A perfect complement

Not only collectors and connoisseurs plan a dinner around their wines. Family gatherings at Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings and Christmas all present an opportunity to pair a treasured bottle of wine with an exceptional meal. Wine collectors will routinely use such gatherings to drink some of the older wines in their cellar before the wines begin to decline. Product consultants at the LCBO are constantly presented with a menu and asked to recommend the perfect wines to complement these special occasions.

There are no hard rules that determine a menu to be served with champagne, bordeaux or burgundy. Common sense usually prevails: a classic wine would be overwhelmed by barbequed food such as spareribs. Robust cabernet sauvignons from California, Mendoza, Australia and South Africa possess all the subtlety and potency of the great reds of Europe, and should be paired with the same consideration. While white wine is traditionally paired with white meats and fish, lighter red wines such as beaujolais or dolcetto are now paired with veal, poultry, pork or ham. A dry white remains the best consort wine for fish, as its prevalent acid complements the natural oiliness found in most fish.

Illustrious wine societies such as the Chevaliers du Tastevin or the Commanderie de Bordeaux can devote months to select a perfect menu to serve with their wines, even gathering on a regular basis to sample menus that might be served at a future event. More often than not, an uncomplicated menu will be served, to avoid intruding on the complexities of a vintage wine.

Foods that present a challenge include artichokes, asparagus, bananas, citrus juices, chocolate, coffee, hot spices (such as curry, horseradish, chilies or mustard), pickled vegetables (because of the vinegars), and the onion family (especially garlic). You will find, however, that local cuisine will match the regional wines. These wines may even be able to negate challenges posed by certain local specialties, such as anchovies in a putenesca sauce from Puglia.

When in doubt, ask your local consultant, who will undoubtedly recommend a wonderful wine, always within your price range.

THIS WEEK’S PICK

I recently had the good fortune to taste a pinot grigio from Three Dog Winery. Tucked away on Fish Lake Road, this enchanting vineyard offers tranquil vistas for savouring their wines. The Squairs make the perfect team: John is the jack of all trades—from vineyard manager to wine maker—and Sacha is the force behind the winery and the smile in the tasting room.

The Pinot Grigio excites the palate with mouthwatering aromas of honeysuckle and apple blossom with hints of mango and pineapple. The tropical influence persists on the palate and, paired with its understated (yet present) acidity, makes this a wonderfully versatile wine, either as an aperitif or a wine to pair with a variety of food dishes.

The wine costs $19.95 per bottle and is available at the winery.