Easy Wine and Food Pairing

Pairing wine with food can be a challenging task.  I don’t know about you, but most of the time I feel intimidated by the process.  Anyone can do the white wine/white meat, red wine/red meat thing, but beyond that it can be tricky. Because wine is a natural product, it can vary from vintage to…

Red Meat with Red Wine

Red with red, we’ve heard that phrase many times.  It’s written in Chapter 1 of many a wine/food pairing book. But how many of us take matching a step further, considering the manner in which the beef is cooked? I periodically read portions of the book, Taste Buds and Molecules: The Art and Science of…

Thanksgiving Wine—What Will You Have With Your Feast

I am thankful for wine.  I am thankful that this elixir of grape is fascinating to me, that it has provided me countless hours of intellectual and culinary pursuit over the years.  The study of wine is multidisciplinary; in its simplest form it is biology, chemistry, geology, anthropology, geography, and history rolled into one.  In so many…

Appetizer & Wine Pairings

I was recently  asked to pair wines with gorgeous appetizers from Selland's Market in Sacramento.  Click on the link below and flip through this online edition of Kidaround Magazine to find the article where I offer basic tips for pairing, as well as specifics for these particular foods.  There are some beautiful accompanying photos by Penny Sylvia.  The…

Food and Wine Pairing on a Molecular Level

I have just read this very interesting article on food and wine pairing.  The article is a review of a recently written book approaching the pairing of food and wine from a molecular standpoint.  The book author's theory is that if the molecular components that make up a wine are the same found in a specific food, they can be…

Laissez Les Bon Temp Rouler!

Let the Good Times Roll.  It's Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday.  If you are lucky enough to savor some Cajun food today, keep these wine pairing suggestions in mind; they'll make for a memorable gastronomic experience.  As a general rule:  Spicy food likes Sweet wine….the spicier the dish, the sweeter the wine.  Try an off-dry Gewurztraminer…

Red Wine for Valentine’s Day

If you'd like a change from the traditional champagne and chocolate pairing of Valentine's Day fame, reach for a red.   While ports are often a paired accompaniment, I like a bold and jammy zinfandel.  Berry-laden and silky on the palate, those zins produced in a heavier style are perfect with chocolate– particularly dark.  My favorite of this style, Rombauer…