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Food And Wine Matchmaking for Global Hors d' Oeuvres and Appetisers

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  margcata 
#1 ·
By. Margcata

When I worked as a Bartender during my University schooling back in the mid to late 1970s, I had always been surprised at how randomly people matchmaked their wines, cocktails and beers with their appetisers. I have since, become a certified Sommelier and Winetaster and I am writing to share some of my combinations for successful pairing marriages for appetisers or hors d' oeuvres.  Would enjoy hearing from the global Community on their pairings.  

Salami and cold Deli meats ... 

Piedmont, Italy's Bochis Dolcetto di Dogliani bursts with red fruit and is a great balance for for spicy Deli hams and meat varieties. Another fine marriage is Nottola Vino Noble di Montepulciano from Tuscany.

Sea Scallops ... Sashimi and Sushi ...

Rieslings from Germany go with anything that have Wasabi or Ginger due to their high acid and low alcohol content. Another wise suggestion is Trimbach Riesling from Alsace which pairs nicely with Caviar varieties too. Traditional Champagne or a Cava that gently adds the sweet illusion and matches the sea scallops so ever light sweetness.

Goat cheese ... and global cheese platters ...

A dry Wintzenheim Gewurtraminer from Alsace or Penedes, Barcelona has a tangy exotic fruit edge which perfectly pairs with tart goat cheese and young spicy sheep varieties.

A ripe Pinot Gris has a whisper of sweetness and and excellent acidity to beat up fat grams from the cheese. Chardonnays are another selection which work well with global cheese platters and brie, camembert and smoked varieties.

Dishes with Chil Peppers, Cayenne, Hot Paprika and Mexican ...

Refreshingly crisp sparkling California La Reve Blanc from Domaine Carneros

assists in lightning the kick from the chili peppers ... My choice, however, is Iron Horse Cuvee which is just a perfect match.

Beef ... Filet Mignon, Steak Tartar and Beef Kebabs ...

The best I have sampled still hails from Spain ... A Ribera de Duero Mono Varietal of 100% Tempranillo. My 2nd choice is a Malbec from Argentina. I am sure there are some lovely reds which possess a medium to full body and notes of ripe black cherry fruit and chocolate  in California too.

Please drop a line and let me know your choices.

I would truly enjoy hearing from those who are wine savvy and know about Texas and Virginia wines too.

Thanks. Margcata
 
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#2 ·
Texas and Virginia wines are really wonderful ... for making salad dressing, when you need a replacement for vinegar. You could use Michigan or New York wines for a higher-class dressing. There are three(3) states for real wine in the United States. In alphabetical order: California, Oregon and Washington.

I would truly enjoy hearing from those who are wine savvy and know about Texas and Virginia wines too.

Thanks. Margcata
Other than that, I think you gave us really good ideas here. Thank You for that.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Good Morning,

Re. Michigan State Wines - Grape varieties produced ?

Firstly, Happy Thanksgiving ... and thanks for your compliments on article. Michigan wines ? Fabulous... Please tell me more about this appellation ... I am aware that NY and Long Island, Suffolk County have produced sparkling wines --- However, in actuality I have never had a NY Sparkling wine ... Have to " cata " which means taste test in Spanish from verb " Catar " ...

It is ironic that our family wines had always been Italian as my grandmom Margherite had a trattoria for many years in N.Y.C.

Thank you for the information on wines hailing from the U.S.A. I have had some truly lovely wines from Washington state, Oregon and California on my yearly trips abroad. I have also had Canadian Ice Wine which is a gem of a sparkling white however, they are pricey due to low production.

I had meant to mention, that Chef Mario Batalí has a lakeside home over in Michigan State, and he had written a Go Guide for the zone ... I am uncertain at the moment, as I am " tending the bird  " --- where exactly he resides during the summers, however, he loves the area. It was an article in the print magazine version of Bon Appetit. *** It is Traverse City ... He is enchanted with the zone and its venues too ...

Texas Hillcountry and Virginia wines :  Yes, they do this here in Spain too, as they have a large vinegar industry in La Rioja ... These young wines ( fair year qualification ) are not really good drinking wines --- they are " menza menza " = below average ... There are qualifications on the 70 designations of wine in Spain, and they are classified by the type of harvest, Fair, Good, Very Good and Excellent ... Is this the case in Texas and Virginia ?

Keep me posted. Thanks again.

Kind regards. Margcata. 
 
#4 ·
Yes Mario has a place in Traverse City Michigan. I saw him shopping in the downtown area once a few years back with a crowd of people around him trying to get autographs.

The Traverse City area is home to several award winning wineries. The most well know up here is Chateau Grand Traverse. Their Riesling varietals are really great.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Fascinating ... I shall do some winery investigating ... Thanks alot ... I had eaten at two of Mario´s Italian Restaurants years ago, as one of them is very close to where we lived --- Mac Dougal Street, Greenwich Village, and the other is about a mile of urban city blocks, on 12th Avenue in the Meat Packing District ... There is a very fine wine shop called Lavinia in The Salamanca District in Madrid and their website is: www.lavinia.es and then there is El Corte Ingles, which is also now in Lisbon and Milano ... they have quite a number of excellent wines from California and both hold tastings from worldwide appellations ... I shall look into your recommendations from Traverse, Michigan. Of course, it is alot simpler from NY when I visit my Mom. Thanks.
 
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