We talk a lot about what foods go best with a given wine, but I’m in a slightly different situation: I want to choose a wine, then plan a course or two around it, to try to hit that “WOW!” moment when a wine and food really sing together and each one changes how you experience the other.
Two examples of when this happened to me:
Years ago, I had a moderately-aged Barbaersco DOCG with a nice pasta Bolognese, and the way the rich fatty ragu “parted the curtain” of the tannins and let me taste the rest of the wine was really startling. I think I actually shouted.
At a restaurant recently, one of my companions had a beautiful diver scallop paired with a slightly sweet cream ale. The malty sweetness of the ale somehow accentuated the sweetness of the scallop, while the brininess of the scallop cut the sweetness of the ale, and each one tasted even more interesting in the pairing than alone. My companion definitely shouted. (Not a wine, of course, but you get the idea.)
What are some pairings that have done this for you? What should I try for this upcoming dinner?
Well, Andrew…I’m not one to overthink pairing wine with food. I just try to make sure the wine/food don’t clash & one destroys the other. But, to tell the truth, I find it rare that I have a food/wine pairing that one lifts the other into another realm. Where you get that synergistic effect where one lifts the other to the next level. But, then, I have the palate of a gerbil, so I guess that’s not too surprising. But I am in the distinct minority.
Tom
Probably an unpopular opinion: I like food, I like wine, but food and wine - meh, not a huge fan. Truthfully, it would be food and all drinks except water.
Like Tom, I mostly just try not to have one blow up the other.
If I had to suggest one it would be kettle cooked chips and a Blanc de blancs Champagne. Not transformative as much as a really nice riff that you can just play over and over. The chips beg to be washed down with a sip of Champagne. The champagne leaves you wanting a chip. Rinse and repeat until the bowl or glass is empty. Really a lovely pairing from a guy who doesn’t like pairings too much.
I’m not a huge pairings guy either – similar to other posters who have chimed in, I’m in the “eat what you like, drink what you like” camp and if they happen to pair well, it’s a nice bonus. However, I will say that off-dry riesling and spicy Thai food is as good as everyone says it is.
People talk about Gruner Veltliner being one of the few wines that pair well with artichokes and asparagus.
GV doesn’t pair well with a lot of other stuff but I had one this week (Brundlmayer) with an avocado with high oil content (mature and rich) - the two went together extremely well. I recommend trying this.
personally, I like food and wine pairings, but the transformative pairings I’ve had I think would only have been transformative in the exact situation they were enjoyed in. in my experience, pairings that are really transformative are so because of the situation: where you’re at, who you’re with, what you had before it, etc.
although a really great cassoulet and a Burgundy with a bit of age to it always tends to hit a pretty great sweet spot for me.
So coming from an East Asian heritage and a “foodie” family, I grew up eating a lot of different cuisines. A lot of East Asian meals (Chinese/Korean/Japanese/etc) are generally balanced by pickles and condiments as a way to counter overly flavorful or rich foods. For example, you would have suan cai on a lot of Chinese noodle dishes, sichuan style pickles on seafood, Japanese ginger and lightly pickled cucumbers to accompany braised pork, and the classic Korean kimchi to accompany KBBQ and many Korean dishes.
French food, on the other hand, is generally incredibly rich and fatty with enormous amounts of flavor and salt. I’ve been to quite a few French restaurants and in my experience I have not seen many dishes balanced by pickles or acid. Now I know there are exceptions, like Normandy cuisine and the more Mediterranean-style of French cuisine, but I’m not focusing on those styles for the sake of my argument.
Before I had gotten into wines, I would generally become overwhelmed with French food with how condensed the experience is on the palette. But I had a revelation that these type of French dishes actually do require wine to pair. Just as pickles are the cornerstone in balancing East Asian foods, wine does the same with French food. Eating a rich morel chicken dish is not the same without a glass of Burgundy, although it is still delicious without. But with the wine, it transforms the eating experience, like a muscular body builder gliding with grace on the dance floor.
I can’t say I have found many amazing pairings outside of French food and wine. Some Cantonese food do go quite well with some Bordeaux, but nothing that really matched the level of French food and wine. I did have a great experience with a grower Champagne and Japanese tempura and sushi (omakase-style). Champagne and fried food works in the same avenue as beer. I personally end up choosing Rieslings for a lot for my meals at home as it generally works with the food rather than detracts, but it is never really a game changing experience and the food would be just as good without.
To tell the truth, I think it’s not so much the food/wine pairings that’s important as it is the people/wine pairings. That can be transformative!!
Tom
I fall squarely into “I like pairing wine and food” camp.
For me there have been a handful of revelatory experiences and a whole lot of great daily pairings.
Revelatory: the wine + the meal = greater than the sum of the parts, the skies opened up, my mind was blown.
Pesquera Ribera de duero + rabbit etoufee in New Orleans: As a broke grad student I had no idea that wine and food could elevate each other like that. The one that woke me up.
Cornas (Clape I think) + wild game at my brother-the-hunter’s “beast feast”. Wait-Syrah can be perfumed and complex?! Out of this world.
Great daily:
Grilled salmon or lamb, crispy duck confit or roast chicken + Oregon Pinot or Red Burg
Spicy Chinese or Indian takeout with good cava. We buy caseloads of Raventos 1497 Blanc de blanc. The “de Nit” rose’ version is also good if you swing that way…
Sautéed white fish (whatever looks good that day) with White Burg or Burg-esque American Chard (Walter Scott is excellent)
Sushi with good cava (Raventos, again) or Champagne
Kabinett/Spatlese Riesling or Bordelet Pear cider at any Thanksgiving table or potluck. (Ditto Pinot for a red)
Both are good, we just prefer the 1497 BdB. Have had and really like the de Nit Rose’ version too. I remember bring told (pre-pandemic) that it was one of the most-sold wines by the glass in restaurants at the time (~ 2019 I guess)
I am not too fussy about food/wine pairings either. But some of my surprise wow experiences have been:
-Sauvignon blanc, esp Sancerre, with goat cheese and goat cheese salad in particular
-Sauternes with lobster
-Viognier with chicken tandori (without much heat!)
I do try, not always successfully, to make a decent pairing of wine with the meal but I’m not a fanatic about it. One pairing that I find exceptional is fino sherry with sushi.