Interesting food & wine pairings

I love pairing food and wine!  There are endless combinations that open up so many ways to be creative and experimental.

Here's this week's lineup:

On my left:

White-bean puree

Szechuan shrimp (Szechuan being ridiculously hard to spell)

Fresh asparagus (currently in season!)

Smoked salmon

Olive & anchovy tapenade

Milk-chocolate

On my right: 

2008 Le Bonheur Sauvignon Blanc Stellenbosch, South Africa
2007 Domaine Pichot Vouvray Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette
2007 Vine Cliff Chardonnay Los Carneros
2006 Joseph Roty Pinot Noir Marsannay
2006 Pesquera Temperanillo Ribera del Duero Crianza
NV Paraiso Souzao Port Santa Lucia Highlands


Results:

• The white-bean puree went with everything except the Port ... David & Goliath kinda thing.
• The smoked salmon paired well with the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay but ended up fighting with the other wines.
• The spiciness of the shrimp was best highlighted by the Vouvray and surprisingly, held up against the Port.  The sweetness of the sauce was a bitter match against the Chard and Pinot.
• The asparagus played nice with the tannins in the Pinot & Temperanillo but was horrible with the Port.
• The port so toned down the olive/anchovy funky of the tapenade that I ended up liking it.
• Say yes to chocolate and white wine!  The tart Sauvignon Blanc was a nice complement and the Vouvray in particular is a favorite. 

It's amazing how wine can change and elevate a dish.  More pairings please!

Master Sommelier, Catherine Fallis, recommends pairing iced Vodka with caviar, a Guinness stout with oysters, and Hungarian Tokaji Aszu with foie gras.  Sounds like the stuff epicurean epiphanies are made of.

Until next time,

Salud!