Apply the Rule of 3 to discover Food/Wine Pairings you will relish

We recently taught a wine seminar at Harvard University celebrating the Art of Food/Wine Pairings. Our muse? West Coast Wines! California, Washington and Oregon were all gainfully represented.

The red wines we shared we shared with Harvard students during a recent Wine Seminar we taught.

It was not lost on us that the underlying vinous theme focused on wines from a part of the world that is quite large and quite diverse; it's a culinary Choose Your Own Adventure. And so the food pairing principle "if it grows together it goes together" is, quite simply, harder to exemplify. Not to worry!

If you cannot at least start out PAIRING BY PLACE and, therefore, tapping into the local cuisine which blossoms naturally with wines grown in a particular region, then you must make a go of it by applying one of these principles to achieve a balanced, complementary, aw-eliciting experience:

PAIR TO COMPARE.

Consider the Weight of the dish* (usually taking into consideration how it is prepared (e.g. steamed vs. grilled vs. roasted) and if it is dressed in a rich sauce or just a squeeze of lemon). You'll want the weight of the wine to match the weight of the dish.

Consider also the Acidity in the dish. Is the dish bright? Does your mouth water at the thought of it (like the thought of grapefruit, tomato sauce or dill pickles)? If it is a high acid dish, you'll want a high acid wine.

Next, consider the 'Meatiness' of it. Is the bold factor dialed all the way up? Whether it is a hearty vegetarian dish like sauteed portabellas and eggplant, or roast lamb and potatoes, the more savory the dish the more tannin-loving (aka how dry your tongue feels after you swallow) it will be. High tannin/very dry wines marry perfectly with hearty, "meaty" fare.

Last, what about Sweetness? BBQ sauce is Zinfandel-loving because Zin tends to be bold, bursting with ripe and/or dried fruits. While the wine may be vinified dry, the flavor experience from all that fruit complements the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.

PAIR TO CONTRAST.

Alternatively you'll want to create balance by contrasting what's on your plate - and nothing is truer than when you are faced with a particularly Salty dish! Fried foods, often Chinese fare and meats like Ham or charcuterie tend to be saltier and require a wine with a sweeter or more fruit-forward composition to create a harmonious palate experience.

While these principles are sure to get you started, there's something awesome to be said for the exploration itself, for figuring out how flavors jive - for finding out the hard way, and if you're lucky, for finding out the optimal way. Each revelation is a win in itself - inspiration promotes celebration (and keeping at it)! So most important, HAVE FUN on the journey.

 *   By "dish" we don't just mean the protein on the plate! Consider the sides as well (sometimes they are more interesting and fun to pair off of), or what components you want on your fork - the 'bite' in its entirety.

What the Blanc? (Part I)

Two summers ago I put together a case of wine for a family gathering out on Block Island. I knew my sisters prefer their wines white in the summer – and as crisp and citrusy as they come (enticing labels never hurt either). Aiming to please, the case was filled with six bottles of white, two rosé and two reds. In that mix, a few were Sauvignon Blancs (the family “fan fav”) from different parts of the world and including a White Bordeaux (a blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and a little Semillon) and a little Chilean number. But my goal was also to expand their wine varietal horizons, and so I threw in a Pinot Blanc and two Chenin Blancs for good measure. I figured the “Blanc” would be familiar, but different, and peak their curiosity. Discover "what the blanc?!" on Wicked Local today!

Easter wine recs

Easter is a holiday that not everyone celebrates – nor in the same ways. Traditions are a bit more fluid somehow here in the United States. Maybe your family prefers a delicious Easter brunch after a morning visit to church and an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddies. Maybe you do your own thing with your family in the morning, then visit with friends in the afternoon over a mid-afternoon dinner of baked ham or a leg of lamb. But one thing is certain: such a lack of specific tradition can cause some level of Easter week “panic.” Of course, there's no need to stress when a little advice is at the ready. Pop over to Wicked Local today to get some ideas for your celebration! Will wine have a place at your Easter table this year? What will you uncork?

January's Wicked Wines!

And.... we're back! What better way to come back from the holidays than to find out this month's Wicked Wine picks? I figure it's worth celebrating the end of 2009 with some truly wonderful selections you can snuggle up to on the coldest nights of the winter. Pop on over to Wicked Local to see what I have up my sleeve!

Does your New Years resolution have anything to do with wine? If so, what have you decided to pursue in 2010?