Pizza Night?
Movie night at home? What can be better than pizza and wine, watching the latest release? Not much.
Now what wine should one choose to pair with their pizza. Well in days gone by you couldn’t go wrong with pizza and Chianti, Sangiovese or Barbera. The slight acidic nature of these wines would cut through the tomato sauce very well.
But, these days it seems everything but the kitchen sink is used on pizza, so pairing with an appropriate wine can be tough. So, think about the major taste on the pizza and go with that.
For a simple cheese pizza and mushroom pizza the earthy nature of Pinot noir is a good match. Malbec is a great companion to pizzas with salty toppings, and pork. BBQ chicken? Try a Syrah/Shiraz to match up with the fruity nature of the sauce. Spicy toppings, such as pepperoni call for a full-on Zinfandel. For the vegetarian pizza, go with a European style wine such as a French Cabernet Sauvignon, Vieux Chateau-du-roi or Grenache Syrah Mourvedre. If it is Ham and Pineapple you enjoy, the fruitiness of a un-oaked Chardonnay is a good pairing. A Pyrogy pizza? Your on your own on that one!
Wine serving temperatures
Almost all wine served in North America is served at the wrong temperature, which impairs flavour and deprives the drinker of the full expression of its character.
White wines should be served cool, but not too cold. At 10-12°C (50-54°F) fruit and crispness are at their peak, but at colder temperatures, bouquet and flavour nuances begin to recede, and the wine goes numb.
Most restaurants hold their white wine in reach-in coolers, most of which also hold beer or soda, and they’re kept at 4°C (38°F). If your wine arrives as frosty as this, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask the waiter to let it warm up before serving it. If you’re not able to wait half hour, have them bring an ice bucket of warm water, and hold the wine for five minutes to take the chill off.
Red wines should be served at cool room temperature, but not warm. At roughly 18-20°C (65-68°F) fruit becomes more evident on the palate and in harmony with the tannins. Served too warm, red wines will seem “hot” (high in alcohol) and flabby, with poor fruit/tannin balance. If you are served a red wine at this temperature, go ahead and ask for an ice bucket—don’t be embarrassed or worried: if you’re paying for the wine you can do anything you want with it. Hold it in the bucket for five to ten minutes to take the edge off the heat and taste it. (Article courtesy of Tim Vandergrift, Technical Services Manager, Winexpert).
Decanting wine
Aerating wine seems to be the latest trend in wine enjoyment, even though it has been always been advocated. Also known as “letting it breathe”, aerating improves the taste of many, but not all wines. Another term “opening them up” better explains that some wines can be mellowed and have their flavours enhanced for greater wine appreciation and enjoyment.
Why should you aerate? Firstly, aerating wine softens the tannins. Tannins are the wine ingredients that make your mouth pucker, due to their astringency. As wines age, the tannins soften and allow the other wine flavours to come through, providing a stronger bouquet. Tannins can be harsh, overwhelming the wine. This is particularly true for young wines. Exposing the wine, through aeration breaks down the tannins, so it smoothes out and softens the wine.
Aerating also eliminates “bottle stink” which is an unsavoury stale aroma that can be eliminated by transferring the wine.
What wines should be aerated? Light whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio will not gain from aerating. Old wines (40 yrs. or older, yah right like we have a problem with that). Red wines, particularly ones high in tannins, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah will benefit. White wines, richer and higher in tannins such as Chardonnay will also benefit for aerating.
So, how do you aerate your wine? Simply, popping the cork and letting the wine stand in the bottle is ineffective. If you are serving a whole bottle, you can use a wine decanter with a wide base. For a white such as Chardonnay or a lighter red, such as Pinot Noir 15-20 minutes is suggested. For heavier reds, 30 minutes is recommended.
The other option if you wish to do it by the glass is to purchase a Vinturi aerator. By pouring the wine through the Vinturi, you can serve your wine immediately and achieve the benefits of aeration.
Wine dispensing bags
April is a great month to make your summer deck wines, such as an Island Mist, the new Twisted Mist, or even a great blush wine for backyard entertaining or camping. These wines are best served chilled and yes in large quantities. What better way to package these wines in large plastic bags and dispensed from the fridge or camp cooler.
What are the advantages of using plastic bags versus bottles:
Pack easily into coolers, even used as to keep your cooler chilled.
Can be placed in a used wine kit box, stored easily and dispensed directly from the box
Saves the hassles when camping or going to the cottage of washing and returning bottles or worrying about broken bottles.
While the plastic bags, do not offer the longevity of a bottle and a cork, they offer greater convenience. Creative Connoisseur does carry 6 litre bags with dispenser taps. Simply keep the wine kit box, punch a hole in the side and enjoy your deck wine all summer long. Alternatively, hold on to your used wine kit bags, but make sure they are cleaned and sterilized well.
