Does it bother you when other people pair wine and food ‘wrong’?
I ask because at a recent dinner (not at our house, but a communal vacation house) we had a private chef do an all-seafood menu (in delicate sauces). Several people insisted drinking their big, completely undecanted 2014 syrahs with the entire dinner. Without thinking I blurted, “You may as well put ketchup on all the food!” It pained me to know the wine would obliterate most of the chef’s efforts.
Similarly, it pains me when I’ve opened a ‘good’ wine for company, let it breathe so it shows well, poured everyone a glass, and my wife comes out with hot, acidic salsa and nacho chips. Or pickled stuff. Makes me cringe. Wondering if this comes up for anyone?
Does it bother you when other people pair wine and food ‘wrong’?
LOL. It’s so true. I regretted saying that. And one person in particular was not thrilled. Several times during dinner she referred to ‘putting ketchup’ on her food as she drank her big beefy red with our black cod in consomme.
As long as I am not forced to drink their big reds with delicately prepared seafood, I could care less what they drink. I might offer a glasss of what I am drinking and ask their opinion about the pairing. I’m use to a MIL that puts an ice cube in any glass of wine I give her.
Well I agree about needing to be a bit more sensitive to pairing food and wine. But did it ever occur to you to ask your wife what she planned to serve before dinner so the match works better? Or, god forbid, take it upon yourself to arrange an appetizer that complements the wine you want to serve?
I was in total agreement with you until you started complaining about what your wife served.
Maureen, everyone who knows me would describe me as an overly thorough planner and commuincator in that regard. I always find out what the menu will be , as much as possible, and consult on what would go with it. I will usually ask such things days ahead if possible, and I do check in as the date approaches. I am definitely an over-communitaor when collaborating on wine/food. Thus, Anna and I have discussed the salsa thing many times as a difficult pairing, and not one we’d need to open a subtle gem of a wine with. One of many things I love about Anna is that she is very ‘in the moment’. so when company comes, her Greek upbringing kicks in and she does not want them to sit without some sort of snacks. I think that’s a very nice gesture for a host. where it falls down a bit is when we have discussed the wine and food ahead of time, agreed on a loose plan, and yet the salsa appears yet again. The bind it puts me in is this… she is obviously free to do what she wants, but had I known we’d be serving the wine with something like that I may not have opened a $100 bottle of delicate burg. I could have gone for a nice NV sparkler that went well with the snacks.
I agree 1000% that it’s a communication thing, but I don’t expect that it will change. I just make the best of it when it occurs. Please don’t mistake my persnicketiness over wine for any lack of love for my wife. I love her very very much, just as she is. Of course, as with any marriage, we have our things. lol.
Actually, I often do. Or we order in, and I pair. Or we go out. When we have guests over, Anna cooks maybe 1/3 or 1/4 of the time. She certainly isn’t expected to. Far from it. That’s not our dynamic at all. This is 2017!