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I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.
Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!
Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For April 1, 2019 from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com source http://www.1winedude.com/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for-april-1-2019/ Eating what you like with a glass of your favorite wine is a great idea; eating should be a pleasure. But food and wine pairings are not a solitary affair. When was the last time you saw a restaurant full of people eating alone? For most of us, it is a shared pleasure, one which everyone is seeking pleasure, not just yourself. To entice others, we have to think like a sommelier, and that means adopting a few rules. Some food goes better with certain types of wine, and there is a tug-of-war between science and tradition in every successful match. Pairing food with wine is a creative endeavor as much as a chemistry experiment. We will cover many details here. If you are interested in delving deeper, check out our food and wine pairing classes. The following ten rules are a good starting point to take your pairings in the right direction, approaching the craft of wine and food pairing with the jaded eye of a realist and the lilt of a folk singer. #10 Pair by WeightNo matter if you’re talking about salads or stews, you can intrinsically determine the overall weight of a dish, especially when comparing it to another. A mixed green salad is lighter than a more substantial salad with feta cheese, roast peppers, and olives. Grilled chicken breasts are lighter than roast chicken. The sauce, dressing, amount of fat, the calories, they all (literally) weight in. You can also measure wine by perceived weight. A California Zinfandel is weightier than a Sonoma Merlot; Merlot is heavier than a Carneros Pinot. Heavy reds match better with heavy dishes. For whites, oak-aged wines from warm weather are bigger than ones aged in stainless-steel. Heavy whites go better with cooked fatty fish and poultry, while lighter ones are better with light plates of sashimi and sushi, for example. #9 Pair by Cooking MethodThe way you cook something alters its pairing possibilities. A grilled lobster tail might work better with a full-bodied Chardonnay; poached lobster will be nicer with a subtle Pinot Gris; lobster ceviche will play deftly with a coastal Sauvignon Blanc. Like with rule #10, grilled or roasted food can stand more assertive wines, with higher tannin and alcohol. Will you steam your fish filet? or will you glaze and roast it? #8 Pair to ComplementLeaving weight aside, you can marry food with wines that have similar flavors and aromas. Earthy Burgundian Pinot Noirs can have notes of undergrowth and mushrooms, making them a complementary match with mushroom-based dishes. A creamy, buttery, oaked Chardonnay will pair with equally creamy sauces. Cabernet Sauvignon can taste like bell peppers so grilled peppers on the side might enhance any pairing. The same principle applies to Syrah and its black pepper aromas, which will beautifully enhance a steak au poivre. #7 Pair by ContrastOn the other hand, you can contrast flavors looking for harmony. You don’t eat spicy food with a spicy wine; you pair it with sweet wine. Complement oysters au gratin with a creamy white wine, or contrast it with a tangy, crisp one. It’s up to you. Sour balances sweet, sweet balances bitterness. You get the idea. #6 Pair LocalLocal food evolved to harmonize with local wine. Especially in regions with long winemaking tradition. Tomato based Italian dishes will pair nicely with a Primitivo, a plate of choucroute garnie is very enjoyable with Alsatian whites. Beef bourguignon loves earthy Pinots and cured meats love Rioja. Even new world cuisines are shaped by old world cooking; do your research and find common ingredients. #5 Pairing DessertDesserts are ambitious to pair. Go for a sweet wine as long as the wine is sweeter than the dessert itself, or else it will taste dull. In a bold move, you can pair chocolate desserts with dry red wine, but it must be rich and jammy, think Aussie Shiraz or old vine Zinfandel. When possible, add red berry coulis or marmalade to any dessert to help strengthen the bond mirroring the fruity aromas in the wine. #4 Pair with the OccasionBrut Champagne tastes odd with wedding cake, but the occasion calls for such a pairing. No one wants to toast with a Moscato in the most important day of their lives even if the wine will taste better with cake than Champagne. A value-oriented Cava would be a reasonable suggestion for a toast at the office holiday party; you can save the Prestige Cuvée for some other time. #3 Pair with the PeopleDon’t just think about the occasion, think about the people. Sommeliers often forget that they’re selecting wines for the guests, and not for themselves. Asses the wine knowledge, experience, and expectations of your audience and pick the correct wine. A Grand Cru dry Riesling might work beautifully with coconut shrimp, but if your friends are all beer drinkers, pop open a less contemplative wine, or even better, a fancy beer. #2 All Around PairingsWhen in doubt, pour Champagne. The tight acidity and freshness of the sparkling wine will pair well with any dish whether in contrast or as a compliment. A palate cleanser if you wish, Champagne elevates any dining experience, from starters to dessert. #1 ExperimentThere’s no perfect pairing, every palate is different. With so many variables, even a well-thought pairing might not work out as planned. But don’t worry, this only means that you can find unexpected, successful pairings with a little creativity. Put on your scientist hat and experiment. The post 10 Tips For Food and Wine Pairings appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. source https://www.vinology.com/10-tips-for-food-and-wine-pairings/
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I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.
Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!
Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For March 25, 2019 from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com source http://www.1winedude.com/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for-march-25-2019/
We learn from failure, not from success. And although food and wine pairings are subjective, and depend on the peoples’ taste and preference, some mismatches simply feel odd. A good pairing brings out the best in food, wine, or both; a bad one can easily do the opposite. As Woody Allen said, “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign that you’re not doing anything very innovative.” Here are a few bad pairings you should at least experiment with, just to identify what to avoid. If you want some professional help, you may want to attend a food and wine pairing class to help you avoid some of these mistakes. Bad Pairing #1: Heavy wines with light dishesThe easiest way to come up with a lousy pairing is not considering the weight of the food in relation with wine. A robust California Zinfandel with a light tuna salad. Bad pairings like these frequently come from the idea that you should drink whatever you want with any given dish. People that only drink one style of wine might not find it that enjoyable when the food falls short and gives in to the wine. Rich wines with rich food and delicate wines with delicate dishes that’s the rule. Switch those out, and you have a recipe for disaster. The same rule applies the other way. Intensely flavored dishes will crush delicate wines. A Burgundian Pinot will feel out of place against a platter of grilled BBQ ribs. Bad Pairing #2: Too sweet for the wineDesserts can be overwhelming. Restraint, after all, is a word seldom used by pastry chefs. Overly sweet desserts flatten any wine on sight. If the wine is not sweeter than the dessert, it will taste watery and dull; simply acidic. To pair a sugar-overdosed dish, you have to either go bone dry, to counter the sweetness (think Champagne extra brut) or go over the top with a cloying wine like Pedro Ximenez, ice wine or Tokaji. Why do my pairings feel wrong? It probably because of sugar. Sugar in food is the silent killer of the inexperienced sommelier’s pairings. Bad Pairing #3: More acid that you can handleThe same can be said about acidity. If the food has a higher acidity than wine, you’re in trouble. Acidic dishes like ceviche, that often have hefty amounts of lime juice, are an obvious example. Try your favorite Mexican shrimp ceviche with a regular Chardonnay and see the wine fall apart. You need wines with piercing acidity (think cold regions) to match acidity from citrus. Tomato-based sauces can be acid too, that’s why they pair well with equally tart red Italian wines. A shy California Merlot will taste odd with your spaghetti alla Bolognese. Because of acid. Bad Pairing #4: Alcohol and spicy foodSpicy food is really not meant to be paired with spicy wine. Bold, rich, often hot flavors of Asian cuisine, for example, should be paired with wines that carry some sugar. Sweetness balances spiciness, yet many people still pair big alcoholic red wines with this type of food. Alcohol actually accentuates the hot tones of chili. A light Moscato or an off-dry Riesling will play a better part. Also, avoid sparkling wine with spicy food, effervescence will just boost the burning sensation in your tongue. Off-dry reds are uncommon, but they exist, as long as they’re low in alcohol, their good options too. Bad Pairing #5: Oily fish and tanninsOily fish such as anchovies, herring, salmon, tuna, trout and swordfish react strangely when meeting tannins of red wine. Often described as a metallic flavor, they’re merely awkward together. Remember tannins react with protein and fat pleasantly when we’re talking about beef steak; with oily fish, the contrary results. Instead, go for a low-tannin red wine like Pinot or even better a full-bodied white wine like Chardonnay. Don’t ruin your 2010 Napa Cab with a butter-seared salmon, you won’t enjoy either of them. Bad Pairing #6: Creamy whites with raw fishWe’ve all heard seafood goes well with white wine, but neither all seafood nor all whites are created equal. Oysters can be great with Chardonnay, but if the oysters are raw, you’re better off with a young, mineral, unoaked style of wine. For your butter-bomb Chardonnay, you might consider Au gratin oysters instead. Full-bodied whites often overpower delicate seafood like raw oysters, sushi or sashimi; for delicate dishes like these, a mineral, austere, almost neutral white wine is best. In the end, the absolute worst pairing is the one in which you don’t take a chance. Boring pairings, even if they are sound, are just not enough. Every successful food and wine pairing has a Wow! factor, without it, you have in your hands a just-ok pairing; that’s a failure in my book. The post The Six Worst Food and Wine Pairings appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. source https://www.vinology.com/the-worst-food-and-wine-pairings/
