Pairing Wine & Food

I once read that wine is to the French and Italian table as salt and pepper (or healthier substitutions) are to the American table. While there was a time it might have been that simple, today we have a vast number of grape varieties and unique wines from around the world at our fingertips, fantastic cuisines from every ethnicity pumping out over the food network, and five star recipes printed in magazines and shared all over the web. Making a selection from hundreds, even thousands of fine wines available in any given store in hopes of successfully pairing it with dinner can seem like a daunting task. It’s no wonder that most people will get stuck on one or two wines, and drink them with everything. What are the rules of pairing wine with food? Where do you start? How much will you have to spend? How many wines will you have to taste through? It’s really not as complicated as it sounds.

There are NO rules because taste is subjective. That being said, there are some very good and logical suggestions, and a chronological order for their consideration.

1. LEVEL/QUALITY - Pair the wine with the level of occasion and/or the quality of the dish. You wouldn’t dip a quality and well prepared filet mignon in ketchup, well it’s probably not a good idea to drink a $4 bottle of wine with it either.

2. WEIGHT - Pair the weight of the wine with the weight of the dish - light wines with light dishes, heavy wines with heavy dishes.

3. MIRROR - Pair a wine that mirrors the flavors and characteristics of the dish. Are you using a butter or fruit sauce, pepper, or herbs? You might consider a wine that shares those same characteristics.

4. FAT - For a heavier dish with high levels of fat, it’s a good idea to remember that acid cuts through fat, and tannins stand up to it. So consider either a medium to highly acidic wine, or one with heavy tannins.

5. LOCATION - Consider location and/or ethnicity in your pairing. Not necessarily the meat, pasta, or veggies, but the style in which it’s prepared – Mediterranean, Asian, Cajun, Italian, French, etc. If available, try matching a wine from the same region.

6. SPICE – A chilled slightly sweet wine will tame the heat of a dish and bring out its flavor. Avoid tannic wines as they irritate the soft tissue of your mouth to create the dry feeling you get, and will actually make a spicy dish seem even spicier while totally blocking the flavor.

7. DESSERT – Because a sweet wine will typically have a high level of acidity to balance its sweetness, you should make sure that your dessert wine is sweeter than your dessert. Otherwise, your dessert could strip away the sweetness of the wine, leaving an unpleasant level of acidity on the palate.

While there are no perfect food and wine pairings (because everyone tastes things differently), the truth is that most wines go with most foods. Don’t get stuck on “rules”, drink what you like! Most stores have their wine divided into regions, and by variety within each. Start with the 8 main (4 white and 4 red) international grape varieties (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). You’ve probably done a little research to create your dish, now do a little research to pair your wine. Or, determine the basic type of wine you want to pair with your dish, and go to a specialty wine store with a knowledgeable staff that can help you find it. Know your budget and stay within it. There are some very good wines in the $9 to $12 range, and great wines in the $18 to $30 range. Simply put, if you can afford better than that, your reward will usually be a more complex wine with a longer finish.

EXPERIMENT AND HAVE FUN!

Ambiguous Fruit Descriptors For Wine

I was recently participating in a weekly wine tasting ritual with a colleague of mine where we break down and define various glasses of wine following a sequence consistent with the certified sommelier exam. In this process we found it humorous that we were making references to fruits we’ve never tasted, and to make it even more ridiculous we discovered we were trying to reference fruits we couldn’t even define. Finding this unacceptable, we were prompted to do a little research for the sake of clarity. There are three fruit descriptors that are particularly ambiguous among most wine enthusiasts I’ve come across.

Currant

Among the definitions I found were these: A small seedless raisin, and/or the small, edible, acidic, round fruit or berry of certain wild cultivated shrubs, and/or any various similar fruits or shrubs. A small dried seedless grape of the Mediterranean, a member of the gooseberry family. Currant can be black, red, or white. 

Cassis

Among the definitions I found were these: A black-currant cordial, black currant liquor, a brandy distilled from black currants. In wine tasting, this term should be used over black currant to denote a more concentrated, richer flavor.

Stone Fruit

Among the definitions I found were these: A fruit with a stone (or a pit) or hard endocarp, such as a peach or a plum, the non-technical name for drupe which is defined as any fruit, such as a peach, cherry, plum, nectarine, apricot, etc., consisting of an outer skin, a usually pulpy and succulent middle layer, and a hard and woody inner shell usually enclosing a single seed.

While taste is still very subjective, even for the purpose of fruit descriptive references, this should provide a common ground of understanding and photographic clarity.

OAKED or UN-OAKED? That is the question!

