Hey there,
My partners are wanting to celebrate a special anniversary and one will be hosting us at his house and asked me to supply the wine. Any and all help and suggestions appreciated.
The Menu:
Hors d’oeuvres: Caviar service
Appetizer: Artichoke bottoms stuffed with shrimp, lemon butter, and herbed breadcrumbs
Lemon sorbet with limoncello drizzle
Entrée: Woven salmon painted desert with small potatoes and snap peas
Dessert: Strawberry carousel torte
Cheers,
Jeremy
Depends on how wine-savvy your group is.
With the caviar, people often pair a sparkling wine but I wouldn’t. I’d go with a really dry un-oaked white instead. Something like Pouilly-Fuissé, Albariño, Txakoli, Muscadet, or Assyrtiko. A fino sherry would be good too but that might not be appealing to everyone - a lot of people just don’t like sherry in general and fino especially.
For the artichoke and shrimp stuff I’d go with another white, but something more grassy, like Semillon or again Chenin Blanc or even, god help me, Sauvignon Blanc. I suppose you could even get something with a bit of oak, but I probably wouldn’t.
Then with the salmon, you can stick with whites and go to a bigger style or go to lighter reds. If you go to red, I’d avoid Pinot Noir because first, it’s a forced match that doesn’t work, second, I don’t love it in general, and third, I pretty much hate it with salmon but you can go with something lean and crisp without a lot of oak and heavy tannins. So I’d look for something like Trousseau or a lighter-bodied Syrah, or Blaufrankisch or Chianti or Nebbiolo or, depending on who the producer is, a Zin - something like l’Enfant Terrible from Dashe for example. I’d avoid something that’s big on fruit because I don’t like fruit and fish, so I wouldn’t go with Garnacha, PN, or big Cabs. I’ve heard people suggest Schiava but I disagree with that - it sometimes has a floral note and combined with fish it tastes like soap.
Just my 2 cts.
Thanks Greg. I was thinking of Champagne to start the fun, before the food. Then vodka with the caviar, Cali Chardonnay for the artichoke, red Burg with the salmon, and ice wine with dessert. I’ll need to see what I can use from my cellar, and then supplement accordingly.
The Chard could be conflicting, especially if it’s oaky/buttery, unless there is a more savory component like herbs or maybe bacon. Artichokes definitely need something drier across the palate. A clean, basic Chablis would do much better if a Chardonnay of some sort is prefered.
Yes, good point. I had thought about that, but I guess I’m not sure how dominant the artichoke will be, with the shrimp and butter.
Well shrimp is sweet, butter is buttery, and artichoke is it’s own thing, kind of artichokey. I think I agree with the Chablis, mostly because of the artichokes. Otherwise you could go either way with the Chardonnay.
Nice work, Greg T!
Carneros Pinot Noir.
Vintage Port, the oldest you can get.
Dan Kravitz
Why not try a Sec or Demi-Sec Vouvray with the artichoke / shrimp appetizer? Huet, particularly Le Haut Lieu or Clos du Bourg from 2002, 2008, or even 2009, is a staple with our group when we do a seafood tower as our appetizer at a few of our favorite restaurants.
I agree with Greg that the Burgundy should be a lighter bodied, more feminine profile bottle, maybe from a softer vintage like 2000. Of course I’m gonna recommend something with ‘Chambertin’ on the label. ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
Chambolle-Musigny is a good choice for that vintage also.
Maybe worth it to try Champagne with dessert? I mean, even Vivian Ward could appreciate Champagne and strawberries, right?