Make no mistake, it is this blogger's humble opinion that there is, too, something to wine and food pairings. Otherwise, there'd be a perfect wine to have with barbecue spareribs. But I'll nevertheless defend to the death Alder Yarrow's right to say that "Food and Wine Pairing is Just a Big Scam".
I say that, because all of us wine experts need to boot ourselves in the keister about once every six months or so and remember not to be so sure of ourselves.
Taste is subjective. Some people can't stand oaky wine, some people prefer it. Some people think "noble rot" is misnamed, others sing its praises. Some people dismiss Australian Yellowtail as being only a notch above plonk, but hanged if there aren't some passionate fans of the stuff. Even though it is particularly heavy and should be used only for hand-to-hand combat.
Of course, some stumble bums in alleys think Cisco or Mad Dog 20/20 is just the thing to go with their Hostess Twinkee and can of Spaghetti-Os, too. And you know what? More power to them!
Go ahead, wash down your chocolate mousse with Oloroso, sip a Cab with your breakfast omelet, and order a stiff Merlot with your cod fillet, returning the waiter's fiery glare with a cocky, smug grin. After all, without those adventurous rogues, none of us would be here!
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17 comments:
A paring is the bit of your toenail that you just cut off. Or fingernail. Wine paring is a terrible north American obsession ... Stop using the waird. Save us!
Thanks for the offer to be my bodyguard? How are your knife fighting skills? I've got a lot of chefs mad at me.
Hello Ian: Just found your blog... great reading in preparation for my trip over next week (first time in Australia). I'll be in Adelaide and Melbourne during my trip... Would be grateful for any specific recommendations for winery visits or winebars in either of those two areas (esp. Adelaide Hills, McClaren Vale).
Cheers! Frank Morgan
frank.j.morgan -- at -- gmail. com
nice post - 1st time visit -
The plethora of gold medals that adorn relatively common wines demonstrates that wine appreciation is subjective and largely determined by individual preferences and ability to discern the subtleties of each wine.
Totally agree with you. Great blog btw
A lot of people say you should store wine bottles upside down! Is that true? and why?
What do you think about this wine holder for wine storing?
You can check it at www.wuslu.com
Nice post Ian, its great to see someone with a nose for wine AND a sense of humor.
A Langmeil Three Gardens Shiraz goes surprisingly well with ribs, provided they aren't overly spicy. Ok, perhaps its not a resounding success, but I love those damn ribs too much not to try and match them up with something!
thanks for share this article, helpfull. nice post
Reminder to beware of suspicious French accents and NEW food and wine matching experts. Have a new one fresh to the Hunter Valley and we are all getting used to meeting him (no names). errr BRAVO!
it's good to see this information in your post, i was looking the same but there was not any proper resource, thanx now i have the link which i was looking for my research.
The guy that built up Casella Wines and made Yellow Tail what it is learnt business skills in prison after a stint for growing an illicit cover crop. Thats what I heard.
Hello,
Nice post. Thanks for sharing this information. This is first time visits for this blog.
So many things to say about pairings - it can be such a thrill to have something just spot on.
hahaha mad dog 20/20 and spaghetti 0's sounds like one hell of bachelors tuesday night in to me!
tasting wine is quite enjoyable, but sometimes you should not take it that seriously. I am not an expert but a normal wine is fine for me. Nice blog though
Wine is food.
Wine pairing is of course subjective, however, any great meal should have wine as one of its ingredients. The more appropriate the wine to the meal the greater the dining experience. A bit like choosing between chocolate or curry to have with your icecream, if curry turns you on - go for it.
Winemakers have to decide which ingredients and techniques will go into the wine they are making just like a chef has to decide which ingredients and techniques to employ in the dish they are creating. Some things just dont go together (like cabernet and sobet) and lots of things do.
When a winemaker suggests a dish to go with a wine, they are giving you a window to their souls. If the dish is crap the wine probably is too. Great winemakers should be great cooks because wine is food.
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