Since Counsel Levenberg has introduced himself into this thread, I feel it more than fair game to cut and past one of the (his) funniest posts ever from the other board …
Brad…so much misinformation on the internets…know nothings and blobbers…manfred and elaine are geniuses…last week attended a benefit dinner for the Juvenile Obesity Society…all wines poured blind…in a flight that included 69,76,78,79,83,85,88,89,90,91,93,95,99 La Mouline (all from magnum), 69,78,79,83,85,90,91,98,99,03 Chave, plus 24oz Bryan Flannery meatballs and a handjob from Kirsten Dunst…the unanimous wine of the flight…you guessed it…2005 Sine Qua Non Just Picking My Nose Grenache…just a thrilling expression of the grape…the only attendee who didn’t like it, a homeless man wearing a shower cap who wandered in from the street and got passed security…he used to be a wine critic but was wrong on 82 bordeaux…guess who was right…anyway, living well is the best revenge…time to open a triple magnum of '03 pegau… cuvee de capo…
In fairness, CdP wouldn’t be the worst match for fish. At least it’s not usually that tannic. And I can see that pairing if the fish is served with a tomato or olive-based accompaniment.
FWIW, I’ve had wines like 2000 Charvin, a silkier, red fruited style of Chateauneuf du Pape at Sushi bars and found it to work well. While it would not be my choice to bring a bigger jammier style of wine, people that prefer that style of wine will probably also enjoy the match.
The problem I have with some of the comments in this thread is their attitude that only one way works with food and wine pairing. It’s a big world world and people should do as they please.
I can’t say this would have been my first pairing instinct:
@RobertMParkerJr
had a great paella-lots of lobster,chorizio and La Bomba rice-washed down with some superb Spanish reds like 2001 Clos Mogador from Priorato
(yes, it’s spelled chorizio in the original tweet)
You’re missing the point, Jeff. To each his own wine-food pairing. The issue is whether, if one pays attention, some pairings are better than others or whether one is insensitive to that.
This isn’t such a stretch. I like Rioja with paella. We just had one with chicken, choriz(i)o, shrimp and mussels and drank 2004 Ramon Bilbao Rioja Reserva and it was delicious (not “traditional” Rioja though). I would be happy to drink white with paella too.
This goes back to the argument that some things are just instrinsically better matches than others. Fried chicken and champagne may ok, but I find it hard to believe KFC’s a better match than say a white fish in a delicate sauce or a lobster or a caviar.
While it’s blisteringly obvious that anyone is welcome to partner their wines in any way they like, I always find the “do as they please” argument in this case a particularly useless one.
You might make the same argument saying that since I love Ferraris, and I love off-road drivng, drivng my Ferrari off-road makes sense because I am “doing as I please.” Why not wear a Brioni suit on my morning run? Sure, it’s not the most intuitive pairing, but Brioni suits are great, I can afford them, and I love exercizing, so why shouldn’t I wear one whenever I please, including when I am working up a sweat running a 5k on a hot summer morning?
People who know nothing about cars or clothing might think I am a rock star simply for owning those things and “doing as I please” with them.
However, the truth is that if I were to boast about my Ferrari off-roading to auto enthusiasts, or my Brioni workouts to the sartorially-inclined, they would almost certainly regard me as a colossal fool. Now, Mr. Parker has been around for a while, and if 07 CdP mags and sushi are his “I’m Keith Hernandez” way of approaching food and wine at this stage of his life and career, well, I guess that’s great for him, but as others have noted, it’s not exactly helpful to his customers who might be interested in food/wine together, and it demonstrates to me a diminishing intellectual curiosity about the relationship between wine and food, and more concern with having the best of both without caring much about the relationship between either.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that makes for a particularly useful wine professional.
Now, none of this is to say that red wine cannot work with fish. Or that high alcohol wines cannot work with food, or that high acid/low alcohol wines are guaranteed slam dunks (I had a dish last month paired with a West Coast Pinot low alc% darling that was horrible because the dish was so tart and all you could taste was acidity).
I’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of great wines. I have also been fortunate to enjoy a lot of good and interesting wines partnered well with food. I would hate to give up the later to only experience the former.
Indeed. Though I do feel that offroading in a Ferrari while wearing a Brioni suit and drinking 07 CdP en magnum FROM THE BOTTLE shows… panache? No, not the right word…
John, let me send you a bottle of 1971 Gaja Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo. The tannins are completely resolved, and the wine is pretty much indistinguishable from an old, great grand cru red Burgundy. You have to provide your own fish, though. That said, I believe that I will pair my 1971 San Lorenzo with white truffles shaved over tajarin drenched in alpine butter…
Or mine. I’m fortunate enough to have a local restaurant that makes truly excellent fried chicken (moist and flavorful without overwhelming on the spices) and which has free corkage. So I’ve tried a number of matches over the last few years .
And for that matter a Rene Geoffrey Volupte was by far the best match for a beef daube a few months ago. Far surpassed any of the reds on the table. Just as good fried chicken is surprisingly friendly to a large number of wines good Champagne is very friendly to a large number of foods. Depends on the style of the Champagne of course.
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