Comments on: Some Myths of the “Impossible Food and Wine Pairings” http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/ A Wine Blog Dedicated To Terrior Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:52:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: alvin http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-442 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:43:45 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-442 in my opinion the most remarkable and misunderstood conflict is chocolate and red wine in spite of the widely held opinion that it not not only works but is synergistic. In reality the conflict is not with chocolate at all. It is in fact with the sugar. Sugar reproducably shuts down receptors which sense many of subtle characteristics of table wine therefore destroying any nuiance. Certainally a 16% fully ripe zinf with or without residual sugar is not easily pushed arround but that still does not make the general case in my opinion the most remarkable and misunderstood conflict is chocolate and red wine in spite of the widely held opinion that it not not only works but is synergistic. In reality the conflict is not with chocolate at all. It is in fact with the sugar. Sugar reproducably shuts down receptors which sense many of subtle characteristics of table wine therefore destroying any nuiance. Certainally a 16% fully ripe zinf with or without residual sugar is not easily pushed arround but that still does not make the general case

]]> by: Tom C http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-317 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:42:46 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-317 Tim- I agree. I think that what's at work here is the rich sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and the unctuous flavors of the olive oil manipulated via the grilling process presents a stong "overlay" to the difficult flavors in the asparagus...sauces are often the determiner for matching with "'tweener" ingredients like chicken or pork or rabbit...I think that this also what's at work here with asparagus. TOM CIOCCO Tim-

I agree. I think that what’s at work here is the rich sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and the unctuous flavors of the olive oil manipulated via the grilling process presents a stong “overlay” to the difficult flavors in the asparagus…sauces are often the determiner for matching with “‘tweener” ingredients like chicken or pork or rabbit…I think that this also what’s at work here with asparagus.

TOM CIOCCO

]]> by: Tim J. http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-315 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:41:22 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-315 I find that grilling asparagus with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, & pepper somehow makes it more agreeable with wine. I find that grilling asparagus with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, & pepper somehow makes it more agreeable with wine.

]]> by: Tom T. http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-310 Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:01:18 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-310 Glad I read this segment. I always had a very hard time pairing wine with chocolate (both semi-sweet and milk chocolates). Which is why I gave up on it as I thought it may just be a "trendy" thing. Maybe I'll try the Banyuls. Glad I read this segment. I always had a very hard time pairing wine with chocolate (both semi-sweet and milk chocolates). Which is why I gave up on it as I thought it may just be a “trendy” thing. Maybe I’ll try the Banyuls.

]]> by: Tom C http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-293 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:28:59 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-293 Rich- I've never paired Arneis with Asparagus - interesting... Dale- I think you're right on...Banyuls and sweeter aromatic reds (sparkling or not) work best with chocolate Phig- Agreed on the artichoke/sweet thing - that's why highly acidic and or aromatic wines work best (at least in my experience)...the former is harder for the 'chokes to "sweeten" and aromatic wines already have a "sweetness" about them, so the level of incongruity is diminished... TOM CIOCCO Rich-

I’ve never paired Arneis with Asparagus - interesting…

Dale-

I think you’re right on…Banyuls and sweeter aromatic reds (sparkling or not) work best with chocolate

Phig-

Agreed on the artichoke/sweet thing - that’s why highly acidic and or aromatic wines work best (at least in my experience)…the former is harder for the ‘chokes to “sweeten” and aromatic wines already have a “sweetness” about them, so the level of incongruity is diminished…

TOM CIOCCO

]]> by: phig http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-292 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:23:53 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-292 Artichoke isn't bitter but rather has a chemical in it that makes everything eaten with it or after it taste sweet (in a chemically nutrasweet kind of way). Thus, any wine is essentially going to loose its specificity. There is no solution that I know of. I agree with the above comments for asparagus. Other than that, impossible food with wine. Caviar, though having such a problem on a regular basis would be nice. Only thing that goes with it is iced vodka. Contrary to some suggestions here and elsewhere, champagne makes caviar (REAL CAVIAR) taste metalic. Artichoke isn’t bitter but rather has a chemical in it that makes everything eaten with it or after it taste sweet (in a chemically nutrasweet kind of way). Thus, any wine is essentially going to loose its specificity. There is no solution that I know of. I agree with the above comments for asparagus. Other than that, impossible food with wine. Caviar, though having such a problem on a regular basis would be nice. Only thing that goes with it is iced vodka. Contrary to some suggestions here and elsewhere, champagne makes caviar (REAL CAVIAR) taste metalic.

]]> by: phig http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-291 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:21:51 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-291 Artichoke has a chemical isn't bitter but rather has a chemical in it that makes everything eaten with it or after it sweet. Thus, any wine is essentially going to loose its specificity. There is no solution that I know of. I agree with the above comments for asparagus. Other than that, impossible food with wine. Caviar, though having such a problem on a regular basis would be nice. Only thing that goes with it is iced vodka. Contrary to some suggestions here and elsewhere, champagne makes caviar (REAL CAVIAR) taste metalic. Artichoke has a chemical isn’t bitter but rather has a chemical in it that makes everything eaten with it or after it sweet. Thus, any wine is essentially going to loose its specificity. There is no solution that I know of. I agree with the above comments for asparagus. Other than that, impossible food with wine. Caviar, though having such a problem on a regular basis would be nice. Only thing that goes with it is iced vodka. Contrary to some suggestions here and elsewhere, champagne makes caviar (REAL CAVIAR) taste metalic.

]]> by: Dale Cruse http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-290 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:49:13 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-290 I find that chocolate is harder to pair than most people think. Champagne? No thanks. Many people think any ol' red wine will do, but I find that most fall short. Banyuls, however, with a semi-sweet chocolate, will work. The Villa Banfi Rosa Regale, however, makes a beautiful match. I find that chocolate is harder to pair than most people think. Champagne? No thanks. Many people think any ol’ red wine will do, but I find that most fall short. Banyuls, however, with a semi-sweet chocolate, will work. The Villa Banfi Rosa Regale, however, makes a beautiful match.

]]> by: Rich K http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-289 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:15:02 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-289 For Asparagus, Arneis perhapse bridges that gap the best. Check out Bruno Giacosa's recent efforts, they don't get any better for the varietal. May fly with Artichokes too, but never tried a pairing. For Asparagus, Arneis perhapse bridges that gap the best. Check out Bruno Giacosa’s recent efforts, they don’t get any better for the varietal.

May fly with Artichokes too, but never tried a pairing.

]]> by: kevin http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-288 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:11:23 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2007/01/04/some-myths-of-the-impossible-food-and-wine-pairings/#comment-288 Being an artichoke lover, they have always posed a big problem for me. The only wine I have found that remotely works is sparkling wine, such as Prosecco. Otherwise, I leave them on my plate to eat last! Being an artichoke lover, they have always posed a big problem for me. The only wine I have found that remotely works is sparkling wine, such as Prosecco. Otherwise, I leave them on my plate to eat last!

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