Submitted by Brian Hanna
Today’s blog appears to be taking a decidedly culinary twist. Let’s call them kitchen considerations.
*** A sprinkling of toasted nuts will help draw out many dishes to the oak-accented flavours of barrel-aged Chardonnays.
*** If your wine is more acidic than the dish you’re having with it, consider a couple of drops of lemon or vinegar to balance the pairing. If, however, the dish is more acidic than your wine, adding salt or a salty element to your dish’s regionality e.g. soy sauce for an Asian dish or anchovies for a Mediterranean dish would achieve a better balance.
*** The fat and protein in beef softens and tames wines with a pronounced tannic structure such as California Cabernet Sauvignons and Brunellos from Tuscany.
*** Recommendation: as a wine lover, every time you buy another wine book, consider picking up a cookbook from the same region. You rarely run astray by starting your food and beverage pairings by thinking regionally.
*** When pairing wine with desserts, the wine must be sweeter than the dessert dish. Otherwise the wine will taste sour. It will wimp out and shake uncontrollably in a dark corner.
*** With eggs, please refrain from serving oaked wines. Wood and eggs will prompt disaster. Should you harbour a deep-seated resentment toward your neighbour, serve him or her a barrel-aged Chardonnay with an egg salad sandwich.
Cheers to you. Brian.
