Food & Wine Pairing

Wine and chocolate seems like the perfect combination—two beautiful concepts wedded to create gustatory bliss. And it can be that way. The right chocolate paired with the perfect wine can create a near-orgasmic taste experience. But the wrong wine opposite a too-sweet chocolate creates nothing but horror. A bad pairing can turn an otherwise fabulous dessert to tree bark and a rare vintage to battery acid.

CHEFS AND SOMMELIERS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE PAIRINGS Enthusiasm radiates from their lips, as some of the most innovative chefs and sommeliers in the Napa Valley describe their most smashing wine/food pairings, whether recently concocted, or so reliable that they have become a permanent fixture on their tasting menus. Seasoned restaurant professionals not only uncover their wonderful wine and food combinations, but also explain a bit of the process behind their achievements.

I was four years old when I had my first clue that you could pair food and wine for anyone at any meal, and I was lucky enough to learn this from a master. It was many years ago, and we were the quintessential All American Family: Mom, Dad, and two tow headed kids piled into our car on a tour through France, discovering the joys of French food, wine and culture. Find bargains on Vintage Champagne One bright spring day in the Champagne region, we visited the Pol Roger Chateau in Épernay. As we entered the sunlit foyer, an impossibly elegant woman in Chanel greeted us. She spoke for a few moments on the phone: “The Americans are here”

It was my love of fine wine that led me to follow my muse by attending culinary school. As a result, my culinary mission statement has always read “a meal is never complete unless it is accompanied by great wine.” Hence, adding a well chosen, value oriented bottle can make a simple meal a great one. That brings me to the current and frequently misunderstood state of Syrah in the USA.

For me paring food and wine isn’t only a pleasure, it’s an exciting endeavor with innumerable outcomes. To plan a wonderful meal centered on a few great pairings is a good time indeed. I prepare for a weeknight or a dinner party the same way: I head to the farmer’s market and see where it takes me. Wine should be kept in mind the whole time while gathering your ingredients and assembling the meal in your imagination. Whether it be spring, winter or summer the produce will call out to you with notes of the season you wish to express in your meal.

The worthiest goal to which a fine wine can aspire is enhancing a great meal. The body, acidity, and tannins of a big brash Cabernet can overwhelm even a veteran palate all by themselves. But when paired with a rich roast of beef, the harsh edge of the wine is softened by the velvet meat, while the...

The stress and tension of a professional kitchen can sometimes make cooking seem like a life or death situation. After all, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when the dinner orders begin piling up on a Saturday evening. An extremely busy night is one of those occasions when, even though you do your very best to prepare for it, there is really nothing you can possibly do to avoid the onslaught. At best, you can stay just a half step ahead of the rush and have enough food to get through the dinner service. You finish the night exhausted, but with an innate sense of accomplishment. At worst, you become buried by tickets and bring the entire kitchen to a grinding halt. That’s the most helpless feeling in the world.