How to pair chocolate and desserts with wine

Thomas Pellechia of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle shares dessert and wine pairings in the article, 'Some dessert wines complement sweets.'

Pellechia recommends pairing a late-harvest wine with cinnamon apple pie or cheesecake and Banyuls and Port with chocolate. He also offers pairings for Malmsey Madeira and Vin Santo.

I am inviting friends over for a 'Knock your honey out with a sassy Valentine's dessert and wine pairing' dessert party this weekend.

We will be bringing the following wines and desserts together to see which match works best and getting some great dessert ideas for Valentine's Day and other special occasions!

We will try these wines:

Moscato d'Asti
Brachetto
Riesling Late Harvest wine
Ruby Port
Banyuls

The pairings are:

Fresh berries and cream with Moscato d'Asti

Pineapple dessert with Moscato d'Asti and Riesling dessert wine (if Botrytised)
Apple-Citrus Custard Tart with Late Harvest Riesling Dessert Wine

Cherry tart/pie with Brachetto, Banyuls, and Ruby Port
Cheesecake with Banyuls
Chocolate cake with Brachetto, Ruby Port and Banyuls
Dark chocolate with Brachetto, Ruby Port and Banyuls

What is your favorite dessert and wine combination?

Related Articles:
How to Serve and Store Port wine - http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/serving-port-wine-best-port-wine-for.html

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What Food to Serve With Zinfandel - Zin Friendly Foods and Spices

Wine expert Randy Caparoso offers a list of Zinfandel friendly foods and spices for lovers of this big, red wine.

Caparoso recommends the traditional pairing of wild game "slathered" with seasoning, but also suggests matching a glass of Zin with tomatoes, cherries, mustard greens, bell peppers, garlic and onions, mushrooms and peppercorns.

Caparoso advises meat lovers to wood or charcoal grill, smoke and roast their entrees to create caramelized flavors that pair well with Zinfandel and offers herbs like rosemary, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, sweet basil, marjoram and savory as possible seasonings for a Zinfandel friendly meal.

I am a big fan of Zinfandel, especially sourced from old vines in Oakley, CA in Contra Costa County.

Related Article:
18 Meaty Zinfandel Pairings
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/03/venison-antelope-grouse-quail-and-duck.html

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White Wine match for Stinky cheeses, including Roquefort and Epoisses

What's on the menu for Valentine's Day dessert if a cheese lover and a wine novice fell in love?

Harvey Steiman from the Wine Spectator provides a tempting answer! Steiman taste tests a glass of sweet Sauternes with Epoisses and Roquefort cheeses each served on a hunk of crusty bread.

These two flavorful, stinky cheeses will please the cheese lover and the match with a sweet full bodied late harvest dessert wine will provide pleasure to both wine novice and wine snob alike.

Roquefort cheese also matches with a glass of Port wine or Sherry, but the sensation of the high alcohol content in these beverages may scare off wine novices.

Watch the video:
http://click.winespectator.email-publisher.com/maamIiuabNbFEb8w3TTbaehlJd/


Related Article:
Twenty recommended cheese and wine pairings for your next celebration
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/05/twenty-recommended-cheese-and-wine.html

What's Your Wine? What's your Sign? How to pair wine and food using Astrology

The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel story 'Menu in the stars - Whether you're toasting an Aries or a Libra, plan your party accordingly' provides wine and food pairing advice from a different perspective. Kristine Hansen consults Astrologer Tom McMullan for tips on serving food to guests based upon their zodiac signs.

McMullan says that Aries should enjoy spicy foods, Cancer will like creamy seafood dishes and that Pisces love to eat fish. Scorpio would enjoy a mushroom dish, Virgo could like chili and Capricorn should enjoy meat dishes.

I am a Cancer and my favorite dish is a nice Shrimp Scampi, a meal that pairs well with a buttery Chardonnay. My boyfriend Mike is an Aquarius and the astrologer got him right as well - he is gregarious and likes parties.

Sweeter 'off dry' wines pair well with spicy foods. Chardonnay and Sparkling Wines pair well with both creamy seafood dishes and fish. Pinot Noir is a match with mushrooms and red wines like Zinfandel and Cabernet pair well with chili and meat dishes.

What sign are you? Do you enjoy the foods that McMullan recommends?

Gift Idea: Give friends and family a bottle of wine on their birthday or Christmas based upon the types of foods that their astrological sign prefers!

Related Article:
Merlot with Sage, Sauvignon Blanc with Thyme - How to Pair Spices with Wine
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/11/spice-up-dinner.html

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How to serve Sherry - food and Amontillado, Olorose and Manzanilla pairings

In the New York Times article 'Sherry Is Ready to Come to Dinner,' Florence Fabricant gives 'wine dinner' hostesses several recommendations for pairing dinner courses with different types of Sherry.

Fabricant recommends serving Amontillado and Oloroso sherries with garlicky appetizers or rich foie gras.

Mani Dawes, owner of Tinto Fino and the tapas bars Tía Pol and El Quinto Pino, matches Cabrales, a blue cheese, with Sherry as well.

