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Wine and Appetizer pairing help needed

Ripnem
Ripnem Posts: 5,511
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I go to an annual appetizer wine tasting party/competition and it is approaching fast. My biggest problem is being clueless about wine.

The setup this year is a pairing deal, with 3 categories. Red, white, desert wines.

Best tasting combo!

So for all you cork collectors, give me the lowdown on how to match up a winner.

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Adam,

    This is a good magazine put out by our Liquor Control Board in Ontario. Click on a choice of ingredient and appetizer and it will show you a list. Cursor over the dish and it will show a plated pic. Click on any that interests you and it will show the recipe and a wine or beer pairing. It may show more Ontario wine than others but it will tell you merlot, zinfadel chardonnay etc.
    http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/RecipeController?action=search&language=1&recipeType=1

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    matues and seafood :laugh: not much of a cork collector here. maybe a bottle of red and a brown paper bag ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    I was going to say "cork suckers" but it's a little too early for that. :laugh:
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    fishlessman,

    Congrats on 10,000. I never notice but I see you have cleared the landmark. I'll try and warn you off before 14,000 so you don't splode like stike did. B)

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    port wine and dark chocalate always works, sounds strange to have wine and candy but its good. other than hefty prices on ports, i seem to like anything over 40 dollars a bottle and nothing much cheaper so i dont drink port more than once a year and only if i have a recipe that needs some. last recipe was a port and blueberry chutney, so add fruit to the port list
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    i didnt notice i passed the mark til this morning :laugh: not much of a comparison between my short ten to twenty word posts and stikes three page compositions B)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    My pal that I compete with most heavily did that 2 years ago and it was a huge hit. We ended up in different categories that year though.

    Maineggs Lobster dip has been eating away at me for some time now.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Steve,

    Cool link! Soooo many possibilities. I also thought about incorporating some Bomba.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    too bad you couldnt pair a good port with a good cigar ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
    Adam,

    When you make Julie's Lobster dip hide it from everyone and just eat it yourself...you will thank me later. :woohoo: :lol: :silly:
  • Gunnar
    Gunnar Posts: 2,307
    LMAO
    LBGE      Katy (Houston) TX
  • Chubby
    Chubby Posts: 2,955
    I'm a Port lov'in fool myself Fish!

    The "good stuff" is ...well lets say G...O...O...D!!

    You definately put a bottle of "Angelica" on your list as well!


    http://www.vsattui.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showDrilldown&productid=c4a11a95-9773-8b0f-edb5-93fa97d0b34e&ProductCategoryID=59514f6e-da4d-255b-a0b1-6267fec28220&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder+Asc,+P.Price1

    HNY!!!
    I spent most of my money on good bourbon, and bad women...the rest, I just wasted!!
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Kim,

    That said, I think I should do it for sure. The rave reviews around here, it's gotta be top shelf.

    Now to figure a wine :S
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    port shouldnt be classified as a wine, its got to be in a whole other grouping. never could part with the dollars to become a port snob, however i do know what i like :laugh: and i dont like wine much at all B) give me a sifter of your best port
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Adam, I'd be happy to help you offline some if you'd like.
    Aside from the ole standard of Red with beef and white with poultry/fish(which still holds true for most part) there are a few basics to keep in mind. The biggest part is to match the level of flavor of the food and wine. It is generally the opposite of what one MAY think. For isntance Milk goes with cookies, O.J. with bacon and eggs,and Iced Tea with BBQ =). These beverages counter act what the food brings in order to provide a balance. The opposite is true with wine. Soft, subtle food flavors call for a soft, suble wine. Big Bold Flavors call for a Big Bold Wine.
    I have to say that South American Red wines pair eggcellently with grilled or smoked foods. Any Egger that enjoys a good wine with dinner should have a few bottles of Argentian Malbec at the ready.
    I generally pair Pork or bold chichen dishes with Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon from South America. I pair beef with Bordeaux or Californian Cabernet Saugignon. Chicken with Spanish Whites, and Fish with French White or even a blush(also French).
    On a side note, Petit Syrah can also deliver monster big flavor for that special hearty beef dish.
    Zinfandel(not white)is a good all around Red that seems to go good with finger foods.
    The bottom line is to drink good quality wines, which can but not necessarily be expensive. Walking into a store and picking a bottle because it has a catchy name will result in sure nastiness.
    Become familiar with the wine rating systems, both Wine Spectator(WS) and Robert Parker(RP). Shoot for over 90 on the WS scale and 92 on RP. Do your own research and dont rely on what the retailer may tell you.

    Good Luck!
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    I decided to do Maineggs Lobster dip. Not sure where that would fall in the wine department. Something tells me that you do.
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Despite being somehwat anti-Chardonnay, I would have to say that a good Chard would compliment that dip Very well. Unfortunately most readily available Chardonnay is incredibly bad. Due to the popularity, it is mass produced to the max with most producers adding Oak chips to the oak aging barrels in effort to cover the nastiness.
    Very good Chards are available but tend to be pricey.
    My suggestion is to visit a wine store or quality Package store. Look for Chards above 90 on the WS scale. Be careful in that the tag on the display providing the score often does not match the vintage of the bottles offered. Expect to pay $23-$30 for Chardonnay of such good quality, possibly less.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Thanks man!

    Planning stage complete. :)

    If 60 bucks for a couple of bottles and a bunch for Lobster will get it done, than I'm all for it. I have won at least 1 catagory since this thing started 8 yrs ago. With the exception to last year. I was beatin out by figs wrapped in bacon :angry: I made Thirdeyes Plum Pork and it was awesome but most would have rather had it hot instead of room temp. How the heck do you keep bite size pieces of pork hot for 1-2 hrs w/out drying them out?

    My wife and I both spit out the fig stuff :pinch:

    It's a month away and I can't wait. Game On!
  • For some I know this will border on blasphemy, but I think the idea of "pairing" is overblown. Don't get me wrong, I love wine, but when I hear people say a certain wine is "approachable" or has "balance" it make me want to puke.

    My motto: if you like it; drink it. I can understand people saying dry vs. sweet, and I understand that you might perceive fruity or other flavors depending on your sense of smell and taste, but that's where I draw the line.

    People have such wide ranging opinion on taste it seems crazy to try and pin things down. For me it's red, red, red. I really don't care for white at all. I'll drink red with anything and do so happily.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Chris,

    I don't know squatoosh about wine. I just wanna win the damn thing.

    Thanks for not holding back on your feelings. :P

    Bacchus may have something to say about it though :whistle:
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Ron,

    I don't drink white wine much but for Julie's dip, I would have picked light and crisp like a chablis or pinot grigio. No?

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Steve, I think Julies dip would rock with any white really. I have the opinion of Chardonnay(which goes against all I believe in)partly because premium Chards often have a buttery taste component. Butter/Lobsta sounds good to me. ;)

    Then again, what do I know?
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Ron,

    Norma made it on Saturday and man, it went fast. Least I got a taste this time. Pairs really nicely with a 2010 canadien de la molson as well.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Dang Steve, if you lived in Georgia you'd be drinking Bud Light and answering to the name "Sparky". B)
  • I served a Royal Tokaji (rated 5 puttunyos) after dinner the other night. Sweet, almost syrupy, but just delightful, and even the ones who said they don't like "sweet wine" liked it. Only produced in Hungry, and very unique. I think I paid about $40.00, but you can find other good ones for the low $30's. Serve lightly chilled with no food...especially after spicy pork or hot food for the main course. Have fun.
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    oaky on the palate and finishes with a nose of blackberries and plums

    Sheesh

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON