30 March 2013

Food and Wine Pairing - Cheeky Cooks



Matching food and wine can be a daunting process, but there are a few simple rules to keep in mind when trying to figure out what exactly goes well with whatever it is you are going to cook. We have teamed up with the delectable food site Cheeky Cooks. Like Empty these Cheeky Cooks have a passion for all things tasty, so here we have it, a few simple rules and some cheeky suggestions;

Rule 1 - Nobody ever talks about Fight Club ... Or Gamay*
Rule 2 - Nobody ever talks about Fight Club ... Or Gamay
Rule 3 - Seriously don't stress too much KEEP IT SIMPLE!

  • Match light with light, for example a crisp and subtle Sancerre is delicious with the subtle, but intense flavours of Monkfish.
  • Match rich with rich. Having a big steak? A whopper Cabernet or Shiraz will do. Or any other varietal that is full bodied with good tannin.
  • Never ever match red with fish? Not true, some light and fruity reds pair extremely well with tuna or Salmon or a personal favourite of mine, a good quality, fruit driven New Zealand Pinot Noir with Swordfish and salsa. Delicious. This is veering back towards are initial rule light with light, or subtle with subtle.
  • Regionality Food with wine have gone together for centuries, with particular regions producing food that suits particular wine. Think of the classics, lamb with Bordeaux, Albarino with seafood (it is on the coast after all), Argentine Malbec and Steak etc. One compliments the other and the regionality of the flavours have evolved over time. There is more than likely something to it, otherwise why would they do it?
  • Experiment There is always a new flavour to be created by the subtle fusion of an eclectic mix of flavours on the palate


*Duke Philip the Bold declared in 1395 that Gamay was a 'despicable and disloyal grape', that in his opinion was taking up too much space in Burgundy. Space for his beloved Pinot Noir. Philip was later kicked out of Fight Club for breaking the first two rules.

I for one have to agree as Pinot Noir when made well can and should haunt you from the minute a bottle is opened to the the very last drop. It is seductive and layered and complex. This varietal needs something delicate but complex to further this sensuous experience;




  • Chocalan Gran Reserva 2011: Subtle, but powerful, full throttle but silky smooth, it also looks incredibly sexy a rich ruby with youthful purple hues ... Don't get me started on the shape of the bottle. Suffice to say this wine does silly things to me. It opens with pure strawberry and raspberry with a crisp finish of cranberry and chocolate. Already this wine was living up to the high standards I place upon good Pinot, it should haunt you, always being elusive and multifaceted. The dominant fruits were backed up by seemlessly integrated oak that lead to a lingering finish of supple tannin and good acidity. Perfect with any sort of game or this delicious duck leg. Score (91) 


Now onto something a little more full throttle. A fruit forward Shiraz can be a delicious accompaniment to white meats with some richer sauces all the way to delicious medium rare steak.  New world Shiraz tends to be a little more fruit forward than its northern Rhone counterparts. I would try the following wine with something like a Slow Roast Pork Belly.


  • Footbolt Shiraz 2008: Intense aromas of plum, red berry and raspberry are fleshed out by well integrated oak influence adding flavours of mocha. As the wine opens up it develops hints of eucalyptus and finishes with a delicious spice from the varietal. With big tannin and good acidity this is an impeccable wine that has always delivered, even in the lesser vintages (which 2008 was considered because of drought). Score (89)


There are traditional matches for lamb, such as a good Claret. However in keeping with experimentation why not try something off the beaten track, such as this indigenous varietal from the volcanic slopes of Mount Vulture. Some consider these wines to have the potential to be the finest in Italy.



  • Aglianico del Vulture 'Piano del Cerro' 2008: Ruby red with purple hues. Truffle, raspberry, plum, cherry, thyme, cinnamon and cedar. On the palate there is intense raspberry, with plum and cherry filling out the mid-palate with sweet spice on the finish. This wine has incredible structure with good acidity and fine tannin. Score (89)

Lamb is delicate and subtle and needs something with finesse. This Aglianico is elegant, but robust at the same time, with tight tannin to bind with some slow roasted lamb

As Oz Clarke ponders; 'I wonder what it feels like being the wine experts' favourite grape, yet failing to excite the palates of the vast majority of wine drinkers across the world?', I often think the same myself. Is it the bad reputation that sickly sweet pretenders have given the varietal? Or that there are so many styles that it is a difficult grape to 'get'. However this misunderstood grape is nothing short of sublime with spicy food.




  • Wakefield Estate Riesling 2010 - Clare Valley (PP €12-€14.99): This wine really showed the merits of a blind-tasting as I knew there was something familiar about this wine, but couldn't quite decide what. Turns out is a wine that I have tasted and adored quite a few times. On the nose orange rind, peach and intensely floral and awash with grapefruit and pineapple. Delicious, with a very long crisp finish. Score 92

Why not try this exciting match with  some Spicy Chicken.

Like Riesling, oaked Chardonnay is often misunderstood and certainly not in vogue at the moment. This is due to the oaky chardonnay being the best thing since sliced bread for several decades with producers from every corner of the planet producing an 'oaked' chardonnay, some of them even resorting to oak staves or oak essence to produce a cheap simulacrum of what can be one of the best white wines in the world. Needless to say this sorry turn of events has left a rough taste in consumer's mouths. 





  • Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2010: Apricot and apple is rounded are rounded out by a rich creaminess and cinnamon laced finish that is achieved from lees and oak aging respectively. This is one of the best examples of the heights oaked Chardonnay can achieve. Score 90


This is a perfect example of the hedonistic delights that people (me included) oft describe as serious Chardonnay. I normally pair this with a roast chicken, but the recipe I have picked here will do just the trick as it as rich and creamy, but delicate at the same time. Like our Chardonnay. 

As a nation we can't seem to get enough of New Zealand Sauvignon, so I have chosen the best I have tried in several tastings over the past few months. 





  • Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2012: I have tasted this wine several times recently, each time in different contexts from trade tastings to a glass in a friend's house. Every time this wine was exceptional. Normally in an average tasting something above average can seem exceptional. Truly great wines stand out every time. Intense passion-fruit and lime fruits, minerality, fennel with racy acidity. Everything about this wine is in balance. Sauvignon as it should be. Score 92


Sauvignon Blanc is very versatile with food, but one of my absolute favourite pairings is goat's cheese. Give these delicious Goat's Cheese and Serrano Ham Prawns a try.

Mathching food and wine should be fun and a new and exciting experience every time, each flavour complimenting the last. So why not try out one of these cheeky recipes and crack open a bottle. 

Shane 


No comments:

Post a Comment