Wine and Cheese - Part II
Last month we introduced you to some of the theories in matching wine to cheese or vice versa. This month we will list some matches for you to try on yourself or at your next get together with friends:
Cheese - Wine style
Brick - Cabernet franc, Merlot
Brie - Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Beaujolais
Camembert - Oaky-Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
Cheddar (mild) - Chardonnay, Riesling
Cheddar (old) - Cab. Sauvignon blends, Merlot, Zinfandel
Colby - Pinot Noir
Emmenthal - Dry Riesling
Feta - Sauvignon blanc, dry Riesling
Gouda - Pinot noir, Merlot, Cab blends, Rioja
Gruyere - Riesling, lightly-oaked Chardonnay, Cab/Merlot blends
Havarti - Unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris
Marble - Chardonnay, Cab blends, Merlot
Monterey Jack - Oaky-Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc
Oka - Pinot Noir, Beaujolais
Swiss - Chardonnay, Gamay
Asiago - Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo
Brick - Zin, Cotes du Rhone, Pinot noir
Cheshire - Beaujolais, Valpolicella
Edam - Beaujolais, Valpolicella
Gorgonzola - Amarone
Wine and Cheese Part I
The tannins in red wine often clash with cheeses, so red wines are less successful. A cheese with a high fat content tends to dilute the harsh tannins. The fat in cheese coats the palate and smoothes out a wine’s rough edges, making the tannin in red wines appear more supple and the acidity in whites seem less astringent. Typically red wine is served with cheese, but many feel that white wines with light or no oaking are far more compatible with most cheeses.
The stronger the flavour of the cheese, the sweeter and weightier the wine should be. For powerful cheese like Roquefort and Danish blue, go for equally powerful wines like port and sherry. White wines generally goes better with creamy cheese (brie and camembert) than does red. Or you can serve a light chillable red, such as Beaujolais or Valpolicella. The act of chilling brings out the perception of acidity.
Decide whether you want a complementary flavour match ( a crisp, dry white wine with a buttery, nutty cheese, for example) or a contrasting flavour match (such as a salty blue cheese with a sweet, round red wine).
Next month we will list common cheeses and suggested wine pairings.
Serving wine with salty foods
The saltiness of food is lessened by the acidity of wine. When a lemon is squeezed on fish it is often done to diminish the saltiness, the same happens when you serve wine with salty fish. That is why acidic white wines are suggested when combining with fish. You may want to consider not zesting your fish with lemon if you serve it with an acidic wine, such as a Pinot Grigio.
Salt perception is exaggerated by tannin so don’t serve big tannic wine with seafood. Alcohol is accentuated by salt. So if you serve high alcoholic wine, like Amarone, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon with salty food it might come across as being like taking a shot of vodka.
Wine and Food Matching Principles
Dave Larocque, noted wine educator, who presented at our 7th Annual Wine Tasting commented about a handout on Wine and Food Matching. Here is that material for your enlightenment.
Match your wine to the strongest flavour on the plate.
Balance the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. A full flavoured meal needs a full-bodied wine; a lighter dish requires a lighter wine.
Fatty, greasy or rich dishes need a dry wine with good acidity to clean the palate.
Salty dishes need a slightly sweet wine with full fruit flavours, moderate acidity, lower alcohol and no tannins.
Hot, spicy dishes require refreshing acidity, lower alcohol and fruity wines with a touch of sweetness.
Cream sauces and butter require wines of good fruit and matching creamy style or contrasting acidity to cleanse the palate.
The dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert.
Rare meats need young tannic reds and well-done meats need older or fruity reds with little to no tannins.
Foods high in acidity are complemented by wines high in acidity.
Matching Wine with Cheese
Wine and cheese, cheese and wine; seems like a match made in heaven, but this can be one of the most complex matches between food and wine. Let’s try to explain and make this as easy as possible.
Every wine and every cheese made from different producers around the world can taste quite different. Since we are dealing with living products that undergo constant change, we will need to generalize some of the matching principles of wine and cheese. Not all wines will harmonize with cheese but by experimenting with the vast array of wines and cheese available today you can create your own flavour combinations.
Let’s look at a few basic principles. The three main components of cheese are fat, salt and acid. Fat provides a heavy, rich mouth-feel and therefore matches best with wines of equal weight. Soft, creamy, cheeses generally need wines with acidity to refresh your palate. Salt enhances the flavour of food and therefore will increase the perception of a wine’s basic components. Salty cheese goes well with sweeter wines as the salt will enhance the sweetness which is more pleasing. In red wine the salt will soften the astringency of young reds but often enhance its bitterness therefore a mature red or a light-bodied red with little to no tannin is best with salty cheese. Young tannic reds are best with low salt hard cheese; since hard cheese has a higher fat content the fat helps to soften the tannins of the red wine. Acid compliments acid, therefore a cheese with a higher level of acidity should match well with a wine with higher levels of acidity. Generally, white wines and light-bodied red wines are the best matches with most cheeses.
