When it comes to pairing food and wine, it is thought-provoking to first choose either a specific bottle of wine or a particular grape varietal and then try to determine what food items will enhance the wine.
In other words, what food pairs well with the wine as opposed to the other way around. When the flavors and aromas of both the wine and the meal truly complement each other, the gratification to the palate can prove to be exceptional.
Pinot Grigio is a white wine that generally pairs well with most seafood dishes, regardless of whether eaten raw, sautéed, grilled or baked and even those that are prepared in a butter or cream sauce.
The 2010 Ruffino Lumina Venezia Giulia IGT is quite crisp, with citrus aromas. While this wine is complemented by a grilled grouper dish that was basted with garlic butter and topped with sprigs of fresh rosemary, it also is perfect with a whole chicken that has been roasted over an open flame.
The Lumina Pinot Grigio was first produced in 2001 by Ruffino, a winery in the Tuscany region of Italy that dates back to the 1870s and that is widely known for its production of Chianti.
While the 2003 Reserva Tempranillo that is produced by Bodegas Montecillo from the Rioja Alta region of Spain is the perfect match for a rump roast that has been slow cooked on a spit over an open flame, it also pairs well with a flavorful fish such as salmon or tuna.
This Tempranillo is deep garnet in color and is quite spicy, with bold flavors of black fruit and a fair amount of vanilla on the finish. Bodegas Montecillo is also a winery that dates back to the 1870s.
The 2008 Casa Silva Los Lingues Gran Reserva Carmenere is wine that hails from the Colchagua Valley of Chile and is a perfect match for a mixed grill of marinated beef or chicken with onions and bell peppers. As the name suggests, the Carmenere grapes used to produce this wine come from the Los Lingues Estate, which is at the foot of the Andes mountain range. It’s dark ruby in color and contains red fruit flavors with a hint of mocha.
This winery was founded in the 1890s and the Casa Silva vineyards contain a number of vines that are over 90 years old, having come over from Bordeaux in the pre-phylloxera era. Phylloxera is a pest that feeds on the roots of grapevines, eventually killing the entire vine.
Since there are such a wide number of varietals from which to choose, it should be quite obvious that there is a food type that you can pair with any wine. The real key is to pick a bottle of wine and then use your imagination in selecting what dish to prepare that will complement your wine choice.
Jim Rawe, a family attorney in Bradenton, is an avid collector of fine wines. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at jimrawe@gmail.com.
