Food & Wine Pairing

Variety is the spice of life, they say. So to prove “them” correct, my friends and I embarked on a mysterious and giddy wine flight tasting experience at top-rated San Francisco gem, Incanto . Wine flights are a foolproof way to sample many different types of wine, compare, contrast and discover new favorites that you never would have tried on your own. And what better place to sample delectable delights than Incanto,

Living here in Seattle, I admit I’m among the many that are proud of our famous wine regions and wines. Since I love to vacation on the Oregon coast, I find myself in the upper Willamette/Yamhill AVA a couple of times a year. This area is conveniently located along Route 18, the road leading from Portland to the coast, and it’s easy to hop on and off the freeway to visit a variety of wineries.

Spring always poses an interesting problem; how do you make room in a full cellar for new wines? After stocking up on refreshing whites to sip in the backyard, and receiving spring allotments from your favorite wine mailing lists, this presents quite the conundrum. Well, to paraphrase Otter from Animal House “Wine Dinner!” Sharing wine, food and good companionship is one of life’s most basic pleasures, and having all these bottles that need to be drunk to make room in your cellar is the perfect excuse to do it.

Restaurant wine lists come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Knowing how to navigate through one is key to successful wining rather than fumbling your way without a compass. Fortunately, I do have experience with wine lists: creating, writing, designing, and reorganizing them. Even though my experience as a fine wine consultant bodes confidence in this task, sometimes even those in the know, don’t. I’ve been overwhelmed many times by wine lists. Long-story-short -- My husband and I and our close friends were at a swanky Italian restaurant in New York City.

These days, thanks to America’s undying love of dining out, being a professional chef is sometimes akin to being a celebrity. Well, minus the money and fame, of course. When I say celebrity, I’m referring mostly to the reactions that chefs can sometimes get from other people. Even then, I’m not really talking about screaming fans or anything of that nature. It’s a very subtle thing, really, but I am still amazed by how interested some people are to meet a chef -- even an everyday chef -- like me.

Wine and chocolate seems like the perfect combination—two beautiful concepts wedded to create gustatory bliss. And it can be that way. The right chocolate paired with the perfect wine can create a near-orgasmic taste experience. But the wrong wine opposite a too-sweet chocolate creates nothing but horror. A bad pairing can turn an otherwise fabulous dessert to tree bark and a rare vintage to battery acid.

CHEFS AND SOMMELIERS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE PAIRINGS Enthusiasm radiates from their lips, as some of the most innovative chefs and sommeliers in the Napa Valley describe their most smashing wine/food pairings, whether recently concocted, or so reliable that they have become a permanent fixture on their tasting menus. Seasoned restaurant professionals not only uncover their wonderful wine and food combinations, but also explain a bit of the process behind their achievements.

I was four years old when I had my first clue that you could pair food and wine for anyone at any meal, and I was lucky enough to learn this from a master. It was many years ago, and we were the quintessential All American Family: Mom, Dad, and two tow headed kids piled into our car on a tour through France, discovering the joys of French food, wine and culture. Find bargains on Vintage Champagne One bright spring day in the Champagne region, we visited the Pol Roger Chateau in Épernay. As we entered the sunlit foyer, an impossibly elegant woman in Chanel greeted us. She spoke for a few moments on the phone: “The Americans are here”

It was my love of fine wine that led me to follow my muse by attending culinary school. As a result, my culinary mission statement has always read “a meal is never complete unless it is accompanied by great wine.” Hence, adding a well chosen, value oriented bottle can make a simple meal a great one. That brings me to the current and frequently misunderstood state of Syrah in the USA.

For me paring food and wine isn’t only a pleasure, it’s an exciting endeavor with innumerable outcomes. To plan a wonderful meal centered on a few great pairings is a good time indeed. I prepare for a weeknight or a dinner party the same way: I head to the farmer’s market and see where it takes me. Wine should be kept in mind the whole time while gathering your ingredients and assembling the meal in your imagination. Whether it be spring, winter or summer the produce will call out to you with notes of the season you wish to express in your meal.