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Wine Pairing Extravaganza
Imagine that you're invited to an elaborate dinner party at a friend's house. You've been asked to bring the wine, and you know everyone will enjoy a variety of different bottles. So, what wines would you pair with the food if you had the menu in advance?
I was recently invited to just such a dinner by a good friend and fellow foodie, Kevin Leong. He's always ambitious when preparing meals—and even more courageous when it comes to navigating the hippie-strewn aisles at Berkeley Bowl—and this menu was no exception. Kevin planned a four-course dinner, with multiple side-dishes and dessert. Here's what we ate:
- First course of an assortment of cheeses
- Second course of pork in the style of Beef Wellington
- Third course of organic chicken stuffed with Italian sausage
- Fourth course of beef tri-tip au gratin
See what I mean about ambitious? And that doesn't even cover the side dishes, which included:
- Baked yam with goat cheese, crème fraiche, yogurt, and arugula (sounds like nasty baby food, but actually tastes wonderful!)
- Roasted purple potatoes, organic fingerling potatoes, and wild mushrooms with truffle oil
- Blanched organic asparagus and baby carrots
To top it all off, we had tiramisu and lemon crème cake for dessert. And then wheeled ourselves home.
The wines I paired with each course included:
- 1997 Allegrini Amarone and 2004 Peay Viognier with the first course
- 2001 Kistler “Kistler’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir with the second course
- 2001 Atalon “Keyes Vineyard” Merlot with the third course
- 2002 Bodega Alto Moncayo Aquilon and 2002 Lewis Cellar Reserve Cabernet with the fourth course
- NV Pride Mistelle de Viognier with dessert
To learn how it all turned out, get yourself a snack, pour a glass, and keep on reading. Go to Page 2.
This article was written by Sam Chen, Echelonwines. Copyright © 2006-2007. Not to be reproduced without express written permission.
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