Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Matching wine with Pork.
For anyone with even a slight musing of food and wine matching understands there is a very basic and very generalized guideline to it regarding meats, at least in my opinion a few examples include:
Beef = Shiraz/Shiraz Cabernet/Cabernet Sauvignon
Lamb = Merlot/Cabernet Merlot
Chicken = Classic Dry White, Chardonnay, Semillion, Riesling
Seafood = Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
Duck = Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Alternative Whites
Game (rabbit, quail etc.) = Pinot Noir, Alternative Whites and Reds
But what about Pork?
Out at dinner I've been asked this question by a friend,
"What wine would you match with Pork?"
My answer was, well, I didn't have one. I was actually stuck and could not pick a suitable wine to match. At first I thought Riesling because of it's fresh lime and mineral characteristics but then as I scooped a dollop of apple sauce onto my barbecued pork fillet, it occurred to me:
Apples.
Cider would be a perfect match with Pork! So I went to the bar within the pub and ordered a Bulmer's Cider with ice and gave it a go. It was perfect. So the next time you have a pork dish, ditch the wine and go for the Cider instead! You won't be disappointed. Some Ciders I recommend and serve all in a big glass with plenty of ice:
Bulmer's Apple Cider (Around $5 a bottle).
Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime Pear Cider (Around $7 a bottle).
Monteith's crushed Apple Cider (Around $4 a bottle)
Beef = Shiraz/Shiraz Cabernet/Cabernet Sauvignon
Lamb = Merlot/Cabernet Merlot
Chicken = Classic Dry White, Chardonnay, Semillion, Riesling
Seafood = Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
Duck = Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Alternative Whites
Game (rabbit, quail etc.) = Pinot Noir, Alternative Whites and Reds
But what about Pork?
Out at dinner I've been asked this question by a friend,
"What wine would you match with Pork?"
My answer was, well, I didn't have one. I was actually stuck and could not pick a suitable wine to match. At first I thought Riesling because of it's fresh lime and mineral characteristics but then as I scooped a dollop of apple sauce onto my barbecued pork fillet, it occurred to me:
Apples.
Cider would be a perfect match with Pork! So I went to the bar within the pub and ordered a Bulmer's Cider with ice and gave it a go. It was perfect. So the next time you have a pork dish, ditch the wine and go for the Cider instead! You won't be disappointed. Some Ciders I recommend and serve all in a big glass with plenty of ice:
Bulmer's Apple Cider (Around $5 a bottle).
Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime Pear Cider (Around $7 a bottle).
Monteith's crushed Apple Cider (Around $4 a bottle)
How anyone can appreciate a glass of wine.
Appreciating wine needn't be a process left for the reserved who can distinguish a Vermentino from their Pinot Grigio.
I feel that anyone can do so and for those dipping their toe into the water for the first time this may be for you:
Firstly, we need to ask what it is that allows us to even taste the food, drink and even air around us. Is it our smell, or taste at work? Maybe both? To really find out you may want to try this:
Get a jellybean, and take your free hand to pinch your nose shut. Now take the jellybean and begin to chew vigorously for around 10-15 seconds. What are you currently tasting or experiencing? Now, let go of your fingers from pinching your nose and continue chewing. What just happened?
Your olfactory (the receptor in your nose) is what allows you to taste and identify flavour. Without it, you can only really identify texture. For instance, whether it is thin or thick in consistency, smooth or crunchy and so on.
Now to taste wine!
Pour the wine into a wine glass slightly less than half way (yes, a wine glass...not a tumbler!) and give it a minute or so to 'breathe'. This gives the wine time to open up with it's characteristics. Observe the hue (colour) of the wine, which gives you a clue to how it may taste. For instance, if it is a white wine that is a more dark straw hue, it would lead to indicate it is going to taste more rich and full bodied as opposed to a more opaque-yellow tinge wine which suggests it's light and fresh. Tilting the glass away from you on a slight angle creates a lip of the wine, which will show the colour at it's best.
Now, with the glass on the table, give it a swirl for a few seconds, holding your hand to the base of the glass. This process lifts the aroma of the wine from the glass making it easier to identify characteristics. Holding the glass by the stem (the long thin part) tilt the glass at an angle towards you, exhale and bring your nose inside the glass followed by inhaling. Exhaling followed by inhaling allows you to do so deeper when smelling the wine. Now, try to identify some flavours you have just smelled and hold the thought in your mind.
With those thoughts, now taste the wine. Gently swirl it in your mouth and swallow. Did what you smell originally taste similar to what you just experienced, or did you identify some new flavours? With practice and time, you will pick up on more characteristics and better ways to express what you taste into words. Put it this way, the more ways you can describe an Orange, the more ways you can describe a glass of wine.
The final part is the finish. Did the taste linger on and develop into other flavours or was it abrupt? Generally, a better quality wine will have some degree and unfolding of new flavours as a finish.
I feel that anyone can do so and for those dipping their toe into the water for the first time this may be for you:
Firstly, we need to ask what it is that allows us to even taste the food, drink and even air around us. Is it our smell, or taste at work? Maybe both? To really find out you may want to try this:
Get a jellybean, and take your free hand to pinch your nose shut. Now take the jellybean and begin to chew vigorously for around 10-15 seconds. What are you currently tasting or experiencing? Now, let go of your fingers from pinching your nose and continue chewing. What just happened?
Your olfactory (the receptor in your nose) is what allows you to taste and identify flavour. Without it, you can only really identify texture. For instance, whether it is thin or thick in consistency, smooth or crunchy and so on.
Now to taste wine!
