Pairing Temecula Wine with Your Event Food



Posted: Sunday, December 27, 2009

by Dave Gregory
Temecula Wineries

For some, selecting wine to accompany a fancy feast can be an frightening mission. Especially when looking at a store shelf or wine list full of exotic wines, the wine consumer may become amazed with the extent of selections. Several directions can make the selection process less complicated and develop in a more fulfilling meal with a wine that finishes the food agreeably.

The essential idea behind food and wine pairing is to allow the taste of both the food and the wine to come out when they are put together. One never want the food to block the wine or vice versa. The other aspect to think about is to pair like characteristics. An acidic wine may seem sharp at first, but accompanied with something with a bit of acidity, like fresh tomatoes or lemon, the wine will seem to be less sour. To have placed the lemon or tomato dish with a less acidic wine may have made the food taste sour. So for this reason we can find pleasure in all varities of wines for different reasons.

The prospects are endless, but we should start by looking at a several basic varietals of wine and their conventional qualities. Beginning with white wine, Chardonnay can be buttery and oaky which creates a wonderful match for chicken or fish in a cream or butter sauce. Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc are light and occasionally acidic and are accompanied wonderfully with salty and fresh feeling foods like olives, salami and light fish plate. Sangiovese/Chianti may also appear acidic, however fruity and goes well with dishes with fresh tomato like bruschetta or pasta and red sauce. Pinot Noir is not as acidic, but still very subtle in flavor and should not be overpowered by highly flavored foods. Try pairing Pinot Noir alongside pork or turkey. Advancing on to heavier wines, Cabernet Sauvignon is wonderful with heavier foods like filet mignon or tri-tip. Syrah is known for being a bit wild and smoky and therefore is a perfect match for smoked meats and game. Lastly dessert wines like Muscat and White Port are very sweet and should be accompanied by an similarly sweet dessert.

This may appear like an amazing list of criteria. Do not feel confused. You probably have a favorite wine that you always buy and really, there are no real rules for what wine to combine your food with. Drink your favorite wine with various variations of food and you may eventually discover your own favorite pairing for that wine. Once you branch out to new wines the adventure will become more well-known and before you know it you will be your own personal sommelier.

Wiens Family Cellars is dedicated to producing first class big red wines with fruit originating from the Temecula Valley. One of their most important current goals is to create a Bordeaux blend that is as delicious as the best of the Napa/Sonoma regions. Doug Wiens believes their 2007 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, some lots currently sold out and others still aging in the cellar, will show that Temecula does produce luxury reds among the highest quality in California. At the 2009 California State Fair Wine Competition, the Wiens Family Cellars 2007 Temecula Valley Refugio Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded a gold medal and Best-of-Class for the South Coast Appellation.

Suzanne Schaffner is the marketing manager of Wines Family Cellars Winery in the Temecula Wine Country in Southern California. They have the most outstanding Big Red Wines of the Temecula Wineries. You can find Wiens new web site at http://WiensCellars.com and at http://Temecula-Wineries.net.
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