There are many preferences regarding oaked verses un-oaked wines, but most of them in my experience are based strictly on the robust flavor of OAK itself. Did you know that a wine can be aged in oak without really having any “woody” characteristics at all? Would you associate the delicious flavors of dark chocolate, butterscotch, or molasses with an oaked wine? You should, because that’s one of the only natural ways a wine maker can manipulate those layers of complexity into their product. You can usually tell if a wine has been aged in oak by its aromas and flavors.

French Oak and American Oak are the most common types of barrels used for aging wine. French Oak is more commonly used for higher quality wines as it adds elegant flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. American Oak typically adds more aggressive flavors of vanilla, toasted coconut, and dill. The more a barrel is used, the less effective it is in contributing to the wine in terms of flavor; consequently, most barrels are only used once or twice before being discarded or sold for other uses.

Here are some barrel aging associations you can relate flavor to the next time you’re characterizing a wine:

General wood flavors include the obvious: oak, cedar, sawdust, and even cigar box (which is a fairly common characteristic found in Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons).

Less obvious wood flavors include vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, toasted coconut, dill, and even black pepper (which is a fairly common characteristic found in a Red Zinfandel).

Charring on the inside of a barrel can produce flavors of smoke, toasted bread, and campfire, as well as coffee, dark chocolate, and nuts.

Oxidation aromas from barrel aging can also reflect caramel, butterscotch, honey, and molasses in the wine.

FYI: The buttery flavor characteristic of many domestic chardonnays is NOT typically a result of oak barrel aging, but rather of Malolactic Fermentation (which is a secondary fermentation process where malic acid is converted to lactic acid via Lactobacillus bacteria).

So the next time you’re tasting a wine and someone asks if it has been barrel aged, you’ll be able to make a more accurate and worthy assumption, be able to explain theoretically why you’re leaning one way or the other, and your friends will marvel at your wisdom and skill!

Aromas & Flavors In Wine, How To Find & Define Them

Have you ever shared a glass of wine with someone that had the ability to describe the aromas and flavors you’re sensing, when you had no idea until they suggested it? Now here’s the key, were you able to respond saying, “hey…I do sense that”? If you’ve ever wished you could do that, there is hope! I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN! Are you able to recognize the taste of apple, pineapple, lemon, melon, or pear? How about black cherry, blackberry, raspberry, plum, cinnamon, or chocolate? Of course you can! And if you can’t, then you should taste and smell these things until you can. The next time you’re in a supermarket, go through the produce section and pick up different fruits and vegetables and SMELL THEM! Start smelling everything – wood, tree bark, aluminum, etc. It won’t cost you anything, and you’ll familiarize yourself with a whole new world of aromas. Now here’s the trick, the next time you’re having a glass of wine, don’t leave your senses in the dark to randomly guess the aromas or flavors that might be present – unless that works for you. Consider what you’re drinking, along with characteristics that are common in it, and specifically ask yourself if you can taste them. For example, if you’re enjoying a dark red wine, be specific and intentionally think to yourself, “do I taste blackberry, raisin, blueberry, cocoa, spice, cracked pepper, tobacco, or oak?” Or if you’re having a white wine, specifically think, “do I taste tropical fruit, citrus, pineapple, apple, lemon, melon, or pear?” Is the fruit ripe or green? Do you detect minerality, grass, or oak?

As you become more experienced, you can use this same technique to define a glass of wine in a blind taste setting. Be positive and intentional, don’t give up, and never say “I can’t”! I’ve heard so many people say, “my nose just isn’t as sensitive as yours”…or “I’ve never been good at breaking down a wine”. Interestingly enough, those same people will ask, “what am I supposed to taste here”, have you read the back of the bottle to them, and then say, “I get that!”. Stop letting other people dictate taste to you. It’s subjective and should not be the result of suggestive manipulation, although the latter can be fun to try now and then.

Just How Old Is Your Wine?

With that title you probably thought I was referring to the wine that might be in your glass. I’ll get to that a little later, but your original impression wasn’t too far off – it’s all how you look at it. We may refer to vintages by the year the grapes were harvested, but I assure you that without a rooted vine, there would be no wine. So here’s a few thousand years of wine history summed up in a paragraph or two for a common foundation.

