Like Bogart and Bacall: Wine and Food Pairing

By Matt Sheker

You don’t have to settle anymore for dry crackers when you tour wine country in Napa Valley. My wife and I recently returned from Napa, where we attended several wine tours and food/wine-pairing events. Several wineries have culinary staff on site for private events, and the wineries firmly believe food and wine are inseparable. We were invited to join some friends at the Jarvis Harvest Party and also attend the Chalk Hill food-pairing tour. These turned out to be two of the more memorable experiences.

At Chalk Hill, we started off with peppers stuffed with shredded fish. The appetizer was paired with an estate-grown Chalk Hill sauvignon blanc. Normally, the citrus aromas of the sauvignon blanc would overpower the vegetal characteristic of the pepper; however, the crisp floral aromas, lively characters of tropical fruit, melons, and grapefruits, and silky-texture finish complemented the pepper appetizer perfectly. Next came the Saddleback rabbit with cranberry sauce paired with the Chalk Hill pinot noir. The pinot noir has a smoky finish and a velvety leather flavor along with raspberries and cherries; it was the perfect complement to the slightly gamy flavors of the meat. The third and final course was braised beef tenderloin with slightly astringent cheese sauce paired with the Chalk Hill Estate-grown cabernet sauvignon. The cabernet had a black currant and jammy cherry taste with hints of mint and chocolate. The wine was complex, yet had soft tannins and paired well with the beef, bringing out the smokiness of the meat.

The following day, we attended the Jarvis Fall Harvest Party. We started off with the Finch Hollow Estate chardonnay paired with grilled shrimp and goat cheese on a toasted baguette. The buttery French style of the chardonnay with characteristics of ripe peach and rich nectarine balanced well with the aperitif. The Jarvis merlot, with its full, round, rich flavors and soft low-tannins, was paired with Peking duck enriched with a soy-based hoisin sauce. A spicy vegetable-filled spring roll and beef tenderloin slices on delicate sweetbread were paired with a cabernet franc. The cabernet franc, with its darker fruit and tobacco earthy aromas, paired well with the spices from both dishes. The cabernet sauvignon was paired with chocolate to bring out the dark, rich roasted cocoa flavors.

You don’t have to travel to Napa to experience food and wine pairing, as most fine-dining restaurants offer these special dinners. Some restaurants will even coordinate with a specific winery and invite the winemaker. These dinners are extraordinary because it allows everyone at the dinner to get two different points of view. The winemaker can explain how he draws certain aromas and characteristics out of the wine, while the chef can expound on why certain foods paired well and complemented the wines. Try a special wine and food-pairing dinner. You will be impressed.