Pour the wine into a wine glass slightly less than half way (yes, a wine glass...not a tumbler!) and give it a minute or so to 'breathe'. This gives the wine time to open up with it's characteristics. Observe the hue (colour) of the wine, which gives you a clue to how it may taste. For instance, if it is a white wine that is a more dark straw hue, it would lead to indicate it is going to taste more rich and full bodied as opposed to a more opaque-yellow tinge wine which suggests it's light and fresh. Tilting the glass away from you on a slight angle creates a lip of the wine, which will show the colour at it's best.
Now, with the glass on the table, give it a swirl for a few seconds, holding your hand to the base of the glass. This process lifts the aroma of the wine from the glass making it easier to identify characteristics. Holding the glass by the stem (the long thin part) tilt the glass at an angle towards you, exhale and bring your nose inside the glass followed by inhaling. Exhaling followed by inhaling allows you to do so deeper when smelling the wine. Now, try to identify some flavours you have just smelled and hold the thought in your mind.
With those thoughts, now taste the wine. Gently swirl it in your mouth and swallow. Did what you smell originally taste similar to what you just experienced, or did you identify some new flavours? With practice and time, you will pick up on more characteristics and better ways to express what you taste into words. Put it this way, the more ways you can describe an Orange, the more ways you can describe a glass of wine.
The final part is the finish. Did the taste linger on and develop into other flavours or was it abrupt? Generally, a better quality wine will have some degree and unfolding of new flavours as a finish.
For friends that don't drink wine often.
Australian wine has a funny predicament.
We have more supply than demand, far too many brands for one type of Varietal or blend each (look at the shelves of your local bottle shop to see what I mean) yet what we have produced in quality in a number of decades has taken the Old World producers centuries. We also live on a very climate diverse continent where we are blessed that we are able to produce various varietals in optimum conditions for the fruit to grow and be produced into wine.
So, with such a large choice available - why are people reluctant to crack open a bottle with a meal more often or just out with friends? Could be a number of reasons, but I think for people new to it all, I feel it comes down to intimidation and a fear they will almost gag from something as foreign sounding as Shiraz Cabernet being consumed by themselves. I completely understand this. It's a smell and taste they're not familiar with. Their olfactory (the thing in your nose that identifies smells) and palate (your tongue) try to identify what it is they've just tasted, and if it is something as big, spicy and full bodied as a Shiraz the first time they try it, chances are they're going to consider it 'sour' or like 'vinegar' and consequently not want to try it again, which is a real shame.
There's also the problem of commitment to the purchase of a full bottle you are not familiar with. Sure, bottle shops offer tastings but can you honestly get to try what it is you want most of the time? Unlikely. You test drive a car before purchasing it, you try on clothes before buying them - so why can there not be a similar mindset with wine purchases?
Well, hopefully I can steer you in the right direction anyway for trying out wine for the first time or you don't drink it often because of similar reasons above.
Start with sweet white or red wine. Gone are the days when people would turn their nose up at it and say, "Oh, I would never drink sweet wine....but I'll have a Moscato!" How much you want to spend is entirely up to you, though you really don't need to spend more than $15 on a bottle.
I recommend:
Brown Brothers Moscato (around $13 a bottle).
This in my opinion is a great place to start in wine. It is a lighter straw hue in colour and you have the familiar characteristic aroma of fresh fruit, followed onto the palate by caramelized character and candy with the spritz bubbles in it making it lively and fresh to drink. An absolute winner. A must try with gourmet Ice cream cake.
Brown Brothers Cienna (around $15 a bottle).
Considered the 'white drinkers red', Cienna is a wonderful transition from white wine to red. It is sweet and refreshing with a mixed berry aroma, following to the palate with Cherry characteristics. Highly recommended with warm sticky date pudding.
We have more supply than demand, far too many brands for one type of Varietal or blend each (look at the shelves of your local bottle shop to see what I mean) yet what we have produced in quality in a number of decades has taken the Old World producers centuries. We also live on a very climate diverse continent where we are blessed that we are able to produce various varietals in optimum conditions for the fruit to grow and be produced into wine.
So, with such a large choice available - why are people reluctant to crack open a bottle with a meal more often or just out with friends? Could be a number of reasons, but I think for people new to it all, I feel it comes down to intimidation and a fear they will almost gag from something as foreign sounding as Shiraz Cabernet being consumed by themselves. I completely understand this. It's a smell and taste they're not familiar with. Their olfactory (the thing in your nose that identifies smells) and palate (your tongue) try to identify what it is they've just tasted, and if it is something as big, spicy and full bodied as a Shiraz the first time they try it, chances are they're going to consider it 'sour' or like 'vinegar' and consequently not want to try it again, which is a real shame.
There's also the problem of commitment to the purchase of a full bottle you are not familiar with. Sure, bottle shops offer tastings but can you honestly get to try what it is you want most of the time? Unlikely. You test drive a car before purchasing it, you try on clothes before buying them - so why can there not be a similar mindset with wine purchases?
Well, hopefully I can steer you in the right direction anyway for trying out wine for the first time or you don't drink it often because of similar reasons above.
Start with sweet white or red wine. Gone are the days when people would turn their nose up at it and say, "Oh, I would never drink sweet wine....but I'll have a Moscato!" How much you want to spend is entirely up to you, though you really don't need to spend more than $15 on a bottle.
I recommend:
Brown Brothers Moscato (around $13 a bottle).
This in my opinion is a great place to start in wine. It is a lighter straw hue in colour and you have the familiar characteristic aroma of fresh fruit, followed onto the palate by caramelized character and candy with the spritz bubbles in it making it lively and fresh to drink. An absolute winner. A must try with gourmet Ice cream cake.
Brown Brothers Cienna (around $15 a bottle).
Considered the 'white drinkers red', Cienna is a wonderful transition from white wine to red. It is sweet and refreshing with a mixed berry aroma, following to the palate with Cherry characteristics. Highly recommended with warm sticky date pudding.
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