Food And Wine Pairings 101

Food and Wine Pairings
Food and wine go together because of the complements and contrasts they offer to each other. Food tastes better with wine because wine offers another set of aromas, flavors, and textures that act as a foil to the aromas, flavors, and textures of the food being eaten. Think of the first bite you take of a slice of rare roast prime rib of beef. With that first bite you smell the rich aromas, taste the full flavor of the meat, and experience the full range of tactile sensations in your mouth. While the second bite is good, it can't be as good as the first because your nose and mouth are already used to the sensations the roast beef provides. The senses of taste and smell are easily fatigued. The way to refresh them is to offer an alternative set of aromas, flavors, and sensations. A drink of wine does just that. This is the most basic way in which food and wine go together.Many people are content to say that if the food and wine are both good, then the match is good. They are right but only in that the match is good; it isn't excellent, outstanding, sublime, or heavenly. These levels of enjoyment and appreciation only can be reached when the wine does more than act as a contrast to the food. In the best matches, the wine compliments the food at the same time as it offers a contrast.Some foods work so well with certain wines that the match becomes a classic. Classic food and wine combinations include:
Champagne and Caviar
Chablis (or Muscadet) and Oysters
Sauternes and Roquefort Cheese
Red Burgundy and Roast Beef
Red Bordeaux and Lamb
Port and Stilton Cheese
The keys to making the best matches are an open mind, a willingness to experiment, and an understanding of why certain foods taste best with certain wines. This understanding is partly intuitive but the confidence necessary to be brave in matching flavors comes from experience.
The following pages offer some general guidelines to matching food and wine. While these guides have exceptions that come readily to mind, they offer a good starting pointSTYLES OF DRY WHITE WINES AND HOW THEY GO WITH FOOD
OAKY, MEDIUM TO FULL-BODIED WHITES.
What they are:
The best Chardonnay from Burgundy, California, and Australia
Top quality white Bordeaux and California Sauvignon Blanc blends
Alsace Vendage Tardive and German "trocken" and "halb-trocken" Spatlesen and Auslesen.
Food Matches:
Work with pork, rich seafood, some fowl, and Fois Gras.
Can work quite well with some red meats.
Do not work with spicy foods.
LIGHT TO MEDIUM-BODIED, UNOAKED OR LIGHTLY-OAKED DRY WHITES.
What they are:
Some lower-priced Chardonnay from Burgundy, California, and Australia.
Standard quality Sauvignon Blanc-based whites from around the world.
Most drier style Rieslings and Gewurztraminers from around the world.
Most dry white from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Loire Valley.
Food Matches:
Work best with light seafood and some fowl and pork.
Can work with lightly spicy foods and some tomato based sauces.
Do not work with most red meat or overly rich or very spicy food.
SEMI-DRY AND LIGHTLY SWEET WHITES.
What they are:
Most German QbA, Kabinett, and some Spatlesen and their US equivalents
Vouvray, Most Chenin Blanc from around the world.
Moscato d'Asti
Food Matches:
Works best with shellfish, pork, and light to medium spicy foods.
Can work with some red meat, fowl and game, and most seafood.
STYLES OF RED WINES AND HOW THEY GO WITH FOOD.
LIGHT, FRUITY RED WINES
What they are:
Beaujolais, California Gamay-types
Most Barbera, Valpolicella, Bardolino, old style Chianti
Pinot Noir, lighter style red Burgundy
Food Matches:
Works best with salty foods, beef, poultry, duck, tomato and garlic based sauces and dishes.
Can work with grilled beef, lamb, smoked foods, seafood if prepared to remove oils, and lightly spicy foods.
MEDIUM TO FULL BODIED, ELEGANT RED WINES
What they are:
most Bordeaux, most Californian and Australian Cabernets and Merlots
Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, top Vino da Tavola
most Piedmont reds (Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, and Nebbiolo)
Chateauneuf du Pape, most Cote du Rhones
most Spanish Red
robust Burgundy
"Claret" style red Zinfandel Food matches:
Works best with lamb, beef, pork, game, most fowl, bread or pastry enclosures, pizza.
Can work with seafood if prepared to remove oils, tomato based sauces, some mildly spicy foods, and chocolate.
Do not work with very spicy or salty foods or pork.
FULL BODIED, ROBUST RED WINES
What they are:
Full-bodied Napa Cabernet, some young Bordeaux
Cote Rotie, Hermitage, big Chateauneuf du Pape, most Australian Shiraz, some Cabernet Shiraz, California Rhone-types, Charbono
some Barolo and Barabaresco
Northern Sonoma-style red Zinfandel
Food Matches:
Works best with simple, grilled or roasted meat and game, and pizza.
Can work with tomato based sauces, some mildly spicy foods, and chocolate.
Do no work with very spicy or salty foods, pork or seafood.
SOME RED WINE PAIRING HINTS:
Cabernet and Syrah have an affinity for black pepper and rosemary.
Sangiovese, Barbera, Grenache, and Gamay all have an affinity for tomatoes and garlic.
Sweet fruit sauces for game and fowl present very difficult challenges to wine.
Most powerful reds do not handle complex sauces very well.
A full flavored cheese can bring out the fruit in a tired, older red wine.
OTHER TYPES OF WINES AND HOW THEY GO WITH FOOD
CHAMPAGNE AND SPARKLING WINES (EXTRA DRY, BRUT, OR NATURAL)
What they go with:
Use the same general rules as for "light to medium-bodied, dry white."
BLUSH WINES AND LIGHT, FRUITY ROSES
What they are:
White Zinfandel, White Cabernet, Blush
Rose de Anjou
What they go with:
Use the same general rules as for "semi-dry and lightly sweet whites."
Nachos and other Mexican dishes
FULLER BODIED, DRY ROSES
What they are:
Bandol Rose, Tavel Rose, other southern French Roses
Marsannay Rose (Pinot Noir)
California "Rhone-type" Roses
What they go with:
Use the same general rules as for "light, fruity red wines."
VERY SWEET WHITE WINES
What they are:
Sauternes, Late-harvest Sauvignon or Semillon from the US or Australia
German Trockenbeerenauslese and Beerenauslese, Late-harvest Riesling or Gewurztraminer
Muscat Beaumes de Venise or Picolit
What they go with:
Work great with Foie Gras.
Work with semi-sweet desserts, full-flavored, salty cheeses, and fresh fruit.
Do not work with very sweet desserts.