Ancient Greek Amphorae

There is archaeological evidence to suggest that the earliest wine production dates back to 6000 BC in Georgia and Iran, and the earliest European wine production uncovered in Macedonia dates back 6,500 years ago. Among the many advancements of ancient Greece was that of numerous wine making practices that are still used today, not to mention the first successful storage vessels called amphorae (am-FOR-ee). To keep the wine from spoiling, they floated olive oil on the surface as a barrier for oxidation; thus, the Greeks were the first to successfully age and mature wine. The Greeks traded not only wine, but the vine as well throughout Europe, which included parts of southern France, Portugal and Spain, and Enotria, meaning “land of wine”, known today as Italy. The Romans were the first to have a basic understanding of terroir (ter-WAH), learned how to match specific grape varieties to their ideal climates and growing conditions, advanced in full scale breeding of wine grape vines, implemented trellising and vineyard maintenance, and spread wine throughout modern-day Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and beyond during their reign. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church was the only entity strong enough to preserve the cultural aspects of wine production through the Dark Ages, and is known to have first planted and maintained some of the top European vineyards and wine regions in existence today. Spanish missionaries were the first to plant Vitis Vinifera (Vy-tis vin-uh-FER-uh) vines in, what is today, the United States in the 1590’s (most likely in the New Mexico area). The cork (produced from the bark of the cork oak tree) was first introduced in the 1600’s. The first wine grapes planted in California are believed to have been near the Mission San Diego in 1768. Louis Pasteur was the scientist that discovered and proved that microscopic yeast cells were responsible for fermentation in 1857. Wine makers in southern France nearly wiped out the worlds stock of wine grape vines in the 1860’s when they brought the American native Vitis labrusca (table grape vines) back to France with phylloxera in the dirt; and Thomas Munson of Denison, Texas developed rootstocks to resist it, and they were shipped all over the wine making world in the late 1880’s for grafting. Prohibition in the US began on January 17^th, 1920 and lasted 13 years until it was repealed in 1933.





Now to bring us a little closer to that glass of wine you’re holding now. Steven Spurrier (an Englishman who made his living selling premium French wines as a merchant in Paris) organized what is known today as the “Spurrier Tasting” or the “Judgment of Paris” on May 24^th, 1976. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend the movie “Bottle Shock” (released on August 6^th, 2008) as it’s based on this permanent mark in history, and is a “must have” movie for any wine enthusiast. Unfortunately, like all “based on true story” movies, it’s not entirely accurate. “Bottle Shock” implies that the blind tasting event was intended to be fair; however, the official judges were all French wine authorities, authors, sommeliers, and wine makers, and the California wines were pitted against the top white wines from Burgundy and the top red wines from Bordeaux. Nonetheless, Napa Valley’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was still chosen as the top white wine, and 1973 Stags Leap Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon was chosen as the top red wine. Because the prestigious French wines fell impossibly to those of California at the hands of their own advocates, the world of wine would never again be the same! But wait, it gets even better. After the blind tasting in 1976, the French cried foul and claimed that California wines were meant to drink young while French wines would improve with age, only then showing their best qualities. So in 1986 a group of French and American wine critics agreed to reenact the Spurrier Tasting with the same wines from the original vintages, now that they had matured for ten years. Believe it or not, the California wines won again and actually did better than in the original tasting. Not only did these tasting events open the doors to wine makers all over the world, but it’s an interesting coincidence that France began to ease regulations for some of their classifications of wine in the late 1970’s, and Tuscan winemakers began experimenting with nontraditional grapes and blends that make up the Super Tuscan wines we’re familiar with today.




 Now for the glass you have in front of you. Never before in history has there been such an immeasurable supply of quality wines, from so many different regions around the world, and so readily available to virtually everyone. Maybe your wine is the polished product of grapes harvested 4 years ago, that were produced from vines planted 50 years ago, that came from the cuttings of vines that were grafted to Texas rootstocks 120 years ago, that were carefully tended to by our diligent ancestors for hundreds of years prior to that. So before your next drink, slow down and look, I mean REALLY SEE, SMELL, TASTE and EMBRACE the art, craftsmanship, and history that’s in your glass. Those grapes came from vines that have been bred for thousands of years to produce the perfection you hold in your hand today. It’s likely that today’s $10 bottle of wine is significantly superior to anything that was once produced and maintained solely for royalty not that long ago. If you can’t afford what they say is the best, then enjoy the best that you can afford. It doesn’t have to cost $50 to $100 to be absolutely delicious!

Tasting Robert Craig Wines

I had the privilege of meeting and shaking the hand of Robert Craig this morning through a company wine meeting where I currently work part time. This was an exciting day for me as Robert Craig wines are among my choice favorites, and listening to the man himself talk about his wines and passion for quality and consistency kept my attention like a kid in a candy store.  What a treat it was, tasting our way through 5 award-winning, Bordeaux style, terroir based Cabernets from the mountain and hillside vineyards of Napa Valley. While every winery owner will pitch a good sell on their wine, these fantastic classics will speak for themselves if given the chance.

http://www.robertcraigwine.com/

We tasted first the elegant 2007 Affinity from Robert Craig’s estate vineyard in the foothills south of Stag’s Leap, which showed supple and velvety tannins, an ample display of fruit, with incredible texture and exceptional length (well balanced and substantial for nearly 2 minutes by my watch). The tannins were big enough to expect significant quality from this wine for years to come, yet plush enough to indulge in today.

