Monday, May 17, 2021

Dan Berger: Tips for Serving Wine with Food

 Wine purists will tell you that the wine you choose for a dinner should match the food that's on the table. Others say, "Poppycock! Drink anything you like with any food." Riesling with steak? Hey, if you like it, go for it.

    It certainly would challenge the wine, though. I can't imagine riesling with steak, but I did know a man some years ago who always had a dry gewurztraminer from the Alsace region of France with veal. He had tasted that combination as a young man in Europe, and to him, it was a match of perfection. More about this later.

    Then again, how you serve the wine could make a huge difference in its enjoyment.

    Assume the owner of Chateau Margaux were to pour you his perfectly stored 1945 Margaux into crystal stemware in the dining room of the chateau. Under those conditions, the wine would certainly taste better than had it been poured into a cardboard coffee cup and served to you while changing a flat on the freeway.

    Imagine how a wine tastes when you are standing in a chateau wine cellar. The winemaker draws out of the cask a sample of an as-yet-unbottled wine. It will taste pretty interesting since it is not only closer to the grape but also in the presence of the winemaker. A bit of gloss must rub off.


     You're savoring the moment as much as you are the wine. Creating a context can help the wine show best.

    For instance, if you're serving a red wine with dinner and the room is warm, try chilling the wine. I'm not suggesting serving red wines cold. But cool wines usually taste better than warm ones, especially when the temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. 

    Don't like the initial aroma of a wine? Don't assume it's bad. Perhaps it is very young and still exhibits a bit of an "off" aroma. A few more months in the bottle would help, but you have already pulled the cork. What now?

    Decant it. Simply splash the wine (white or red) into a decanter or clean water pitcher. The simple act of splashing it around could make it open up a lot faster.

    This also works for imported wines that may still be suffering from a bit of a jolt from the journey to the United States.

    Does the red wine seem a little alcoholic? Far too many wines are these days, and in this case, the decanter is really your friend. Splash the wine around for a while, pouring from one decanter to another for a few minutes. This actually allows some of the alcohol to evaporate. Some winemakers believe you can get rid of between a half percent and 1% of alcohol this way.

    If that still doesn't do it, add an ice cube. Not only will it keep the wine a bit cooler but it'll also drop the alcohol a bit. Sure, some purist may squawk, but it's your wine, and if it tastes good to you, the ice cube will only offend the other guy.

    Picking the wine to pair with the food can also enhance how the wine tastes. My old friend who liked the gewurztraminer with veal would only serve a mature wine with that dish. He said young gewurztraminer was too fragile to stand up to the veal.

    And he rarely served his white wines very cold. He liked them mature and cool, not near frozen.

    Wine of the Week: 2020 Balletto Rose, Russian River Valley ($20) -- A striking aroma of strawberries and cherries marks the nose of this delightful, basically dry rose wine from one of Sonoma County's top producers. Made exclusively of pinot noir and just released, it is a joy to sip on a patio and consume with dips and cheeses. The 2019 vintage of it remains just as good as it was last year.


     To find out more about Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.


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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I prefer a flirty glass of Boons Farm with my Ribeye.

I try to save the other half of the bottle to enjoy the next morning as part of the "All American Breakfast" (Boons Farm and a Pop Tart).

Anonymous said...

@4:20 PM

I appreciate your humor but those of us that back in the day drank the wine to which you refer know that it's "Boone's Farm."

Anonymous said...

I am still disappointed that Ripple is not available. It went with everything or by itself.

Anonymous said...

Typical JJ reader: “I’ll take a case of Natural Light over wine any day.”

Anonymous said...

Not to worry 5:53.

I think I mentioned this last week, my ex was into Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers.

She would start guzzling those green bottles at 9 AM.

I had no problem with that ... as by 10:30 AM, she was buck naked ... while running the vacuum cleaner downstairs.

Anonymous said...

" Typical JJ reader: “I’ll take a case of Natural Light over wine any day.”"

Of course, it's pretty good!
(Not as good as PBR) ... but still good !!

Other than the proper way to ring a cowbell, I learned a few things at Mississippi State University before I left:

#1. Always trust the crop-duster pilots.
#2. Never, never, EVER argue with the Dairy Department.
#3. Moonshine does not exist in Starkville.
#4. Keep a case of Natural Lite in one's truck at all times.

Anonymous said...

#1: Justin Wilson, who's the only expert of which I ever heard, said to drink whatever kind you like and never mind the folks who suggest you drink something you don't prefer. He mostly drank Merlot with most of his meals. I've never found any wine I prefer over some other drinks, regardless of the meal.

#2: I don't see how adding an ice cube lowers the alcohol content. Dilutes yes, but all the alcohol is still in there.

Slingin' Bottles At Road Signs said...

In the early days, when I wanted a change from Miller ponies, I'd usually go with a peach brandy in the half pint. That stuff, straight from a paper sack handed out the sliding window of a roadside joint, was superb. Nothing goes better with a Slim Jim on a rainy evening. In fact, Ima go look in the cabinet NOW.

Anonymous said...

Is the featured wine even available in Mississippi? The legislature needs to do something to bring liquor sales into the 21st century and to eliminate ABC.
It is ridiculous that we limited to the few selections allowed by ABC and that the state is losing the revenue when we go out of state to buy good wine and liquor.

Anonymous said...

@8:08 AM - Good point! I remember an article from several years ago that the Gallo wines were still the best sellers in Mississippi according to the ABC. Maybe that is why the ABC doesn't care about expanding the wine list. Thank goodness for Martin Wine Cellar and Dorignac's, when going to New Orleans.

Shazam said...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the ABC does not care which wines and liquors are sold in Mississippi. The wine and liquor distributors are responsible for the limited selections more often than not. The "good" stuff will always go to the major cities first and then trickle down if there is any left. There are many flaws in the current system mainly because the legislature has refused to pay for upgrades for well over 20 years, but that has nothing to do with selection. In fact, many stores have incredible selections that sit on the shelf while you shop next door. As far as alcohol taxes-there are 17 states with higher alcohol taxes than Mississippi including - wait for it - Alabama AND Louisiana.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to bust your bubble, but MS could save a lot of taxpayer money by allowing alcohol to be shipped, sold and taxed like any other item. The State of MS does not need to be a distributor.

As far as control states, there are 33 other states that do not act as an alcohol distributor

Anonymous said...

Has anyone attempted to use your liquor store of choice to purchase wine direct from a winery? I was in Lincoln Road last week and was told they don't really want to fool with it.

Shazam said...

10:01-Not dis-agreeing with you on that aspect. Just wanted to address the idea that they limit what is sold here.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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