food /wine pairing website?

Pairing is an art, and no web site can give you any really useful guidelines. There are too many good matches, and the game has no rules (even vinegar, spinach, artichokes and olives can be matched, but it takes some skill).

Big cabs and syrahs can never be too big for food, though they may overpower some foods, I would not attempt them with quiche lorraine ;-)))

Lamb, roast beef, grilled beef, stewed beef will never fear any cab or syrah, no matter how big. Better if done on the barbecue. Avoid too many sauces, especially hot sauces. Keep it simple, use a typical mix of herbs such as you would find in Provence...

What dishes are you serving ?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Larry;

Before you answer Mike's question please remember that I too am resident of Southern Ontario and if you make it sound too good, you may well find my knees under your table! ;>))

Make that two extra pairs of knees, I have been known to turn up in the strangest places. My sister live in TO, and my travels often bring me to that part of the world...

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Thanks Mike,

I had a funny feeling that there might not be a simple answer. ;--)

I had a simple barbecue but was most concerned with the garlicky souvlaki and greek salad. Usually I wouldn't care about the match up; I'd just find a good shiraz or cab, maybe a zin. Maybe I'm moving up the evolutionary wine scale from amateur ;-}

Glad to hear all my cabs and shirazes will not usually "destroy" a meal. But I think I better put a few other types in my cellar for quick access.

I think Bill or Ian posted a very general rule of thumb list about red vs white use. I guess I need to know is there a general rule for using a light vs medium vs "bigger" reds or certain types such as a zin can handle spicer foods.

How do many of the group members find their best pairings? Trial and error, recommendations or books or ...?

TIA

Larry Southern Ontario

Hi Chuck,

Not sure how many S. Ontario members there are in this group. Who knows, we might be the closest to each other.

I'm a teacher and have the summer off (can feel the daggers piercing my back ;-}. Not sure what kind of schedule you have this summer but I think you should take me on a little tasting tour one day. As I've said, I'm going to Jordan in a few weeks with my wife. This will be only my second visit to a winery (Peller being the first)

They have a tour at Cave Springs for me and a spa for her. AHHHHH life is good.

All the best,

Larry Southern Ontario

For reds, I think the best way to look at things, at the most basic level, is to check the balance of the wines and the main characteristic of the dish.

A big red, meaning with lots of concentration and lots of tannin (whether rounded or still punchy) will not go well with a very fatty dish, like pork roast. The same would be true for a sweet wine. For that pig roast, look for a red with more acidity and less tannin, not quite a pinot noir, too delicate, more like a gamay with a very pleasant aroma and just the zing it takes to cut through the (delicious) fat. OTOH, the same big red will do wonders for a well seasoned rib of beef on the barbecue, and if it is a cab or a syrah, lamb roasted with garlic will be superb. The same goes for other big reds, like a mourvedre ? ;-))

It's all trial and error, but dont invent rules on the way, because you will find that even once you get the hang of it, things that you think will not work together, will surprise you. That's the fun of wine, you can never know everything, or even half of everything...

Mike

Mike

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

The best way to find pairings is to save all of Ian's posts. I personally would never serve a Cabernet or Shiraz with anything lighter than Dover Sole.

Larry;

I'm off to Scotland this week but on my return after the British Open why don't we try and hook up and tour some of the Niagara wineries...... if there are others interested, why don't we make it a group tour? Be back on the 21st.

Sounds good Chuck. Ok, everyone within a three hour driving distance(or crazier people) to Niagara, Ontario is invited to Chuck and Larry's first annual tour ;-}

Don't get hit by a golf ball and ruin it Chuck!

Larry Southern Ontario

The garlicky souvlaki should go well with Zin or Shiraz. The salad is a tougher match, assuming that it's dressed with lemon juice and has feta in it. Either a very acidic white wine or water would be my choice.

A decent start is Hugh Johnson's pocket wine guide, which contains a carefully research set of food/wine recommendations, albeit one focused primarily on European cooking. As Bill (Pantheras) said, Ian's recommendations here in alt.food.wine are a very useful source of information. Lastly, experimentation is good, too!

Mark Lipton