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About Domaine VetriccieCorsica is an interesting place. It’s an Italian island off the coast of Tuscany, but it’s a French territory. The province often seems like a hybrid between the two cultures. It’s been a French municipality since the late 18th Century, but much of the grapes grown are of Italian heritage, including Nielluccio (a clone of Sangiovese), Sciaccarellu (Mammolo from Chianti), and Vermentino. The appellation Ile De Beaute “Island of Beauty” covers much of the island. Domaine Vetriccie has been producing wines since 1966, and the largest on the Island, with over 120 hectares of vineyards. The winery itself is on eastern shore in the small town of Aghione. The winery also produces wines under the Terra d’Ortolo label. Daniel Barcelo, the current owner and winemaker, is something of a cypher. Although he worked off the island somewhere in the New World, there isn’t any online records. The dude is a winemaking ghost. The Wine ReviewA blend of Vermentino and Chardonnay, this bottling offers a deft balance of weight and freshness. It has a mineral kick that is perfect for scallops and oysters, it has the ripeness to hold up to roast chicken and fatty tuna. Aromas of wild flowers and chamomile with a kick of bright citrus. Flavors of ripe pear and melon round out this pretty bottling. The post Domaine Vetriccie 2017 White, Ile De Beaute appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. source https://www.vinology.com/domaine-vetriccie-2017-white-ile-de-beaute/ I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.
Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!
Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For March 18, 2019 from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com source http://www.1winedude.com/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for-march-18-2019/ Italian food is beloved everywhere. Because of that, you will see sommeliers pairing Italian dishes with wine from nearly every country in the world. A good Chilean Sauvignon Blanc will match beautifully with minestrone, and an Oregon Pinot Noir tastes amazing with agnolotti. The modern sommelier sources the best wines for each dish whether or not they come from the same place. Having said that, local pairings often tap into a deep culinary tradition. It’s not a cliché to pair Italian wine with Italian food –or that what grows together, goes together– both evolved together to merge seamlessly on the table. However, keep in mind that Italian cuisine is very regional: your wine pairing should be, too. There is not one type of Italian food, but many. Every region in Italy was brought together by historical, political and economic reasons. Each one has unique local gastronomic traditions, ingredients, and specialties. The following are just a few regional pairings for Italian food and wine. If you are interested in learning more –and happen to live near Philly– you should attend one of our food and wine pairing classes. PiedmontNorthern Italy is home to Piedmont. Butter reigns and not olive oil. Starchy polenta and risottos are more common than pasta. Hearty dishes of beef and game are ubiquitous and often overpowering. Menus are dominated by earthy, rich dishes are both rustic and refined. And they don’t skimp on the local white truffle when it’s in season. Alba Truffles are the regions most cherished ingredient. Piedmont is renowned for its wines too, especially the age-worthy Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo grapes. Other grapes, like Barbera and Dolcetto, also make good but least expensive bottles. A classic food and wine pairing is Brassato al Barolo and a Langhe Nebbiolo. Slow cooked in wine, Brassato al Barolo is tender and very beefy. The dish should be served with vegetables and polenta. The dusty tannins of the Nebbiolo hold their ground against this robust dish. LiguriaSouth of Piedmont, with incredible sights of the Mediterranean, is Liguria. A small, steep piece of land home to some of the most underrated Italian white wines. Pigato, known elsewhere as Vermentino is a