Put Some Sparkle In Your Food

Food and wine…do they go together “like a wink and a smile?”

 

Most would reply a resounding “Yes!” Others might relegate the pursuit of perfect pairings to professionals, such as chefs and sommeliers.

 

The restaurant industry is in hot pursuit of this seemingly simple concept. You can’t swing an apron without bumping into food and wine pairing “suggestions” or a separate menu in any upscale establishment. It has become a food-culture norm.

 

As an avid international traveler, that extensively covers fine dining, I have been thrust into a vibrant dining scene in several countries as well as stateside. It is a privilege, yet also a responsibility. Taking your job seriously means more examination than consumption. There is that eternal quest for unicorns, that flawless bottle of wine, a perfect meal, and yes, the seamless marriage between the two.

 

There are two approaches, one science-based, one hedonic: the two overlap greatly, yet imperceptibly. Some of the world’s most celebrated chefs center their carriers on molecular gastronomy. Most of us, of course, don’t study food chemistry on a molecular level and then apply it in daily life. The closest we come is having Alton Brown from Food Network tell us his tales. If you think about, it is entirely astounding that we spend such huge chunk of our lives eating, cooking or thinking about food, yet most of us know precious little about it, from a technical standpoint.

 

There are complex interactions between the aromatics, flavor, and texture in food alone, pairing it with a whole other set of characteristics inherent to wine is a totally new level of difficulty. Every wine’s viticultural background and cellar treatment creates a unique flavor profile, which is loosely grouped into buttery, earthy, floral, fruity, herbaceous, nutty and smoky, for sensory evaluation baseline purposes.

 

For this article, I’ll forgo the science in favor of art, and simply share my thoughts on esthetics and pleasures of dining with a great companion: wine. The beauty of wine and food lies within their individuality, just like us, every combination is different. I once took a class at the Culinary Institute of America, that involved a “white bean soup exercise”: you get a bowl of the most neutral-tasting porridge-like substance that becomes your canvas, and two dozen additives, herbs, spices, oils, aromatics that you can blend it with. The idea is to create flavor combinations that are pleasing and have personality, exulting the bland soup to new culinary heights.

 

There was a dozen of us in the class, we were each tasked with three versions. After we announced our favorite combos and tasted each other’s, one thing became crystal clear. None were the same, and none of us fully agree on what tastes best. It was a highly teachable moment for me.

 

The moral of the story is no one really knows what tastes good to you, except you. Yet, the moment we are in front of perceived authority, as routine as your local dining establishment, we immediately delegate the responsibility for our dining pleasure to someone else.

 

Therefore, the first step is getting to know your own palate.

 

Second—owning it. If you love steak with Sauvignon Blanc, do it! Don’t be embarrassed to be different, define your own norms.

 

Third, think out of the box. This would help you learn so much more about yourself. After all, you are the actual, literal consumer. Challenge yourself to sample something new, that, on the face of it, seem odd or counterintuitive. That’s how I discovered my top go-to yumminess.

 

Fourth, always try and eat food that features local products. Should you find yourself in Italy by the lake, even if you are not “a fish person”, try it. Top chefs perfect their craft using local, fresh ingredients, so odds are, it will be delicious, paired with home-grown wine, of course. It is all about context.

 

Fifth, and this is a crucial one—experimentation and evolution hold the keys to palate happiness. The more you experience, the more fun it will become! Before you know it, you will be a card-carrying foodie with a huge depth and breadth of personalized knowledge. The best part, you will never have a bad meal. They may not all be ethereal, but you will surely know the difference. Whoever said “ignorance is bliss” must have meant the ignorant sort of bliss. Knowledge is power, self-awareness is empowering.

 

In my decades of dining, I have had countless great meals, but far smaller number of great pairings. The ratio is way off because it is exceptionally hard to create a perfect one. Anyone that tells you otherwise is not telling the truth. Great food and wine pairings evoke raw, powerful emotions, and few have mastered coaxing out that sort of response.

 

There are universal, go-to, well-worn ones, of course. Beets and Pinot Noir, (Not a beet person? Try mushrooms and Pinot.) Oysters with Sauvignon Blanc, steak with Cabernet Sauvignon, Port and dark chocolate, etc.

 

I had some compelling discoveries this year, a lot of which revolved around sparkling wine pairings. They were mostly spontaneous, and mainly localized around travel, but they delivered some powerful experiences. I dined in Asti, Aldo Adige, Franciacorta and Prosecco to name a few. Some of the meals I had there were eye-opening.

 

We often treat sparkling wines as apéritifs, it is certainly a “go-to” choice for celebratory occasions. Alas, they are so much more.

 

Carbon dioxide, or “fizz” in sparkling adds an extra value to an already complex and complete wine. In fact, I encourage you to think of sparkling as a wine first and foremost, that happens to have bubbles as a bonus.

 

As much as I like sparkling cocktails on occasion, they never rose to the level of an ethereal experience for me. Oysters and other seafood, fresh fish or creamy, aged cheeses and dessert pairings? Logical and tasty, but again, not transformative.

 

My palate-melting experience came from heavy, decadent proteins paired with sparkling wines. No, I’m not advocative of a prime rib with a light style of Prosecco. I am speaking of vintage wines, some with a bit of bottle age on them, that boast amazing acidity and depth of flavor, which can be quite a savory quality behind the effervescent exterior.

 

So mesmerizing was a short rib with a hearty polenta that I had in Tuscany, paired with a wine from Franciacorta, that I sat through the meal barely paying attention to the conversations around me. And I don’t even like short rib.

 

A lamb dish in heavy jus, accompanied by roasted squash and mint somehow became best friends with Prosecco from Cartizze, fashioned by Villa Sandi.

 

Roasted duck with sweet cherry sauce, accompanied by Champagne Henriot reminded me of lost dreams of childhood.

 

There were multiple stops at various Veneto region wineries, where sparkling was invariably paired with locally made salami, that was so incredibly high in fat content, that a single bite overwhelmed and took over the palate. Paired with local sparkling wines, it immediately gave such great relief that you readily reached out for one more bite…till the plate became oddly empty.

 

A rich, buttery Croque Monsieur sandwich, paired with a glass of champagne at a French airport, provided a surprising level of home-spun comfort to a weary traveler. The acidity was necessary and so welcome—palate perfection.

 

Stateside, I was blown away by a sparkling Riesling from Willamette Valley, paired with exquisite Thai dishes. Bring on the spice and flavor-forward food. The wine held its own and added a whole other dimension to a bright and filling meal, elevating it. Two bottles flew by in what seemed like an instant.

 

Fried Chicken from a famed Calistoga spot, Evangeline, paired with Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc nearly sent me over the edge. I challenge you to pick up a bucket of KFC and the nicest sparkling you can afford and go after it. Email me and let me know how it worked out.

 

These are just a few examples of standouts. On many occasions, sparkling wines carried an entire meal with the greatest of ease. Their stamina was clear and present.

 

I urge you to incorporate sparkling wines into your dining routine. You will certainly discover just how versatile they are. If you choose wisely, and focus on great producers around the globe, you will have a blast with any meal. I just had a heap of steaming hot French fries with a Prosecco from Azolo region. Yum!