Young Creamy Brie
Serve fruity wines with refreshing acidity such as Riesling, Pinot Gris or dry sparkling wine. These wines are similar weight or body and the acidity will refresh the creaminess of the cheese.
Ripened Brie
Serve medium-body reds with refreshing acidity such as Pinot Noir or full-flavoured whites with refreshing acidity such as aged Riesling. These wines are similar weight or body and the acidity will refresh the creaminess of the cheese.
Goat Cheese
Serve wines with refreshing (tangy) acidity such as Sauvignon Blanc or light to medium-bodied Cabernet Franc. Tangy goat cheese and tangy wines complement and therefore emphasize the other subtle notes of the cheese and wine. Since many goat cheeses are often coated with herbs and spices these two wine styles will also complement and show their own elements of herbs and spices typical to these wines. The older and firmer the cheese, the fuller body the wine should be.
Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
A full flavoured cheese with a salty background, therefore requiring a rich full-bodied mature red with soft silky tannins. Mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are best.
Fruit Cream Cheeses
Slightly sweet and fruity with a soft, creamy mouth-feel matching best with medium-dry fruity white wines with refreshing acidity.
Emmental and Swiss
These firm medium-flavoured cheeses require a wine of similar weight with a lightly refreshing style such as Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay with little to no oak.
Montasio, Gouda and Gruyère
Depending on ripeness, these firm medium-flavoured cheeses often have a nutty character, therefore working well with toasty, traditional method sparkling wines, lightly oaked Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Mild Cheddar
A mild-flavoured slightly salty cheese best served with a light-bodied white wine with a touch of sweetness such as a medium-dry Riesling or Chenin Blanc.
2 or 3 year old Cheddar
A medium-flavoured slightly salty cheese best served with a medium-bodied fruity red such as Pinot Noir or soft Merlot. Also interesting with late harvest wines as the salty cheese accentuates the sweetness of the wine.
4 to 6 year old Cheddar
A full-flavoured slightly salty cheese best served with a full-bodied mature red with soft tannins such as older vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Also interesting with Icewine as the salty cheese accentuates the sweetness of the wine.
Mild Blue-Veined Cheeses
Medium-flavoured salty cheese best served with full-flavoured Pinot Noir or mature Merlot.
Blue-Veined Cheeses
Full-flavoured salty cheeses best served with full-bodied mature reds with soft silky tannins and rich fruit flavours. Try mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Also interesting with Icewines.
Using these principles, try your own different combinations and see what works best for you. (This article comes the files of Winexpert)
Matching Wine with Food
As we mentioned in last month’s newsletter the big trend these days is to match wine to food. Many wines compliment particular food because of characteristics of the wine. Last month we looked at the whites, this week we switch our attention to the reds. We encourage people to stock their wine cellars with wines from each category. This will allow for you to match foods better and to also meet the varying taste differences of your guests.
We like to divide the red wines into 3 distinct categories.
Category I – Light and Fruity Red
Kit Examples – Bergamais/Beau Soleil, Valpolicella, Chianti, Pinot Noir
Service Tips – Serve slightly chilled to bring out their true fruity taste. Can be served on their own as sippers, or as an accompaniment with appetizers, and certain meals.
Food Tips – Valpolicella and Chianti are excellent matches with tomato sauces due to their acidity. Light cheeses go with all. Domaines des Brumes as well as Chianti go well with pizza. Pinot Noir can accompany salmon, turkey, veal and mushroom dishes, and perfect with chocolate.
Category II – Medium bodied
Kit Examples – Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec, Pinotage
Service Tips – Serve at room temperature, can be used as an accompaniment to appetizers or matched with certain foods. Versatile wines, pleasing to many.
Food Tips – Works well with red meats, stews, BBQ’d meats.
Category III – Full bodied
Kit Examples – Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, Montepulciano, Shiraz, Vieux Chateau du roi, Amarone, Luna Rosa, Zinfandel
Service Tips – Serve at room temperature. Best decanted prior to serving
Food tips – Think meat! Think BBQ! Think steak! Amarone can be paired with intensely flavoured roast or pasta with rich meat sauce.
Variations on Ice Wine
Ice Wine is a very popular dessert wine usually consumer with one’s sweet finish to a
wonderful meal. It is best served with a sweet dessert such as chocolate or a crème brule.
Now Ice Wine is finding new found popularity as a cocktail. One such cocktail has been coined a Ice-tini. Here is how you make it:
Pour 1 ½ oz of Ice Wine and 1 ½ oz of vodka into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Add two frozen grapes in place of ice cubes and presentation
Another option is to mix equal parts of Ice Wine with Sparking wine. You can vary the sweetness by adjusting the blend. Serve this mixture in a tall chilled champagne flute. It will be sure to be the hit with your next get together.
