for an interesting read.

28

In our house we decide food first and try to find a good pairing in the cellar second. If I can’t find a good pairing then I’d rather drink water than have the wine and food clash. But that’s me. I don’t care what others do with their wine. It’s their wine, their money and their taste.

That said, one time I did witness something that made me cringe. I was on vacation hanging out at the pool with my wife. A couple came and sat near us and immediately ordered a bottle of Shafer Hillside. It wasn’t on the pool menu so it caught the server off guard but they figured it out and 2 wine glasses and the bottle was delivered in 5 mins. The guy takes a quick taste, calls the wine good and the server leaves happy. The couple then jumps in the pool for a least 30 mins while the wine is baking in direct sunlight. When they finally get back to their chairs they order a shrimp ceviche and start guzzling the wine. I even hear him say the pairing is fantastic. To me that wine is normally to alcoholic at the correct serving temperature but by the time he got to it it must have been 90 degrees. 90 degree ripe napa cab with cold acidic shrimp ceviche. Yak!

29

If i was constantly hunting wine to pair with whatever I was eating and only drinking wine that would pair well with what i’m eating, I wouldn’t be enjoying as much great wine as I do.

30

The only pairing that really bothers me is when the locals tell me that Pinot Noir is the perfect pairing with lamb, when IMO, an aged Cabernet or Bandol is a far superior match, and I’d save the Pinot for a nice cut of beef…

31

Or as much great food.

32

that too!

33

I am expected to cook dinner every day. [wink.gif]

34

Maybe it is better then to pair friends with wine instead of food with wine.

35

Works well with sushi I hear… [stirthepothal.gif] deadhorse

36

I went to a few offline at Beijing Duck House, and there were some interesting offerings with the duck. A few full blooded reds, and of course plenty of great Riesling. People drank what they liked, but I am with young Hack on this, drink first then eat if you are afraid of the match.

37

FIFY. I thought you were a traditionalist. Who knew?

38

They changed the name again. I’ve been going there since 1982, and it has gone from Peking, to Beijing and back to Peking. I can’t keep up.

39

Joking aside, there is merit in people drinking what they want to drink, which at home might mean such a wine barely gets a sip with the food, and is then drunk afterwards. More challenging with a multi-course meal. It might be the food didn’t spoil the wine, and they were more interested in the wine rather than the food?

Alternatively try and share the wines, so you can then set a rough plan out (e.g. 2 whites, 2 light reds, 4 reds) and give that info to the chefs so they can flex around it. They might even enjoy that challenge.

40

I think you’re thinking into this way too much. Enjoy what you enjoy and let others enjoy what they enjoy. Why be a wine nazi?