A nice glass of wine can really add to a meal but sometimes what’s nice with one meal isn’t as delightful with another. I’ve attended a wine and meal pairing dinner and it really can make a difference having the right wine with your roast or fish or chocolates. It’s just a matter of trying to figure out the pairings at home.
Then the answer appeared in my email yesterday. Jaren(a Sommelier who’s a friend of a friend of a friend) sent out her 2009 Food and Wine pairing list for the holiday season and now I’m here to share it with you (with her permission of course):
| Food | Wine/Grape | Producer/Year | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light fish and meat dishes. Salmon, trout, smoked meats, salads, lightly seasonedstir-fries | Riesling (white) | Pierre Sparr “Extreme” 2008 | Alsace | $14.95 |
| Riesling (white) | Wolf Blass “Yellow Label” 2008 | Australia | $14.95 | |
| Dry Riesling (white) | Vineland Estates 2007 | Ontario, Niagara | $13.95 | |
| Seafood and shellfish | Sauvignon Blanc (white) | Stoneleigh 2008 | New Zealand | $14.95 |
| Sauvignon Blanc (white) | Villa Maria 2009 | New Zealand | $14.95 | |
| Sauvignon Blanc (white) | Jackson Triggs 2008 | Ontario, Niagara | $13.95 | |
| Rich lobster, shell fish dishes, white fish (halibut & turbot) and chicken dishes | Chardonnay (non-oaked) (white) | Henry of Pelham 2007 | Ontario, Niagara | $12.95 |
| Chardonnay (white) | Prospect Winery “The Census Count” 2006 | Okanagan, B.C. | $14.95 | |
| Pinot Grigio (white) | Beringer “California Collecton”, 2008 | California | $9.95 | |
| Turkey, duck and pork dishes | Chardonnay (white) | Wyndham Estates, “Bin 222”, 2007 | Australia | $12.95 |
| Chardonnay (white) | Nugan Estate “Cookoothama” 2007 | Australia | $13.95 | |
| Pinot Gris (white) | Leon Beyer 2007 | Alsace, France | $16.15 | |
| Light pastas with a seafood or light tomato sauce or creamy sauce or with pesto.gnocchi, risotto, salad | Chardonnay/ Reisling/ Gewürztraminer (white) | Malivoire, “White” 2008 | Ontario, Niagara | $14.95 |
| Pinot Grigio/ Verduzzo (white) | Masi “Masianco” 2008 | Italy | $14.95 | |
| Chardonnay (white) | Robert Mondavi “Private Selection” 2007 | California | $17.95 | |
| Cold and cured meats simply grilled chicken, pork and veal. Robustly seasoned and BBQ’d fish dishes | Pinot Noir (red) | Inniskillin “Varietal Series” 2007 | Ontario, Niagara | $14.95 |
| Sangiovese (red) | Tommasi Valpolicella 2008 | Italy | $14.00 | |
| Gamay (red) | Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008 | France | $12.25 | |
| Most types of meat, beef and especially plainly cooked lamb and homey dishes like Shepherd’s pie and sausages | Cabernet Flanc (red) | Chateau des Charmes 2007 | Ontario, Niagara | $13.95 |
| Melbec (red) | Concha Y Toro, “Casillero Del Diablo” 2008 | Chile | $12.95 | |
| Merlot (red) | McWilliams, “Hanwood” 2007 | France | $14.95 | |
| Char-grilled steaks, casseroles, spicy meats, vegetarian dishes such as goulash | Cabernet Sauvignon (red) | De Loach “California Series” 2006 | California | $14.95 |
| Syrah (red) | Cline 2007 | California | $14.95 | |
| Shiraz (red) | Rosemount “Diamond Label” 2007 | Australia | $15.95 | |
| Cabernet Sauvignon(red) | KWV “Cathedral Cellar” 2006 | South Africa | $16.95 |
The wines Jaren pairs in this chart can be found in the LCBO’s General list versus the Vintages section. This means they are available in most LCBOstores. All the wines paired in this chart have been highly rated by Billy Munnelly, author of Billy’s Best Bottles. Wines for 2010, and Wine Educator David Lawrason. And if that wasn’t good enough, all the wines are listed below $16.00 Cdn.
I should also point out that in her email Jaren mentioned that all these wines are on the shelves now but that does not mean they will be there the rest of the year. So enjoy some new wines or interesting pairings this holiday season.
Cheers. And thank you Jaren for making my holiday season a little more festive.
Tags: christmas, food, fun stuff, holiday drinks