noble grape that produces fresh, crisp, fragrant white wines that go well with seafood and light dishes. In Liguria, Pigato is splendid with one of the region’s specialties: Pesto. A favorite pairing is Trennete al Pesto and the white wine Colli de Luni Vermentino: A linguini-like, long noodle is tossed with pesto alla Genovese. Add a sip of the grippy Vermentino and you have pure heaven. Emilia RomagnaEmilia Romagna is the heart of Italian cuisine. The collection of premium products of the region is stunning. Modena’s balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, what else do you need? Vast vineyards planted with Lambrusco seem infinite. Winemakers make both the cheap, sweet fizz you love or hate, and higher quality, dry reds with an enviable palate. A classic pairing is Prosciutto di Parma and Lambrusco secco. A dry Lambrusco from a quality producer is insanely delicious with ham and cured meats. The soft palate compliments the salty, meaty, strong flavors in prosciutto. TuscanyTuscany is identified for their rustic red wine and its amazing views of rolling hills dotted with pine trees. The cuisine is modest and intimate except for the over-the-top Bistecca Fiorentina, a large T-Bone steak that needs a robust wine by its side. The classic food and wine pairing in Tuscany is Bistecca Fiorentina and Sangiovese. Pair this beef steak with an age-worthy Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile, or Chianti Classico Reserva and you will be in heaven. AbruzzoAbruzzo is a quiet region isolated by mountains. Its cuisine is divided, with seafood at the shores and meat on the hills. Seafood dishes pair well with uncomplicated Trebbiano d’Abruzzo wine. Tomato based pasta like spaghetti alla chitarra is excellent with the reds of the region. The classic pairing is Arrosticini and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a wine that is slowly becoming fashionable amongst sommeliers. Arrosticini are traditional lamb skewers, that are best enjoyed with a medium-bodied Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The intense, juicy lamb skewers are lifted into elegance with the round, balanced fruit and coating tannins of the wine. RomeItaly’s capital is Rome, and Rome is all about eating. With an extensive gastronomic offer, the iconic Roman dish is spaghetti alla carbonara. Egg, cheese, pepper, and guanciale (cured pork cheeks) make the base of this creamy pasta dish. A fresh white wine of the locality, like dry Frascati, made with Trebbiano and Malvasia tastes fantastic with the recipe. The crisp acidity cuts through the fat and cleans the palate. When in Rome… Classic Pairing: Spaghetti Carbonara and Frascati
CampaniaItaly is mostly surrounded by water, which means seafood abounds. The Campania region, especially its capital city Napoli has some of the finest sea produce in the world. Of course, Napoli is mostly remembered for its pizza, which is locally paired with beer. In Campania, a classic pairing is Risotto alla Pescatora and Falanghina. A creamy risotto with mixed seafood shines when combined with a light-bodied, high-acid white wine like Falanghina. You can pair any of the local seafood with one of the many dry white wines made here. The most important grapes are Greco, Falanghina, and Fiano.
SicilyLast but not least, comes dessert. Sicily has a varied cuisine crowned by their pastries and sweets. You can find cannoli, a sweet tube-shaped pastry filled with sweet ricotta cheese everywhere, but the best is enjoyed at the source. The classic Sicilian pairing is Cannoli and Marsala. A cannolo filled with sweet ricotta pairs well with a delightful, fortified sweet Marsala. Final Thought on Italian Food and Wine PairingsWe can go on and on. Italian cuisine is as varied as it’s wine. Just remember that local food goes well with local wine, especially when you talk about Italy. A little research will help you find adequate regional pairings that will work every time. The post Italian Food and Wine Pairings appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. source https://www.vinology.com/italian-food-and-wine-pairings/ |
Kara OgormanCrossed the country lecturing about pond scum in Gainesville, FL. Spent the better part of the 90's building ice cream in Bethesda, MD. Had a brief career getting to know easy-bake-ovens in Salisbury, MD. Spent 2001-2005 developing crayon art for farmers. Uniquely-equipped for testing the market for shaving cream in Bethesda, MD. Spent the better part of the 90's developing strategies for crickets in New York, NY. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |