FOOD and WINE PAIRING——BARBEQUE DISHES
(continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine Pairing”  dated 20th JUNE 2012)

INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

FOOD BEING FEATURED:—-–BARBEQUE DISHES can include many different dishes with varying styles, sauces and marinades. Typical and popular dishes would be grilled meats such as steaks, sausages, burgers, pork ribs and chicken. Oily fish are also favourites of many, as well as vegetables such as potatoes, onions, peppers, asparagus etc.

CHALLENGES:—-–As one can note the varity of dishes is enormous and matching wines with such an assortment can be a difficult challenge at the best of times. Therefore it would be uncomplicated to offer up three styles of wines in Red, White and Rose and for guests to simply choose their wines according to the recommendations below.

RECOMMENDATIONS:—–For grilled red meat dishes , a wonderful match for the summer months would be a Merlot from Australia  or an oak rich Rioja . For grilled white meat dishes such as chicken or pork, a Brouilly from Beaujolais  would be a perfect match and can be served chilled. Fish and grilled vegetables go very well with flavoursome white wines that are not too over powering with alcohol. A typical wine within this category would be a Semillon style wine, or one could try a fine Gewurztraminer from Alsace , a wine renown for its ability to ally with foods seeped in a whole variety of sauces and marinades.

MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on THE MARRIAGE OF FOOD AND WINE to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and desserts. Also view GREAT FRIENDS-CHEESE AND WINE for cheese and wine pairing.

NEXT ARTICLE:—–FOODS FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS

HAPPY  BARBEQUE PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

FOOD and WINE PAIRING—SEAFOOD SALAD
(continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine Pairing”  dated 19 December 2011)

 
INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–SEAFOOD SALAD, delicious either as a light starter or a more wholesome main course. Seafoods included would be prawns, crab, lobster, crayfish, clams, gravadlax and lightlty smoked fish such as salmon, sea trout and halibut.

CHALLENGES:—–Make life easy by staying clear of seafood sauces that are too acidic, bitter salad leaves such as chard and endive and also undiluted lemon or lime juice. By following these recommendations the door is open to a much more varied selection of white and red wines and of course champagne and good quality sparkling wines.

RECOMMENDATIONS:—–Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a dry white wine with hints of gooseberry and melon, a character most suitable for smoked seafood. Waterstone Bridge Chardonnay Reserve, a medium bodied white wine with a delicate richness, a wonderful match for prawns and lobster. Borgo San Leo Pinot Grigio, a light bodied white wine, gently aromatic with palate-cleansing fruit, an appropriate and well matched for various cold crab dishes with green salad.

If red is your favourite wine, then try a chilled Beaujolais Villages, Domaine de Franc-Pierre. In Beaujolais that’s how they enjoy this wine with cold food during their hot Summer months.

A safe bet is always a good quality sparkling wine, Cuvee Pierre Legendre, it will pair well with most seafood dishes and cold salads, or try this wine as an aperitif  before your meal. 
 
MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on THE MARRIAGE OF FOOD AND WINE to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and desserts. Also view GREAT FRIENDS-CHEESE AND WINE for cheese and wine pairing.

 
NEXT ARTICLE:—–BAR-BE-QUE DISHES

HAPPY  SEAFOOD SALAD DISHES AND WINE PAIRING DAYS
Graham D

FOOD and WINE PAIRING—Cold Meats (continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine pairing”  dated 10 December 2011)

INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–Many tasty Cold Meats can be left over from Christmas and New Years Day. If we focus on Poultry, Game Birds and Pork, then there are numerous wine options available for consideration. Cold Pork Pies or Game Bird pies can also be considered under the following recommendations. 

CHALLENGES:—–Be careful that strong Pickles and Chutneys such as Piccalilli or strong mustard based sauces may conflict with some of the wines recommended. Fruit chutneys and mild sauces will not be a major problem.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:—–The first recommendation which will accompany all the meats in question and is not too powerful, Rose D’Anjou  from the Loire, a refreshing wine for any time of the day or night. Many heavy reds will overpower most cold white meats, therefore for red wine lovers , a perfect match would be a light fruity Pinot Noir from Australia, Pirie South Pinot Noir,Tasmania. My final recommendation is a full bodied white wine from the Rhone , Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc , the long lasting spicy flavours match well both cold meats, pork pies or game pies.   
 
MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on The Marriage of Food and Wine  to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and desserts. Also Great Friends-Cheese and Wine  for cheese and wine pairing.
 
NEXT ARTICLE:—–Wild Game including Venison and Wild Boar

HAPPY COLD MEATS PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

FOOD and WINE PAIRING—Christmas Pudding
(continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine pairing”  dated12 December 2011)

 INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

 FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–We are featuring Christmas Pudding, but the wines recommended also pair well with Christmas Cake , Mince Pies or Chocolate Log and even a rich Sherry Trifle.

 CHALLENGES:—–Fortified wines and full bodied dessert wines are the ones to meet the challenge of rich Puddings and Cakes which could be accompanied by Brandy Sauces, Cream or Custard. Since it is Christmas, be bold and have more than one style of wine available to please your family or/and your special guests.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:—–The first recommendation would be Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, it has the depth and rich sweetness to match any big pudding. Try leaving the wine in the freezer for one or two hours before serving. Another rich full bodied accompaniment would be Pedro Ximenez Sherry, served chilled. Yes it is unusual to chill sherry, but works very well and your guests will be refreshingly and pleasantly surprised. A traditional recommendation has to be a quality Sauternes from the Bordeaux Region, chill a bottle of Chateau Rolland and enjoy a wine with a good balance of rich fruit, acidity and long lingering aftertaste. This wine is also a great companion of Blue Cheese, if you have any room left  
 
MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on The Marriage of Food and Wine  to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and desserts. Also Great Friends-Cheese and Wine  for cheese and wine pairing.
 
NEXT ARTICLE:—–Cold Meats

 HAPPY CHRISTMAS PUDDING PAIRING DAYS

 Graham D

FOOD and WINE PAIRING—Christmas Seafood Starter
(continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine pairing”  dated 28 November 2011)

 INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

 FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–With Christmas Dinner’s main dish being so wholesome and filling, often a light starter such as prawns with avocado, green salad and a seafood mayonaise base sauce is certainly more than sufficient. One can substitute the prawns for either crab, lobster or fresh water crayfish.

 CHALLENGES:—–The challenges are not too difficult if one selects a dry or medium dry white wine. When matching white wine with crustaceans, try to favour wines with a fruity bias, since they can add much piquancy to the food in question. If the dish contains no seafood mayonaise sauce and only green salad, then a much drier white wine can be accomodated.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:—–Whether its prawns, crab, lobster or crayfish a rich fruity wine from the Loire such as Vouvray cannot be faulted as a great partner. A similar wine, but more flowery, which definitely would make a good friend of seafood and happens to be my favorite white wine, a  Gewurztraminer from Alsace.  The last but not least  recommendation would have to be a wine from New Zealand the land of seafood, Chardonnay , this wine has the correct balance of fruit and acidity to support any rich seafood dishes and also, its most enjoyable on its own.
 
MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on The Marriage of Food and Wine to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and desserts. Also Great Friends-Cheese and Wine  for cheese and wine pairing.
 
NEXT ARTICLE:—–Poultry for Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEAFOOD STARTER PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

FOOD and WINE PAIRING—VEGETARIAN DISHES
(continuation from blog “ Food and Wine Pairing” dated 3rd October 2011)

INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–VEGETARIAN DISHES have become much more popular in recent years and restaurant chefs are far more creative with their vegetarian recipes than perhaps a decade ago. With many different and wonderful flavours matching these dishes with wine is now a serious subject.

CHALLENGES:—–The main challenges are identifying what dishes are strong in flavour, such as a nut loaf or caramelised root vegetables or lighter flavoured dishes like salads or spring vegetable soup. Once you have catagorized your dishes then pairing with the right wines become much much easier.

RECOMMENDATIONS:—–With a light tasting soup such as pea or potato why not try a light bodied unoaked white wine such as Luztville Chenin Blanc from South Africa. For pulses like lentiles which have been enriched with cream or butter, go for a medium bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir by Tindall Vineyards in New Zealand. With strong flavoured dishes such as roasted vegetables, a powerful nut roast or stews which contain soya sauce or marmite to replicate meaty flavours, then a full bodied Bordeaux red such as Chateau Semonlon Haut Medoc or a new world wine like Carmenere Reserva from Chile will certainly do the trick.

MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on The Marriage of Food and Wine to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and deserts. Also view Great Friends-Cheese and Wine for cheese and wine pairing.

NEXT ARTICLE:—–Desserts

HAPPY VEGETARIAN DISHES AND WINE PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

 FOOD and WINE PAIRING—Chinese Food (continuation from blog  “ Food and Wine Pairing”  dated 24 October  2010)

 INTRODUCTION:—–this blog and the many more following will examine the pleasurable and often complex relationship between good food and wine, with the ultimate aim to assist our many discerning customers evolve the convivial bonding of good food and wine.

 
FOOD BEING FEATURED:—–CHINESE FOOD, Cuisine that encompasses many different styles of cooking -noodles,dumplings and the sizzling meats of North China, lightly spiced seafood dishes of the eastern coastal regions, very hot and spicy dishes from Sichuan and then the huge variety of stir-fries which are popular in and around Canton.

 
CHALLENGES:—–The common perception is that Chinese Foods pair better with beer than wine -this is not true. With such a variety of tastes and flavours as highlighted above, the challenge is tricky, but certainly not impossible. We do need to consider wines that are all rounders, wines that pair well with the delicate dim sum dishes as well as sharp and spicy dishes which utilize much pepper and chilli. 

 
RECOMMENDATIONS:—–There are a number of wines that work well with most Chinese dishes – the conventional wisdom of matching a medium bodied Gewurztraminer W. Gisselbrecht with either light fish dishes or hot Sichuan dishes does work very well. A German Riesling of Kabinett quality such as Johannisberger Erntebringer has similar attributes in pairing with the variety of tastes and flavours of Chinese food. For lovers of red wines, try a New World full bodied Merlot from Santa Cecilia Chile, the wine has a good balance of fruit and tannins which will compliment light dishes of the South and the more robust and spicy dishes of Northern China.

A little tip – similar to Indian or Thai food, sip a little water between different wines and different courses. It helps a lot in introducing a new wine or changing from a spicy to more delicate dish.

 
MAIN DIRECTORY:—–click on The Marriage of Food and Wine to access our quick search facility to locate hundreds of other food/wine/food pairing options, including hors-d’oeuvres, starters, soups, main courses and deserts. Also view Great Friends-Cheese and Wine for cheese and wine pairing.

NEXT ARTICLE:—–White Fish
 

HAPPY CHINESE FOOD and WINE PAIRING DAYS

Graham D

Following my previous article  please find some more  interesting  information to help our many customers and followers enjoy the matching of  quality cheese and wine. The main purpose of this article is to highlight generic groups of wines and to match them to their most suited cheese types.

It should be noted that the balance of flavours is paramount and the following table is only intended as helpful suggestions, but please do experiment and I am sure you, your family and friends will not only succeed in matching good cheese and wines to suit yourselves, but you will certainly enjoy the process of seeking natural partners.

RED RHONE———HARD and BLUE types such as traditional Single and Double Gloucester or Dorset Blue Viney.

