TASTINGS ? Food and Wine, Working Together | The Broadmoor Blog

A Look at Food and Wine Pairing from Penrose Room Sommelier Greg Shields

One of my favorite things about being a sommelier is the challenge of successfully pairing wine with food so that both are enhanced when enjoyed together. There are many different ways to approach wine and food pairing, but here are a few of the most popular techniques: Try to match similar flavors in both the food and wine. For example: Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France tends to have a mild grapefruit citrus flavor that would pair very well with a poached lobster salad served with fris?e and segments of ripe pink grapefruit.

Opposite of the first technique, you can also pair wine with foods that have contrasting flavors. For example, the sweetness of a vintage port contrasts the saltiness of a full flavored blue cheese. Another idea is to choose a wine that contributes complementary flavors to the dish, such as the blackberry, green pepper, and cocoa notes that a California Cabernet Sauvignon brings to a grilled rib eye steak. None of those flavors are found with the steak, but they go well with the rib eye and add another layer of flavor to the dish just like a blackberry, bell pepper, and cocoa reduction would if it were the sauce for the steak.

?

If all of this seems a bit complex, then there is one rule that if followed will give you a good wine and food pairing most of the time ? to match the weight of the wine with the weight of the food. The weight (or body) of a wine refers to the fullness, concentration, and total mouth feel of a wine. A light-bodied wine would have less concentrated flavor, while a full-bodied wine would be noticeably more concentrated. Weight of food is similar to that of wine, and richer foods generally contain more fat such as cream, butter, or marbled fat like that found in salmon or beef.?

?Cooking techniques also affect the weight of food, for example a poached salmon fillet will be lighter in body than a grilled salmon fillet. Finally, if food is served with a sauce, the sauce can also add weight to the dish. One example would be how a roasted cauliflower salad served with a simple drizzle of extra virgin olive oil would be considerably lighter in body than the same salad served with a cumin and garlic aioli. It is important to consider all aspects of the dish when judging its weight in order to accurately pair wine with it. So let?s see how these techniques really work?. Here is an example of a 3 course wine paired meal that fits well into the fall season utilizing fresh products that are available now from local farmers markets and grocery stores. I?ve also used a few of my favorite wines to pair with that are reasonably priced and available at several places locally.

1st Course Roasted Butternut Squash Soup paired with Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne from France. I love pairing dry sparkling wines with creamy soups because the carbonation in the wine helps to cut through the richness of the soup. This particular Champagne also has a more pronounced honey flavor and with its other flavors of yellow apple and toasted almonds, makes a great complementary/contrasting pair with the slightly sweet squash soup.

?

Find this Champagne at The Penrose Room, and local wine shops such as Coal Train Wine and Spirits.

2nd Course Grilled Colorado Lamb Loin Paired with Gaja Ca? Marcanda Promis Super Tuscan. This Super Tuscan blend, in addition to Sangiovese and Merlot, uses Syrah instead of Cabernet Sauvignon to add flavors of blackberry, cherry, and black pepper to the wine. This wine is rich, but still delicate enough to not overpower the lamb and makes a great complementary pairing.??? Find this wine at The Penrose Room, and local wine shops.

3rd Course Caramelized Figs with Honey and Toasted Walnuts paired with Torres ?Floralis? Aqua d?Or Moscatel.

This late harvest dessert wine is bursting with flavors of roasted orange, honey, and golden raisins. The wine is sweet, but has some good acidity which keeps it balanced and fresh. There are many flavors in this wine that match those in the dessert, making this a perfect fall dessert course. Find this wine at The Penrose Room, Summit, and local wine shops.

I always encourage people to experiment with food and wine pairings while keeping in mind some of the techniques discussed above. If nothing else, it?s a good excuse to eat good food and drink delicious wine. Don?t forget the most important part of it all?..have fun with it!

Greg Shields

Sommelier

Penrose Room

Posted via OnFast ? http://www.OnFast.com

Source: http://www.thebroadmoorblog.com/2012/09/tastings-food-and-wine-working-together/

franchise tag lesotho a wrinkle in time benjamin netanyahu storm shelters nick lachey chevy volt