Le Petit Hibou Recipe

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: Under 5 mins | Makes: 1 drink

It’s subtle enough to enjoy with food and low enough in alcohol to order another, and another. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Starborough Sauvignon Blanc
• 2 ounces Martini Blanc
• 2 ounces apple juice
• Ice

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour all of the ingredients into a collins glass filled with ice. Stir gently with a bar spoon or swizzle stick and enjoy.

Blackberry and Cabernet Caipirinha Recipe

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 5 mins | Makes: 4 to 6 drinks

A culturally confused cocktail, to say the least, this drink combines elements of Sangría and the Caipirinha, then adds a twist. It’s one of the most popular drinks at Cantina in San Francisco.

What to buy: Cachaça, a sugarcane-derived spirit with a 500-year history, can be found at most well-stocked liquor stores.

Use a well-balanced, affordable Cabernet Sauvignon that will not overwhelm the other flavors in this cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 medium limes, quartered
• 6 ounces cachaça
• 2 ounces Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 medium limes)
• 2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 1/2 medium orange)
• 4 ounces simple syrup
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• Ice
• Lime and orange wheels, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the blackberries and quartered limes in a large pitcher and muddle until well crushed.
2. Add the cachaça, Cabernet, lime juice, orange juice, simple syrup, cranberry juice, and some ice and stir to chill thoroughly. Garnish with lime and orange wheels and serve.

Tastings for 8/31 & 9/1

Tasting schedule for Friday 8/31

Corona Light 2PM-5PM

Modelo 2PM-5PM

Shock Top Belgian Wheat 5PM-8PM

Tastings for Saturday 9/01

Mikes Classic Margarita  2PM-5PM

1800 Coconut Tequila  2PM-5PM

J Lohr Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot 5PM-8PM

Your Wine Specialists working hard!

Yes our job is hard, we taste many wines to make sure you get the very best! Ask us for suggestions the next time you visit and we will be happy to help you find your new favorite wine!!

We are here to help you!

El AMO! Tequila

Reposado is aged for 6 months this tequila is smooth with hints of wood. Great for Margaritas of on the rocks!

Blanco is not aged in barrels and get for shots and margaritas!

Anjeo is aged at least a year in oak barrels giving it a smooth and smokey flavor- making this a great sipping tequila!

TyKu Sake Bomb!

Pour your favorite beer into a glass

Place chop sticks on top of glass

Put 2 oz. cold TyKu into shot glass

Hit the table to make sake fall into glass!!

Drink!

Try something different!

Many of you have never tried Mead but you should! Mead is thought to be one of the very first fermented beverages. It is made with honey and can be dry to sweet. When fruit is added to the mead during the fermentation process, they are then called Melomels. Here is one of our favorites.

  This raspberry mead is rich and very fruity.  A semi-sweet melomel with intense raspberry aroma and fine honey finish.  Released this year as a limited edition. 

$17.99 cash price

French Kiss

French Kiss

1oz Alpine Blue Citron Vodka

1oz Drillaud French Raspberry Liqueur

1oz Lemon Juice

1oz Ready Rabbit Simple Simple

Mix in shaker with ice and strain into martini glass

Thinking ahead...

Remember the holiday season is right around the corner! It's time to start thinking about what you are going to drink with your dinners and parties! By planning ahead you avoid the possibility of not getting what you want in time! Also, it gives you plenty of time to try new things you may want to serve before you decide! Let us know if we can help you choose or order something for you!

Funny

Michaels Irish Cream Pudding

MICHAELS IRISH CREAM PUDDING 

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Michaels Irish Cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch whisking to thoroughly incorporate. Add milk and whisk until dry ingredients are dissolved. Next, whisk in the egg yolk and cream.

2. Place the pan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil and thickens.

3. As soon as the mixture thickens, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Michaels Irish Cream and vanilla.

4. Add chocolate and whisk until it is completed melted and smooth.

5. Pour pudding into individual serving dishes. Let the pudding cool slightly then cover the tops with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

6. If desired, garnish with fresh whipped cream and chocolate curls.

ALL GLASSWARE CAN BE PURCHASED AT SPECS

Tastings for August 3rd & 4th

Friday August 3rd: 
5-8PM
El Jimador Tequila, Blanco & Reposado
Cointreau


Saturday August 4th:
11-2PM
Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita


2-5PM
Don Julio Tequila


5-8PM
Ciroc Regular & Coconut Vodka


JLohr Riverstone Chardonnay
Seven Oaks Cabernet

August Beer of the Month!!

Our Brewery of the Month for August is Dogfish Head Brewing!

Enjoy all these items all August at a great price.