The thing about food pairing is that there are simple rules that are meant to be broken. The traditional idea is that you pair based on the intensity and qualities of a dish. Big tannic reds go better with fattier red meat, but leaner cuts of beef should be paired with more delicate red wines because you don't HAVE to "cut" the fatty quality of the steak. Acidic and/or off dry whites pair well with spicy food to balance the heat of the dish. You can even match flavors, such as big buttery chardonnays from California with butter poached lobster. By these rules, Napa cabernet sauvignon pairs perfectly with a rib-eye, a Burgundy pinot noir with filet mignon, a riesling with smoked salmon, and Napa chardonnay with butter poached lobster in cream sauce. I know I used that analogy twice in two lines...but its just so undeniably standard.
As any wine rule ever written, this is also a malleable, or even breakable rule. On the other edge of the pairing sword is the ability to match more minor qualities in a dish to wine, which can often be surprisingly wonderful. Now this is not to say you would pair an oaky, tannic cabernet with a spicy dish. That rule should not be broken due to the natural ability of tannins to add petrol to the already burning fire on your palate. I tried it in class. Don't do it. It's just not worth the amount of milk you may have to drink afterward. Instead, think about unique aspects of a wine or a dish that are shared, and disregard the "classic" rules. This is harder and a more finnicky business than following the traditional rules, but can be more fun and thought provoking. After all, the whole point is to take your guest or yourself out of your other busy life affairs and bring them into the present through the experience of dining.
ALL THIS BEING SAID: There are foods that pair horribly with wine, just because. Eggs, asparagus, vinaigrettes, artichokes....their never going to be easy nor an "ultimate pairing." Lowering the standards there is key.
My throw together dinner in Paso was a little more traditional, but I did what I could with a small wine selection and time span.
First course was a smoked salmon, boiled artichoke heart and creme fraiche salad paired with a Kabinett (dry) Riesling. Salmon and Riesling are a great pairing, but artichoke is a toughie. I thought it would add interesting texture and flavor to the plate, but due to a compound called cynarin, artichoke is actually famous for making other things, particularly wine, taste flat, or flabby. High acid wines are encouraged in pairing...and Riesling definitely fits that bill.
The second course was a whole trout, stuffed with citrus (grapefruit, lemon) and fresh sage sprigs. I rubbed the outside in olive oil and placed on the grill to cook (very quickly, I may add). I made a grapefruit vinaigrette and tossed in watercress to serve underneath the fish, and that was pretty much it. Very easy, very yummy (but not as good as my branzino....). I didn't have a lot of wine to choose from for this, but ended on a Lieb Cellars Pinot Blanc from North Fork Long Island. It worked perfectly fine, but might have opted for a Sancerre or Pouilly Fume Sauvignon Blanc to match the kind of earthy, fishy, grapefruit flavors of the dish. Even a Sevre et Mains Muscadet Sur Lie might have been nice, with a salty, briney, stoney quality.
Had a great time exploring the Adelaida Road vineyards down there, including Tablas Creek, Halter Ranch and Dau. Dau was a little snooty for my taste but the views were unbeatable.
Until next time, Vin Jaune is really gross....
(I know I'm supposed to be objective...but man it is just rank)
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