Perfect Pairings

quote:

Originally posted by JHM:
- Sauvignon Blanc and oysters/shellfish

Be careful with this one. I made seared scallops for dinner last night and paired it with a 2006 Kim Crawford SB. The scallops were too sweet for the wine!!!

Yeah, a lot depends on the sauces/accompaniments to these. For inatance, a sweeter saute vs. a buttery one (or salty) on the same fish will make a big difference and change your choice.

Maybe we can be more specific, like Pepperoni Pizza and Zin are one of my favs...

Treana Mer Soleil and Sushi (many would recommend Champagne)

quote:

Originally posted by JHM:
- Pinot Noir and salmon Also pairs well with roast chicken, duck, pork and many other meats
- Zinfandel and barbeque (or pizza) BBQ what? Way too broad
- Riesling and Thai (spicy) food I prefer a Gewürztraminer here
- Sauvignon Blanc and oysters/shellfish No, no, no. Oysters = Champagne or a Chablis. Most shellfish go well with Champagne and Chardonnay
- Bold Meritage and lamb Syrah is the classic pairing for Lamb
- Pinot Gris and halibut (whitefish)
- Malbec and grilled steak & onions
- Cabernet Sauvignon and bone-in rib-eye steak And good, strong cheese
- Merlot and grilled foods/meat Make up your mind on the grilled pairing. Merlot goes most places a Cab goes, but can pair better with less hearty red meat dishes

I'm with Greeny, and wines from Priorat with oxtail stew.

I think you all pretty much covered everything. I've found out that red meats with sage as an herb involved in the dish pairs well with Syrah. The same red meat with rosemary in it's preperation pairs well with Cab and Merlot.

Well if nobody else will say it - sangiovese with red sauce, and nebbiolo with osso bucco.

Grilled or seared Scallops with Chardonnay

THIS is the perfect pairing: Sauternes-Roquefort/Foie Gras

Amarone + Reggiano Parmesan

Sauternes with Foie Gras as a starter then finish the bottle with Creme Brulee for dessert.

Zinfandel with Pizza
White Zinfandel with male bodily fluids. Not that I've tried it.
Pinot Noir with chicken or turkey. Champagne works too, if it's Pinot based.
Pinot Noir with pork sometimes.
Shiraz with The Daily Show.
Mexican Beer with Mexican food. Negro Modelo if you have it.
Sapporo and Sushi. None of that Canadian Asahi thank you (imported my arse), and Sake sucks.
Pinot Grigio with NOTHING. EVER.
Cabernet (Sauvignon or Franc) with a good steak.
Syrah with Lamb shanks.

But my absolute favourite pairing is
Whatever you're pouring with whatever you cooked.

Hookers and cocaine (at least that's what someone told me once).

I think it is also worthy mentioning a good port with a rich dark chocolate dessert...maybe even a rich flourless dark choc tort or truffle.

One of my other favs is a good tawny port with creme brule.

Sauternes and either cheesecake or creme brulee.

PH

quote:

Originally posted by Berno:
THIS is the perfect pairing: Sauternes-Roquefort/Foie Gras

Agreed. I also like

Goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc (Loire ideally)
Duck with Cabernet based wines.
Osso Buco (not tomato based) with Brunello.
Thai food with gewurztraminer (or German riesling in a pinch).
Salmon with new world Pinot Noir.
Pasta with wild boar ragu and Brunello.
Chocolate and port.

Thanks all for the (better) suggestions...kinda knew that there was plenty of room for improvements here.

One thing that I've found challenging to pair is whitefish dishes that have a Mediterranean or tomato base. In particular, a sea bass in a broth of tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, and med spices...not sure to go Pinot Noir route or Barbaresco...? or whites...??

I'm against "Perfect Pairings". It keeps people from trying new things, gets them over obsessed with purchasing choices, and limits fun, creativity, and self expression. It also induces undo stress and mystery into enjoying wine. Your guests, the weather, the time of day, time of year and a thousand other variables will effect the sensory appreciatioon of any wine and food combo, making perfection a silly idea.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Trying strange pairings can be a good learning experience. One should learn from mistakes as well as successes.

French grenache, syrah and rhone blends work well with salmon and tuna and with chicken. I even had a French syrah with tilapia and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. I don't know that I would try it with an Aussie shiraz, but who knows?

How about the old classic Champagne with Caviar? Got served it at a wedding last night and had forgotten how good that was...

quote:

Originally posted by JHM:
How about the old classic Champagne with Caviar? Got served it at a wedding last night and had forgotten how good that was...

Champagne with anything.

quote:

Originally posted by sprnplr:
Champagne with anything.

Bingo!

PH

Grand cru gewurtztraminer from Alsace with duck tacos with roasted tomato salsa.

I had an old parmesan with a salon 76 last month, wow wow wow. This champaign became a kind of uhm sparkling meursault-style wine... strange but superb..

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
Trying strange pairings can be a good learning experience. One should learn from mistakes as well as successes.

With this in mind:

Sweet Potato mash and Zin.

Found this article that I think is pretty good overall view of the food & wine conundrum...a more balanced look at the subject.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/an-experts-pairing-advice

I'm now reading a book called _Perfect Pairings_ by one Evan Goldstein. I was surprised to read that "... Lamb and Pinot Noir are time-honored partners, ...." And there's a recipe of lamb kebabs to pair with "aged, developed" pinots. Now, I must admit I've never tried this pairing but lamb is one of the stronger flavored meats in my experience and I've always chosen a pretty robust wine to go with it.

Anyone have any good experiences with this pairing?

Mozart, some acrylics, a piece of canvas and a glass of wine.

quote:

Originally posted by aphilla:
lamb is one of the stronger flavored meats in my experience and I've always chosen a pretty robust wine to go with it.

Agreed. PN is far down on my list of pairings for lamb.

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

Originally posted by sprnplr:
Champagne with anything.

Bingo!

PH

We prefer Champagne and Victoria's Secret

quote:

Originally posted by justme: We prefer Champagne and Victoria's Secret

I had a surprisingly good pairing this evening. Made a toasted cumin crusted chilean sea bass and paired it with an Alsatian pinot gris. Worked really well together.

Australian Shiraz with Trader Joe's Panda liqourice. Discovered by accident, still paired now and again.

I think the best "weird" pairing I've had (besides Zin and sweet potatoes) was a seared lamb loin with a Cointreau taragon cream sauce and a big Chard.

Found freshly flown in New Zealand King Salmon in Wichita. Was in a hurry to prepare when arrived at home so grabbed the first pinot in my cellar that I could lay my hands on. After opening I realized that the 2006 Amisfield was a New Zealand bottling. Was a wonderful pairing...

quote:

Originally posted by jryoung:
Hookers and cocaine (at least that's what someone told me once).

LOL

We had cote rotie with pistachio tapenade crusted lamb chops tonight. Both were excellent. They enhanced each other making both really excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by aphilla:
We had cote rotie with pistachio tapenade crusted lamb chops tonight. Both were excellent. They enhanced each other making both really excellent.

Tonight we had the same dish with a 2003 Pontet Canet and that was also an awesome pairing.

Carl's Superstar burger without onions....and a younger Lynch Bages.