Food & Wine ~ Uncorked
What is the CorrectWine
Martin Richter
Manager, Grand Old House
It never has been an easy task pairing localor international cuisine with so many ethnic varieties with theright wine.
For decades chefs, winemakers and gourmets have one of the mostpleasurable disputes arguing over the most delicious dishes andeven more bottles of wine, which is the best combination withthe various foods.
Even these days you can hear very lively discussions during andafter gourmet dinners, which are regularly held here on the Islandfor their members and guests, over the matching of food and wine.
Years ago this question was answered; dark meat with red wineand white meat with white wine, but we all know that pleasurecannot be squeezed in a scientific legal answer.
No, it is the richness, the variety and nuances of cooking athome or dining in your favourite restaurant combined with thegreat selection of champagnes and wines, which are available hereon the market.
In general, the Caribbean cuisine calls for simple and lightnessto preserve the delicate flavours, colours and textures of theproducts. I'm sure some of you are surprised now since most ofour food items are imported, but go and pay the Farmers Marketa visit; you will be surprised what is offered fresh daily fromthe local fields.
Champagne is perfect for light and not too intensely spiced seafoodHors'douvres or appetisers. A classic would be fresh Oysters onthe half shell, or a local speciality of slivers of fresh rawyellow fin tuna on Wasabi toast with a sprinkle of limejuice.
There are also some very good non-vintage and vintage sparklingwines on the market, which are reasonably priced and give verygood value for money. Look for 'Methode Champagnoise' on the labelor ask your sommelier or wine merchant for advice.
For smoked or barbecued appetisers simply go with a light to mediumbodied white or a slightly chilled (65 -70º) red wine withvery light or no oak. Try some of the Italian varieties in themiddle price range and surprise yourself by what Italy has tooffer.
For dishes with Tandoori spices, Avgolemono Sauce or freshly marinatedconch, which is not very easy to get these days, try a mediumbodied fruity red, preferably a Syrah from the Aussies if thereare any left after the Olympics, which has a lot of berry characterand soft tannins.
For cream soups a dry Oloroso Sherry would work. Don't try tomatch wine with foods containing noticeable amounts of vinegar,such as salads, though salads with cream dressing work well withan Italian Pinot Grigio or Pinot Blanc from Oregon.
On the other hand, a traditional clear Turtle Soup or double Consommeserved with a Manzanilla Sherry or even better with a SercialMadeira has been a classic through the century. Serve chilledand don't forget to put a few drops in the soup as well.
The pairing with the main course is similar as with the appetisers:forget the graphics and focus on the spices and predominant flavoursof your dish. Indian dishes go with a Gewuerztraminer from theElsass, difficult to spell but the match is perfect. Otherwise,try a medium dry fruity white blend from California or mediumdry Riesling from Germany.
For fowl you can try a sturdy white Burgundy or a Pinot Noir fromOregon. Your choice of wine depends on the spices and sauces.One of my favourites is a fillet of beef, medium rare with a CabernetSauvignon reduction and fresh garlic barquette served with a niceClaret. I prefer to choose the wine first and than look for theaccompanying dish.
Instead of using imported Beef, taste our local beef; the qualityis extremely good and it is available in most supermarkets. Whencooking with wine use the same wine for accompanying the dish.
With blue veined Cheeses (Stilton, Gorgonzola etc.) try a CanadianIce wine or a Sauternes. Vintage Port also goes very well withthese cheeses. For semi-soft cheeses pair a Gavi, Sancerre, whiteCote de Rhone or a tank fermented Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealandwith them.
Now for those of you with a sweet tooth - tropical fruit Salads,baked fruits or fruit based cakes - ask for Sauternes, Gewurztraminer,Vin Santo, a late harvest Riesling (if available) or AmontilladoSherry. For Chocolate based Desserts try an Oloroso Sherry, Portwine or a Recioto della Valpolicella. The same wines can alsobe used for Milk based Ice creams. For Sorbets and fruity Icecreams try a glass of your favourite bubbly.
Finally, when dining or entertaining outdoors on a hot and humidday avoid wines with high alcohol contents. Enjoy 'happy pairing'and believe me, you have much better taste than you ever believed.Just go for it and experiment!
That rounds it up for this week! My next topic will be Healthand Wine.
WINE QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Q: In which country and province is Marsalaproduced?
Sumit your answers to Martin Richter at Grand Old House.Youcan win Two Tickets for their next wine seminar. Rules Apply.
MARTIN RICHTER, is the Manager of the Grand Old House. Heis a trained Chef and certified Sommelier. If you have an up-comingevent or questions in connection with wine, please contact Martinat grandold@candw.ky