Quick tips for ordering wine in a restaurant

Baltimore’s Summer 2008 Restaurant Week is in full force and among the many restaurants participating this year there are endless types of cuisine and culinary treats to be devoured. But with a variety of restaurants, comes a variety of wine lists. For the casual diner who doesn’t want to go broke on a (bad) bottle of wine, here are some tips to ensure your next journey through a restaurant wine list ends with happy palates and a bank accounts. Read more

Tasting Report: 7 Wines of the Loire Valley paired with Sushi

What wines go well with $360 worth of sushi? Well, for the 9 of us in attendance on Sunday at the Wine Club gathering (at Yamato Sushi- review to come), I think we’d agree that something from the Loire Valley (France)would work quite nicely.

Overall we had a great time working through the 7 wines (tough work but someone has to do it!). The only sparkling wine in the group came from Louis de Grenelle, a large estate in Saumur (home of some great red wines). We worked through 4 Vouvray’s and two other Loire whites, ending with my favorite wine from the Loire Valley, a red wine from Chinon (100% Cabernet Franc). There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch, with two being great (89 pts!) and all being wines I’d gladly drink again. Read more

A Few Recipes From Around The Blogosphere: With wine pairings!

I read a lot of food blogs and am always impressed with the number of great home chefs (and pro chefs) out there! Since I love food and wine, and enjoy coming up with interesting wine pairings for any dish, I decided to feature a few recipes from around the internet each week and offer my wine pairing advice.

From FigandCherry.Com: Red wine lamb shanks with herb mash

If this dish doesn’t look or sound amazing to you, then I’m guessing your a vegetarian! With a nice red wine sauce, the obvious pairing here would be a medium to big bodied red with good structure and dark fruits- I’d look to the left bank of the Gironde river in Bordeaux to the Cabernet-heavy blends.

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Wine Pairings: What wine goes with 64 hotdogs?

This past Friday, July 4th, Nathan’s Hotdog had their annual hot dog eating contest. Dating back to 1915, the annual Nathan’s hotdog contest brings the worlds biggest appetites to NYC for a 10 minute hot dog eat-off. (Photo credit: A hot dog, taken by Renee Comet, photographer, and from the National Cancer Institute. http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=2669) Read more

Recipes for the 4th of July…with a few wine pairing ideas!

Here are some recipe and wine ideas for this fourth of July that are certain to make your celebration a delicious success. Many of these come from Cathy at the Noble Pig website, which is my favorite food blog and overall just an outstanding website with great pictures, stories and more! I highly recommend you check out her website and sign up for her feeds!!!

As for the dishes below, most are simple, all are delicious and are complete with wine pairing ideas.

Appetizers:

Cinghale Shrimp on Greens: Wine Pairing: I like the fruit, acidity and complexity of a nice Spatlese Riesling. My pick: 2002 J.J. Prum Riesling Himmelreich (Spatlese) ($30)

Blue Sky Potatoes: Wine Pairing: The slight oakiness of a good Chardonnay would go well with the bacon and creamy potatoes. My pick: 2006 Wente Chardonnay Arroyo Seco Riva Ranch ($13)

Shrimp Rockefeller Stuffed Mushrooms: Wine Pairing: This is a tougher dish to pair, there are a lot of big flavors and a variety of textures. I think a safe bet would be a crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as 2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($16). Read more

Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

MD Cru May 31, 2008: A night of Northern Rhones

What is a Northern Rhone? France’s Rhone Valley is home to some of the best wines in the world including the renown wines of the Southern Rhone’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape region. But it is in the Northern Rhone region that the best Syrah’s in the world are produced. Though it is true that Syrah and Shiraz are one in the same (as far as grape is concerned), the Syrah’s of the Rhone are vastly different than their Australian (or elsewhere) Shiraz counterpart. Whereas the New World style creates wines with subtle spice notes, more concentrated fruit flavors and often more “oak” influence, the Old World Syrahs of the Northern Rhone tend to be more “terroir” driven wines with subtle earth and more moderate spice and pepper notes.

