Last night I made my Grandmother’s Chicken liver pate (heavy cream, porcinis, a bit of truffles, and a brandy aspic) and opened a wonderful 2005 Thomas Pinot Noir. It was a wonderful pairing and solidified for me that my most pleasant food/wine pairing is Pate w/ Pinot Noir. I love it for the simplicity, the way each works together to make a better whole, and the fact that with but a single small appetizer the focus isn’t detracted from a wonderful bottle of wine.
What’s your favorite pairing?
Roasted chicken with red burgundy.
Roast duck with Amarone, or mature Barolo/Barbaresco, in the fall.
The above and triple-cream Brie and baguettes with White Burgundy.
Also hard to ignore the classic cab and grilled cow pairing.
Wild mushroom soup and mature barolo. Roast chicken with lightly truffled butter and red burg. Grilled salmon with white miso glaze and Oregon pinot noir. Prime bone in Kansas City strip with clarified butter, peruvian salt, and a decade old Napa cab.
Seafood risotto and white burgundy!! ![[worship.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/9/99a8907a1d5b3c023582052741dc72dc9823c044.gif "worship"){kind=small}
Sushi and 2007 CdP from magnum…
Interesting, I would have never thought that would work. Why did it?
It just does. ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Interesting topic. I have not really paid full attention to perfect wine/food pairings in my life. I consider it a slight mistake, but not really a game changer over-all. I have been known to have pizza parties around great bottles of Cabernet.
There is a few worthy of discussion though: When I plan my CLONYC group dinners, I always choose the fillet mignon au poivre with mustard sauce. I have had winemakers cringe when they read the menu for the night. I find that for the wines we drink mostly, (yes Cabernet Sauvignon), this has sort have become a perfect matchup. it has shocked many as well. One night I remember we poured a Charles Smith Royal City Syrah that was ok on it’s own, but exploded from the glass when drank alongside this mustard sauce. (Another item on that menu is a crab/Lobster cake with a Thai curry coconut sauce that really shocks people how well it works). That got me to thinking maybe there is actually something to this pairing thing… 
What he said.
There is also pear/walnut/Roquefort tarte with Sauternes.
Magical pairings:
Chestnut cream soup and Ch. Chalon.
Salade Lyonnaise and Beaujolais.
Chablis and scallops
Fresh shucked oysters (preferably cold water and briney) and Loire Muscadet. Dates stuffed Brie and Champagne (preferably with some bottle age). Roast leg of lamb and Cornas or Cote Rotie.
Champagne and anything.
As for a particular meal, about 12-14 years ago, I was dining alone in Mondragon after having finished up a tasting trip-- 1983 Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie and truffle omelette. Amazing what each bite and sip brought to the other – I’ve never experienced anything like that again.
In general, probably roquefort (or any blue cheese) with Sauternes.
Baked brie with a berry glaze and Pinot.
Slightly off-topic, but its tough to beat shrimp cocktail and a gin and tonic in the summer.
1935 Massandra Rose Muscat with pineapple tarte tatin.
Six or seven years ago and have had many great pairings since, but that one sticks.
Yquem 56 with goose foie gras terrine, pure magic.
White truffle risotto with mature Barolo is my all time favorite paring.
Perfectly seared foie and sauternes can be magical as well.