Pair Up with La Sommelierre - August 2009
Fresh and Light in the Summertime
Welcome to Pair Up. Each month I will bring to you a full evening of fantastic menu selections with suggestions on the best beverages to complement the food’s flavors. My goal is to create the pairing that brings the food and beverage to heights neither would see alone. I want to empower you to make your own selections providing you with the style and flavor profile of the wine leaving the selection of producer and price up to you and your trusted retailer.
This month I have created a menu pairing up the lighter foods of summer with refreshing wines. Sauvignon Blanc immediately comes to mind. It is quintessential summer: light, crisp and refreshing. It’s citrusy, herbal flavors go perfectly with almost any summertime food. Anything that you would think about squirting on a bit of lemon or sprinkling on fresh herbs will harmonize beautifully with the flavors found in a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. My absolute favorite food pairing with Sauvignon Blanc is tangy, fresh goat cheese. Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Beets transforms the cheese into a creamy spread. The wine’s light body matches the delicacy of the cheese, the herbal character echoes the fresh herbs in the spread, and finally the crisp acidity stands up to the bite the cheese offers.
Salmon Topped with Seared Baby Tomatoes in Lemon Brown Butter is the delicious main course. A little fresh thyme, salt and pepper are all that is needed for the fish because the seared tomatoes bring an explosion of lemony goodness. The Sauvignon Blanc you opened earlier can continue right on into dinner or if it is already gone, open a delicate Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is fantastic with grilled salmon because it is lower in tannin and won’t stomp all over the tender fish. And salmon has plenty of its own oil and fat so when it takes on a little of the smoke from the grill, it will make a lightly-oaked red sing. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
If you still have room for dessert, Luscious Lemon Bars paired with Italy’s sweet sparkler, Moscato d’Asti. The sweet/sour combination of the lemon bar is balanced by the slight residual sugar in the wine while the bubbles clear your palate for the next bite. Always remember that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert. If the wine isn’t sweet enough, it will taste sour and it is better to serve a bitter counterpoint to the sweet dessert - French Roast coffee.
So, go on. Pair Up!