Wine and Food Matching Principles
Match your wine to the strongest flavour on the plate.
Balance the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. A full flavoured meal needs a full-bodied wine; a lighter dish requires a lighter wine.
Fatty, greasy or rich dishes need a dry wine with good acidity to clean the palate.
Salty dishes need a slightly sweet wine with full fruit flavours, moderate acidity, lower alcohol and no tannins.
Hot, spicy dishes require refreshing acidity, lower alcohol and fruity wines with a touch of sweetness.
Cream sauces and butter require wines of good fruit and matching creamy style or contrasting acidity to cleanse the palate.
The dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert.
Rare meats need young tannic reds and well-done meats need older or fruity reds with little to no tannins.
Foods high in acidity are complemented by wines high in acidity.
Most important Principal……………HAVE FUN!!!
Choosing the Right Wine Glasses
John Fischer assistant professor in table service at the Culinary Institute of America, and Andy Ersfeld, assistant manager of the retail shop at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Washington State, offer a few guidelines for choosing glasses that will happily accompany most wines.
Choose clear glass, and avoid etching. When you taste wine, Fischer explains, "You want to be able to look through the glass and see a puddle of wine on a white background." Clear glass allows you to concentrate on the wine's color, which can tell you about its style and potential for aging among other clues to its qualities.
Get a glass that holds at least 8 to 10 ounces and feels comfortable in your hand. The glass should be big enough to hold the wine as you swirl it to release its aroma. The glass should also feel balanced as you hold it by the stem. Some very large glasses may feel top heavy. Keep in mind, says Ersfeld, that when you serve wine you should fill the glass only about a third full, leaving plenty of room for swirling and sniffing.
Make sure the bowl of your glass — the part that holds the wine — is bigger at the bottom and tapers toward the top, something like the bottom half of a teardrop. This directs the aroma of the wine toward your nose. Avoid glasses that are wider at the top than they are at the bottom, such as martini glasses. They won't hold the wine if you swirl it and the aromas will slip out the sides. If you like sparkling wines, consider buying a set of Champagne flutes. The long, narrow shape of these glasses conserves the bubbles and shows them off.
Once you have a basic glass, consider adding more to your collection. At home, Ersfeld keeps two types of glasses for red wines (a Bordeaux glass and a Burgundy glass), a slightly smaller glass for white wines, and Champagne flutes. Fischer has Bordeaux and Burgundy glasses and Champagne flutes, too. But ask him which glasses he uses most often and he says his everyday choice is a less expensive glass he buys at Ikea.
After all, you can drink wine from "anything that will hold liquid," Fischer says. "So keep it simple, and don't go nuts about it."
What is the ideal temperature to serve wine?
The sense of smell is reliant on vapours. Because red wine has a higher molecular weight than white wine it is less volatile (less vapours) than white. Generally the higher the temperature the more volatile the wine. So the idea is to serve your wine at the temperature it begins to volatilize. The more full-bodied the wine the higher the temperature it should be served. Lighter reds like Beaujolais should be served slightly chilled where a robust Cabernet, Shiraz or Barolo should be served at room temperature.
Tannins are more obvious at low temperatures. Thus serving a young high tannic wine like Cabernet at room temperature may take away some of its astringency. A low tannic wine like Pinot Noir should be served at lower temperatures.
Semi-dry or sweeter wines should obviously served chilled, and generally the sweeter the colder it should be served. Sweeter wines are generally more acidic. At lower temperatures acidity “tastes” more pronounced.
Room temperature is not a universal standard as Europeans room temperature is approximately 18-20C, whereas North Americans peg room temperature in the 20-23C range. Full bodied red wines should be served at 16-18C, so we are actually serving our wines too warm. So we should be actually chilling our red wines slightly. Having said all this, you have to determine what temperature you like best. But why not throw a bottle of red in the fridge for an hour before serving and see if you like it.
Ideal Wine Temperatures
White Wine Ideal Temperature (0C)
Liebfraumilch 5 – 7
Gewurztraminer 6 – 8
Pinot Grigio 6 – 8
Riesling 6 - 9
Sauvignon Blanc 7 - 11
Chamblaise 8 – 10
Chardonnay 7 - 13
Red Wine Ideal Temperature (0C)
White Zinfandel, White Merlot, Blush 6 – 10
Bergamais 9 – 14
Valpolicella 10 – 12
Chianti 12 – 14
Pinot Noir 13 – 15
Merlot 12 – 15
Pinotage 15 – 17
Zinfandel/Cabernet/Shiraz/Barolo 16 - 18
Malbec/Rioja 16 - 18
It looks like we serve our reds too warm and our whites too cold.