RED PIEDMONT———SEMI  HARD types like Farmhouse Mature Cheddar or Cheshire

RED TUSCANY———HARD and SEMI HARD types such as Parmagiano Reggiano or Lanchashire

RED BORDEAUX———SOFT and BLUE types such as Bresse Blue or Munster

RED BEAUJOLAIS———SOFT CREAMY types such as Reblochon or Wensleydale

RED BURGUNDY———HARD or BLUE types such as Jarlsberg or Blue Stilton

RED NEW WORLD———HARD and SEMI HARD types such as Cheddar, Gruyere and Jarlsberg

RED RIOJA & RIBERA———HARD types such as Manchego or Orkney Smoked Cheddar

WHITE BORDEAUX (DRY)———GOAT and SOFT types such as Ireland’s Mine-Gabhar Goat’s Cheese and Valencay

WHITE BURGUNDY———HARD types such as Cheddar and Red Liecester

NEW WORLD SAUVIGNON BLANC———GOAT and HARD types such as Cheshire and Lairobell

NEW WORLD CHARDONNAY———HARD and SOFT types such as Reblochon or Mozzarella di Buffalo Campara

DRY ALSACE AND RIESLING——— SOFT and HARD types such as Emmenthal or Rind Wrapped Farmhouse Cheddar

ROSE———SOFT and INTENSE types such as Blue Cheshire and Gournay Affine

CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING——— SOFT and FIRM types such as Brie, Camembert and Saint Paulin

DESSERT & LATE HARVEST WINES———SOFT, BLUE and INTENSE types such as Roquefort or Pont L’Eveque

RICH & SWEET SHERRY ———BLUE or INTENSE types such as St Agur, Gorganzola and Wensleydale Blue

DRY SHERRY———HARD and INTENSE types such as Goats Cheese, Cheddar matured for at least six months and Manchego

PORT——— BLUE or INTENSE types as St Agur, Stilton and Cashel Blue

MADEIRA———HARD and SEMI HARD types such as Gruyere and Derby

MARSALA———BLUE and INTENSE types such as Oak Smoked Cheddar and Roquefort

Go to http://ahadleigh-wine.com/cheese/ and review the many other cheeses with their matching wines.

 Watch out soon for our 3rd article on cheese and wine pairing.

HAPPY CHEESE AND WINE DAYS

GRAHAM D

There is no doubt that good food and wine are one of the great ways of bringing pleasure to close ones and friends alike and with all the remarkable varieties of  flavour and tastes, matching food with wine will always be an engaging and delightful challenge and pastime. Although it should be noted, that in the main, taste is subjective and only by experimenting with different wines and the pairings of food and wine will lead to those wonderfully more interesting and blissful moments in life, which is what good food and wine should be all about.

Travel, food and wine are also another rewarding combination. What’s more agreeable than say leisurely traveling the West Coast of Ireland especially around the coastline of County Galway and the wilds of Connemara and when around midday comes it’s a must to find time to stop off for lunch at Moran’s Oyster Cottage (www.moransoystercottage.com) along side the river just south of Galway City near Clarinbridge. Then to indulge in the most enjoyable pleasure of tasting cold fresh native oysters in the shell with a few drops of lemon juice, some local warm brown bread and of course a large glass of chilled Chablis Premier Cru, Montmain, a timeless and irresistible partnership it must be said. I am sure you will agree that the combination of good food, wine and travel has to be the ultimate experience for the gastronomic adventurer.

Those who enjoy good wine often spend time in selecting and tasting wines that to them fully match their taste requirements. Those who enjoy good food follow a similar path to reach their expectations. Now when it comes to pairing both these requirements together, for many this is where the problems start, and this is where we can be of help.

Is your time well spent pairing food and wine, are the end results rewarding, is the process mythology or fact, or perhaps a combination of both? These are all very interesting questions, especially since we know some foods will just about go well with any wines, red, white or rose, Grilled Chicken would be  would be most agreeable with all three styles. On the other hand you can easily destroy a combination of good food and wine, for example an obvious clash would be eating a light Strawberry Mousse with a heavy red Chateauneuf-du-Pape, both the food and wine would sadly lose out. In most cases exceedingly good results are attainable with not too much effort, as with Oysters and Chablis, or for instance try a chilled sweet wine from Bordeaux or a Monbazillac with Blue Stilton or Roquefort and a big chunk of crusty bread, yes you will definitely find them a perfect marriage.