Next we tasted the 2006 & 2007 Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignons. Not to jump ahead of myself, but WOW! What quality and consistency! They’re just a fantastic meld of aromas and flavors of cassis, chocolate, subtle cedar, and a creamy spice. While I found the tannins somewhat similar to the Affinity, each wine and vintage holds its own defining character like no other.

Finally, we tasted the 2006 & 2007 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons. Once again, exceeding my expectations, a layered explosion of concentrated flavors. And the consistency between the two vintages is just uncanny. This wine is an exceptional treat to revel in today with a premium quality steak, or treasure it like a gem and share over a special anniversary dinner in 20 years. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

I heard someone say, “these wines are 1^st growth quality for 2^nd growth prices”, and I couldn’t agree more. If you can afford to invest the $45 to $75 it will cost to enjoy these wines on a regular basis, then you’ll love how they’ll compare to quality big named wines at more than twice the price. If you’re budget is a little tighter than that, I’d recommend buying at least one bottle for a special occasion or celebration (a wedding, anniversary, birthday, college graduation, etc.), or as an extraordinary gift for someone very special and close (and hope that they’ll share it with you when they decide to uncork it).

TEXAS Saves Wine Industry



http://www.pouilly-fume.com/
Root Destroying
Phylloxera

 In the early 1860s, a group of winemakers from southern France had a number of native vines from the US east coast dug up and transplanted into their vineyards. They wanted to know if the Native American table grape species (Vitis labrusca) could produce quality grapes for wine production on French soil. What they didn’t know is that they likely enabled one of the greatest ecological disasters we’ve ever known. It’s believed that in the soil (with the imported Vitis labrusca) they transported tiny insects called phylloxera (a nearly microscopic insect that feeds on the roots and leaves of grape vines – native to the soils of eastern United States). While Vitis labrusca had developed a natural resistance to phylloxera, Vitis vinifera (wine grape vines) was completely vulnerable. Because France was nearly every region’s source for transplanted Vitis vinifera, the world’s inventory of vineyards were nearly destroyed before the epidemic was even discovered.

   

Roughly 20 years later (in the 1880s), a horticulturalist named Thomas Munson in Denison, Texas (previously educated in agricultural sciences at what would become the University of Kentucky) developed rootstocks that resisted phylloxera and adapted well to a variety of different soils that could be grafted onto with wine grape cuttings. By the late 1880s, thousands of bundles of NORTH TEXAS rootstocks were being shipped to the wine making world [including France where Munson was named a chevalier (and/or knight) for his efforts that saved the vineyards of Europe], and grape growers were able to begin grafting their wine grape vines onto them.

So does that mean that nearly all of the wine grape vines in the world are partially rooted here in TEXAS? Things that make you go… “Hmm”

Pinot Gris vs Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris wine

grapes in Kaiserstuhl, Germany;

Photo © ndrwfgg

Pinot Gris / PEE-noh GREE (French)

Pinot Grigio / PEE-noh GREE-jee-o (Italian)

Both forms of the word mean “Grey Pinot”. “Pinot” means “Pinecone” in French – possibly named because the grapes grow in small pinecone shaped clusters.

To ditch any confusion, they’re both referring to the same white wine grape variety of the species known as Vitis Vinifera (pronounced VEE-tiss Vih-NIFF-er-ah) – a native European grape species.

There are numerous contradictory articles that can be found on the subject that make general statements on what you can expect of this wine from different regions, but I’ve found there to be exceptions to ALL of them! I’ve read that you can expect French Pinot Gris to almost always be oaked (following tradition) and fuller bodied than Italian Pinot Grigio which is almost always fermented in stainless steel and found to show crispness yet taste almost diluted. I’ve also read that Oregon Pinot Gris (whether they call it Gris or Grigio) tend to follow the French Alsatian style of the wine. But you really have to be careful when making assumptions about American wines, because all the rules are thrown out the window here while nearly every wine maker is trying to redefine (or reinvent) their own version of any given wine. So how many styles are there of this white wine? As many as your palate can detect!

From what I’ve read and tasted, my best recommendation to know the styles of a Pinot Gris or Grigio that you might prefer, is to try them – especially since they’re typically inexpensive. This is an affordable, fun, light, usually “dry” to “medium dry” easy drinking summer wine that can be a little tangy, and will usually have citrus, pear, or apple aromas and flavors. To enhance your enjoyment, try pairing this wine with seafood, light pastas and cheese, and roasted or sautéed veggies (especially red peppers and mushrooms). Just a little hint to help your wine pair better with a roasted or sautéed dish, add it to the ingredients or as a glaze just before taking it off the heat.

Instead of buying a case of (or getting stuck on) any one single Pinot Gris or Grigio, have fun and mix it up the next time you’re restocking. And don’t forget, if you find one that you absolutely love and MUST have again, take a picture of the label with your cell phone so you can reference it the next time you’re in a wine store.