Blue Cheese is a good match with Sherry because the strong flavor of the cheese is matched by the high alcohol level in the Sherry. Strong cheeses are also well matched with a glass of Port wine, so a wine pairing dinner might be well ended with a leisurely dessert tasting of strong cheeses paired with Sherry and Port.

Juliet Glass of FoodArts.com offers Sherry and food pairing advice from several restaurateurs in the article 'Here Comes Sherry!' Tim McKee, chef at Minneapolis' Solera restaurant, recommends pairing clams and shrimp with a Manzanilla style Sherry.

The article also provides advice on which glasses are appropriate for serving Sherry (not just the traditional Sherry glass) and a tasty dessert idea for left over Sherry.

Related Articles:

Spanish Food and Wine Pairings -
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/09/spanish-food-and-wine-pairings.html

Serving Port Wine -http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/12/serving-port-wine-best-port-wine-for.html

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How to serve cheese with sweet and red wines; what fruits to serve with cheese plate

How to serve cheese

CBS news provides tips on serving cheese at your next party in the story 'The Three Rules For Serving Cheese - Expert Offers Pointers For Parties, Dinners For The Holidays or Anytime,' including a video interview with New York City Chef Terrance Brennan.

Brennan recommends serving grapes, nuts, dried fig cake, chutney, fresh figs and medjool dates on your cheese plate and arranging the cheeses from mildest to most flavorful.

He also suggests serving a white and a red wine with your cheese presentation.

Brennan recommends Port with Stilton cheese and I would add to that advice by offering a sweet dessert wine as another option for heady, flavorful cheeses.

Related Articles:

Cheese Advice from Murray's in NYC
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/11/cheese-advice-from-murrays-in-nyc.html

Six tasty tips on serving goat, camembert and brie cheesehttp://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/05/six-tasty-tips-on-serving-goat.html

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Wine pairing for shrimp - fried shrimp, grilled shrimp

The Wine Spectator offers a guide to cooking and wine pairing with my favorite seafood - shrimp in their article 'All About Shrimp'!

My favorite way to eat shrimp is fried - which would call for a glass of sparkling wine to combat the oiliness of the cooking technique.

For other preparations of shrimp, the Wine Spectator recommends Riesling, Pinot Grigio and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as possible wine matches.

Shrimp is a sweet tasting food, so following the rule that wine must taste sweeter than the food it is paired with will guide you to choosing an off dry Riesling or more full bodied, fruity Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.

I choose grilled shrimp drizzled with melted butter with a glass of oaky, buttery big California Chardonnay.

My boyfriend Mike prefers sweeter wines, so shrimp and an off dry Riesling would be a great pairing for him to try.


Related articles:

Rose Wine and Shrimp Pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/09/rose-wine-and-shrimp-food-and-wine.html

Shrimp Recipe Featuring a Stout Beer
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/07/combine-stout-beer-and-shrimp-for.html

Shrimp and Albarino food and wine pairing
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/06/shrimp-and-albarino-food-and-wine.html

Shrimp and Gewurztraminer wine and food pairing with recipe
http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/06/shrimp-with-garlic-sauce-wine-and-food.html

Why use Wine Sauce in cooking?

In the New York Times article, 'At the Stove, a Dash of Science, a Pinch of Folklore,' Kenneth Chang discovers why wine sauce makes many dishes taste so good.

According to biochemist Shirley O. Corriher, alcohol dissolves both fat-soluble compounds and water-soluble compounds, allowing the recipe's other ingredients to contribute additional flavors to the final dish.

This is why the splash of vodka in vodka sauce makes the tomatoes really flavorful.

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How to BYOW - BYOB at a Restaurant

My fellow 'drink local' advocate "Chief Wino," a Washington, DC based sommelier, has some great etiquette advice for bringing your own bottle of wine to a restaurant in the 'To Cork or Not to Cork' post at his blog.

A birthday or anniversary meal is an excellent opportunity to open a special bottle. I cannot agree more with Chief Wino's valuable advice - call the restaurant to inquire if they allow outside wines and what the corkage fee will be.

Eight Tips on How to Plan a Valentine's Day Wine and Food Pairing Party

The following is a question received from one of my blog readers on coordinating a wine and food pairing party.

My answer follows - though the reader is hosting a New Year's eve party, this idea would work well for a Valentine's Day party as well.


Hi Kathleen,

I came across your blog while searching for wine pairing tips.

I am having a wine pairing around the world party for New Years. We have asked people to bring a dish from around the world and bring a wine to pair with the dish.

There are about 25 people coming. I am trying to figure out who coordinate the tasting of the food and wine. Do I put small glasses by each dish with the appropriate wine? Do I have people present their food and wine, do I have them write a description? How do I avoid people just swinging by the store on their way here....egh...so many things to think about!

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

-----

Hello!
Thanks for emailing me! With 25 different dishes and wines, I think it would involve too much glassware to separate each wine individually by dish.

I would recommend using port glasses as well as regular wine glasses and wine flutes. Port glasses are smaller and will encourage guests to try many different wines instead of pouring a full glass of wine and drinking only one or two wines all night.