How do we develop the perfect combinations and partnerships between good food and wine? Research is one way, trial and error is another, or why not click on https://www.ahadleigh-wine.com/wine-and-food/  and review what is one of the quickest and most helpful food and wine matching directories available, guiding one through numerous dishes with alternative selections of wines to match most tastes. Distinctive cuisine deserves the accompaniment of good wine and hopefully this article and our following publications will be of help.

This intoduction to pairing food and wine will be followed over the coming months by many other interesting articles discussing the matching of specific food groups or individual dishes with many different wine options. Watch out for our next article which will focus on matching fish rich in oil like trout, salmon and mackerel with everyday drinking wines

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

HAPPY FOOD AND WINE PAIRING DAYS

The French and Italians may eat much more cheese than we the British do, but as individuals we eat and enjoy a far greater variety. The average French or Italian person tend to stay loyal to the many superb farmhouse cheeses of their locallity or region and may only eat on a regular basis three or four different cheese types throughout their lifetime.

Like our wine habits the British have no such loyalties or inhibitions – one week we could be eating soft or goats cheese from a variety of different European countries, another week we will be sampling blue or hard cheeses from as far away as Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

But, are we the Britsh eating the best?  For there is cheese and there is artisanal and handcrafted cheeses. Is the answer in the word choice?

Artisanal and handcrafted cheeses offer inspiring flavours, textures and noble subtleties that many supermarket cheeses don’t begin to approach. Despite the huge dominance of factory produced cheses, there are now (thank God) many more specialist independants than there were say ten or fifteen years ago promoting high quality individual cheeses from UK, Ireland and Continental farmhouses, often supplying splendid and unique wines to match. I would say today unlike any time in the past the combined choice of fine cheeses and wine is now simply enormous.

The more we support the INDEPENDANTS, the greater the variety and availability of these natural and very flavoursome cheeses will become, as well as sound advice and of course personal service. The more choice we have the better for everyone.

Cheese is a fascinating subject and shares a long list of similarities with wine. Cheese like wine, is fermented to create a product very different and infinitely more intricate than the original basic material it’s produced from. Like wine, cheeses age until they reach their level of maturity and perfection, then of course they can travel downhill.

Similar to red wine and port, to maximize flavours cheese must be brought to room temperature before it is served. Cheeses come in many different styles, each with their own unique set of characteristics and some specialist cheeses can take years to mature. Again good wines have their own unique styles, characteristics and also take many years to mature.

France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have controls and appellations of origin for cheese, just as they do for wine. Farmstead cheese made from the milk of the cheese makers own animals is comparable to chateau or estate bottled wine made from the winegrower’s own grapes.

Despite the above similarities highlighted and despite the widespread belief that cheese and wine are great friends and natural partners, matching them is not at all simple. The perception that cheese has to go with red wine or port is not correct. In fact, the the wine that often works best is white, not red, and often sweet, not a dry white wine.  But, selecting the right cheese for a good red wine can lead you to heaven, or to some other wonderful place.

Matching wine with cheese can also be very personal as people do have different taste requirements and perceptions. For example one may like dry soft goats cheese, but dislike a salty blue cheese. A very sound rule to note, is that a good cheese will make an average wine seem even greater, while an average cheese will most definitely spoil a great wine

Go to  www.ahadleigh-wine.com/cheese/ and visit our section specialising in matching  over one hundred cheese types with wine. You can search by imputing your own cheese preference, or select via a milk type option, or scroll down our huge selection from around the World.  I am sure you will find this application most helpful.

Further enjoy the process of seeking natural partners by reading soon my next article which helps take the complexity out of the selection process. The article will give examples of matching five generic groups of cheeses with generic groups of wine partners

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

Happy Cheese Days