Last weekend was spent preparing for my hike through the French wine region of Burgundy . I depart on October 9th with no specific date of return. ‘Reflection’ is the underlying theme – just me, a backpack, notebook, and a camera – that’s it… okay, a few technical whizbang items as well, but they’re for use only where I manage to
find WiFi, if such a thing does in fact exist along the 45km stretch that
constitutes the Côte d’Or; I’m thinking infrequent at best. In addition to the characteristic wines of
each commune, I’m in search of something different as I pass through each
village of this historical region – perhaps a glass of white where they only
grow red, maybe an uncharacteristic bottle of dessert wine or rosé that is never shared outside these beautiful stonewalled communities. Burgundy is the birthplace of both Chardonnay
and Pinot Noir, it is also home to many of the world's undisputed great wines – I may never return… I will send for my family… Wish me luck!
Switching gears, are you all set for Thanksgiving? Will you be drinking Pinot or a lightly oaked
Chard with your turkey and ham? Perhaps
neither… I’ve found two alternatives that that will fit the bill nicely. For those who are planning a house full of
family this holiday weekend, you will also need plenty of liquid encouragement
to guide both yourself and the group throughout the day. Of course red wine is essential and the one region
that jumps to mind for its unlimited pairing potential is Beaujolais . Additionally, I’ve found a laser focussed
Riesling to substitute for the Chardonnay, if you feel so inclined. I opened this Washington State
George Ozegovic 'Djordje' (say that three times fast) is a gentleman
of discerning taste who also happens to have a family history in winemaking. His stories fascinate me and his methods
captivate my attention. I am thrilled to
share this page with him for what is sure to be a creative WineSpot.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the wine!
White
2010 Kungfu Girl Riesling,
Charles Smith Winery – Washington
State , USA
For those who prefer their Riesling with a touch of verve,
this is your girl - KungFu Girl that is.
Obvious effervescence in the glass hints at the potential for residual
sugar while that same degree of sparkle carries through to an uplifting
texture on the palate - though the sweetness doesn’t stand a chance against the
wave of mouth-watering acidity [insert random martial arts exclamation here]! Copious amounts of green apple and lime zest quickly follow-up, and while my personal taste is for a Riesling of somewhat softer and arguably
more restraint, the roomful of people present while I tasted this
wine unanimously down-voted my opinion.
If you don’t care for the wine (and I’m told that view is preposterous)
the label is certain to play up to the cartoon-loving kid in you. So don your Yi Fu and crack open this
action-packed bottle with finger foods or as a compliment almost any dish. $18.95 (#273953) Vintages – off dry
Red
2010 Louis Jadot,
Combe aux Jacques – Beaujolais ,
France
For as long as my beverage consuming memory serves me, I
have been drawn to this wine. It
represents significant quality for a reasonable price and the style pairs extremely
well with a multitude of different menu options. This is mid-level Beaujolais
(above that of November’s Nouveau release though still shadowed by the Cru class). Combe aux Jacques is Louis Jadot’s
Beaujolais-Villages effort which consistently shows a light to medium body with
a refreshingly unassuming character. The
mix of both candied and spiced red fruit plus a clean line of acidity makes
this an idea wine to accompany the smorgasbord of flavours that are poised to
clutter your dining-room table this weekend.
Serve slightly chilled. $15.95 (#365924)
Vintages – dry
George Ozegovic shares his thoughts on pairing Bronzini with the 2010
Terredora, Loggia della Serra, a product of the white grape Greco di Tufo.
I would hazard to guess that few people welcome the autumn
as much as I do – but mostly as a justification for the oncoming winter weight
gain. This year, I’ve decided to change my routine and not eat my way through
the season. I sat down with chef Serdjo Lakich and sous chef Mike Lyons of Marquee Steakhouse to enjoy a meal and
discuss the perception of challenging wine pairings. And instead of entering
the season with a traditional harvest heavy dish, I opted for European seabass
(bronzini).
My approach to food and wine pairing is simple: keep both
indigenous to a region and the wine should “kiss not hug” the food. Meaning,
the wine should provide balance to the food and not smother it. In North America , we are extremely lucky to have (and share)
many different food cultures but it often poses a challenge in what we pour.
Winemakers are a reflection of their earth and their products are often best
suited for what is caught, grown and reaped within the region. So, my choice of
grilled, Italian caught seabass naturally called for an Italian wine – 2010 Terredora Loggia della Serra, Greco di
Tufo.
750 mL bottle | $17.95
Normally, I would not choose a wine with such great
aromatics and vibrant fruit to pair with a mild and finely textured fish – but
I always consider the cooking method and accompanying side dishes. The wine’s
residual sweetness and balanced acidity provide a perfect “kiss” to grilling
and the sugars that come out in cooked vegetables.
~> That sounds just about perfect, but there is more to follow: George has kindly sent us a second food/wine pairings and I will feature his WineSpot with braised lamb shank in our next edition of Wine for the Weekend - stay tuned!
You can follow George on Twitter @CurdsAndCliche for more of
his thoughts on food, wine, and other topics at random.
~> I’d love to hear your thoughts on a food & wine
pairing: What is your favourite
dish? And which wine highlights the
flavours of the food? Send me a quick note with your thoughts and I’ll publish it in a future edition of Wine for the
Weekend.
