I have never seen a wine dinner menu and pairings like this. Almost too much

[Ian_Sutton]

@John_Chapman

Wonder why the memories of the food are not so engrained as those wines??

A very interesting question - some possibilities:

• We’re wine geeks, more than we are foodies
• With only so much focus possible, the more prestigious / fancy the wines, the more they take attention away from the food (and fwiw such events may also be sociable, meaning something has to give in our focus)
• Bottles of wine are things we remember and share our thoughts with others, who may well also taste the same vintage of the same wine. Whilst we may also have the same dish as someone else, it’s less common.

[Mark_Golodetz]

@Ian_Sutton

@John_Chapman

Wonder why the memories of the food are not so engrained as those wines??

A very interesting question - some possibilities:

• We’re wine geeks, more than we are foodies
• With only so much focus possible, the more prestigious / fancy the wines, the more they take attention away from the food (and fwiw such events may also be sociable, meaning something has to give in our focus)
• Bottles of wine are things we remember and share our thoughts with others, who may well also taste the same vintage of the same wine. Whilst we may also have the same dish as someone else, it’s less common.

Wines are branded, so that notes on a bottle may have some relevance to others who own or are looking to buy the wine. I am not sure a note on a sea urchin risotto would be that interesting unless you are going to the restaurant.

Also, if I am bringing incredibly complex wines to a restaurant, I want fairly simple dishes, unless the chef really knows and understands the wine. We did a DRC Romanee Saint Vivant dinner at a major NYC restaurant, and it was a complete disaster. Only two chefs have really enhanced my wine experience, the late Gray Kuntz and David Boulay.