To help guests keep track of their glasses, write their name on a leftover Christmas gift tags and tie it to their glass with a thin ribbon. (For Valentine's Day you can cut hearts out of pink construction paper or use boxed Valentines!)

I have done several pairing evenings, and I find that giving guests a list of options works best. At this late date, though, I suspect that many guests have already chosen their dish and wine.

I would suggest having four food areas, separated into dishes that are matched with sparkling, white, red and dessert wines respectively.

I would suggest putting the wine bottle next to the matching dish and also placing a place card in front of each dish that includes the name of the dish and the suggested wine pairing.

Hopefully with 25 selections you will find that you can group two or three dishes together and suggest one or two wines that can be tried with several dishes at the same time.

Unless you are inviting only wine aficionados to your party, assume that many of your guests know little to nothing about wine and are nervous about choosing a 'good' bottle for your party without breaking the bank.

Having guests tell a story related to the food they are bringing may be the better choice.

Chill whites in the fridge for a while, then bring them out 20 minutes before you start serving food. Chill reds in the fridge for 20 minutes, then remove them.

I buy time for my whites to chill by serving each guest a flute of sparkling wine when they arrive. Provide your guests with a variety of dishes and one or two wine bottle openers at a food prep station if you do not have a dedicated helper at your party for food preparation.
If you are in the Northeast and it is a wintertime party like New Year's Eve, feel free to let some bottles chill on the front porch!

Good luck and remember - its about having fun and making memories, not just finding some great new food and wine pairings.


Summary - My Eight Tips:

Offer Port Glasses so guests can try different wines throughout the evening;

Keep track of glasses with ribbon and tags;

Provide guests with a 'grocery list' of possible wine and food matches for a potluck pairing party;

Divide food areas into matching dishes for sparkling, white, red and dessert wines;

Chill wines by the 20 minute rule;

Serve Sparkling wine first to set the mood for your party;

Provide a food prep area for potluck pairing parties, and

Place cards will help guests make wine and food matches on your appetizer table.


Related Articles:

Learn More in this video filled with ideas and tricks for hosting a wine and food pairing party - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6JWcp8u40I




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Mead or Tej and Food Pairings

Mead or Tej and Food Pairings

Dr. Vinny from the Wine Spectator offers some suggestions on food pairings for Mead, a beverage made from fermented honey, in his column "Ask Dr. Vinny."

Dr. Vinny uses the same logic that guides pairing foods with dessert wines - a sweeter wine can cancel out the 'heat' of a spicy dish.
Dr. Vinny also takes advantage of the traditional practice of developing beverages that pair well with local cuisine and points out that Ethiopian beverage called Tej is paired with flavorful and well spiced Ethiopian dishes.

Lakewood Vineyards in Watkins Glen bottles a mead like beverage called Seifu's Tej. Their website recommends pairing the Tej with spicy Ethiopian dishes as well.

An American cuisine pairing would be spicy Buffalo wings.

Chefs interested in an overview of Ethiopian cooking techniques can find information here:
http://www.bluenilemi.com/bluenile/16/content.htm

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How to choose a wine and food pairing for everyone - Red and White wine pairings for the same dish

'Tom vs. the Chefs: Wine and Food Pairing' is an educational video from the Wine Spectator that demonstrates that there is definitely more than one 'correct' wine match for every dish.

This video of the wine and food pairing seminar at the '08 Wine Experience featured chefs Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck. Each chef prepared a dish and paired it with a wine, and Wine Spectator Executive Editor Tom Matthews picked a contrasting wine that would match the dish in a completely different way.

The first set of pairings was very exciting - Duck Braciola was successfully paired with both Terre Nere Etna, a dry red wine AND Mann Pinot Gris, an off-dry white wine. This would be a great choice for a dinner with both red wine lovers and wine novices that enjoy a sweeter white wine.

For me, grilled salmon is another great pairing for both red and white wine lovers because it can match with a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir.

If all else fails, a sparkling wine can be paired with almost any food, especially fried or salty foods.

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How to pair red wine with Asian dishes and Chinese takeout

Wine expert Randy Caparoso offers some intriguing wine pairings for Asian cuisine at his Culinary Wine and Food Adventures Blog.

I have enjoyed pairing Gewurztraminer and Riesling with Chinese seafood and noodle dishes, but Caparoso takes it a few steps further, offering ideas for pairing meaty Asian dishes with Viognier, Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Dolcetto, Barbera and Sangiovese.

I agree with his advice at the end of the post - "If wine is to ever become an American staple, it has to be treated like one: as a sensible part of our lives and meals!"

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Pairing Wine with Dessert - chocolate, pie, cake and more.

In 'MATCH POINT - Pairing wines with desserts,' an excellent and comprehensive article from the Sommelier's journal, Joyce Goldstein offers pairing ideas for a wide variety of desserts, including chocolate, berries, peaches, lemons, biscotti, cheesecake.

My old standby dessert is pound cake with a small glass of dessert wine. I also enjoy port with blue cheese or chocolate. I am looking forward to trying a bottle of Prosecco with a tart lemon or lime dessert.

Related article:
Dessert and wine pairing primerhttp://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-impress-friend-and-family-with.html


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