The MD CRU. This past weekend a group of friends (who happen to be fine food and wine enthusiasts) met up to share old stories and of course some Old World Syrah’s. These monthly outings, or off-lines, began years ago with a small group of laid back and generous friends meeting up through the Wine Spectator forums. Years later, many of the faces have changed (Kim and I are new to the group as of October 2007) but the main idea hasn’t: great food and wines shared at either a restaurant or someones home amongst a group of the most unpretentious and outgoing wine lovers this side of the Chesapeake. Read more

A few wine pairing ideas

Pasted from:

“Cellar Notes” on WYPR: Great programming, but not always great advice!

BBQ: For starters, try telling the people of Argentina who make some of the best BBQ in the world that their prized Malbecs aren’t a classic pairing with grilled meats. Or perhaps, try telling Zinfandel lovers that a big Zinfandel doesnt’ go great with BBQ ribs. These are some of the best food and wine pairings out there (simple grilled food, straightforward wines). Sure a beer goes great with BBQ, but there are many different wine options that go even better.

Pizza: Maybe Al was talkling about cheap, Papa-Johns takeout with loads of toppings and cheese and dipped in that butter garlic sauce? But with real pizza (homemade or just very good pizzaria pizza) there is nothing better than a Chianti or Barbera. I’ve enjoyed pizza in Florence, Bologna, Siena and Montalcino (picture above is of Kim and I in Montalcino enjoying fresh made pizza with a 2004 Casanova di Neri Rosso di Montalcino)…and you know what everyone was drinking with their pizza? Local-produced red wines. Sure some toppings can be wine-unfriendly, but for the most part pizza and wine is a classic pairing (just make sure to find wines with good acidity that go well with the toppings).

Thai Food: One of the better BYOB restaurants in Baltimore is Thai Arroy. This small Thai Eat-in/Carry-out restaurant in Federal Hill offers good thai food and great service. Being BYOB makes it even better since you can try a variiety of wines you like to see how they go with the spicy cuisine. On many occasions we’ve enjoyed a crisp Riesling or sparkling wine with our spring rolls, beef nagamaki, or spicy fish and noodles. One of the best pairings with Thai food? A Gewurztraminer. Subtle tropical fruit notes and spicy acidity goes GREAT with Thai food. Sure, beer works great…but I’ll tkae a spicy Gewurztraminer any day over an ale or lager.

Chinese Food: This one can be tricky, but isn’t “impossible”. For starters, the same wines that go well with Thai food go great with spicy Chinese dishes such as Schechwan Chicken. A Pinot Noir is a great choice with duck, whereas a Syrah might work with a heartier dish. Riesling and Chardonnay both work great with a variety of Chinese food as well. Again, beer is a great match for the complex spices and flavors in traditional Chinese cuisine, but there are many great wine options that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Recipe: Cinghale (Wild-Boar) Sausage and Shrimp on Greens

A very easy and quick appetizer I came up with one night while figuring out a new way to make shrimp. Any mild sausage could be used as a substitute if cinghale is not available.

Ingredients

• 8-10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons Shallots, chopped fine
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 oz wild boar sausage, chopped roughly
• salt/pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups arugula, spinach or other preferred green

1. Saute garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage after 2-3 minutes and cook for 3 additional minutes.
2. Deglaze pan with sherry - allow to reduce for 3 minutes. Add butter.
3. Once melted, add shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. Coat well with sauce while cooking.
4. Plate on bed of greens and serve with sauce as a dressing.

Wine Pairing: 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

Food and Wine Pairings: Wine and sushi epiphany!

With Kim out of town in Boston for work, I didn’t feel like cooking a big meal last. Instead I went to the local Whole Foods and picked up some sushi and a small filet mignon. Before I left for the store, I decanted a bottle of 2005 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir. This Old World Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley was a little tight out of the bottle, so the hour or so time it spent in the decanter while I was out shopping was perfect to allow it time to open up.

As you know, I often stress the point that food and wine pairings are only as good or as bad as your preference for either. One can enjoy a white wine with beef and a red wine with fish, there are no rules when it comes to wine pairings. I love sushi and therefore, wasn’t worried if the Cab Franc was a bit overpowering as I figured it would pair well with the steak. After a rub in olive oil, salt and pepper, and a quick sear on the grill, the steak was medium rare ready to join my sushi on the dinner table.
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A glimpse of summer…Fresh Maine Lobster, Scallops and a Chilled California Chardonnay

What better way to welcome warm summer nights than to chill some Corona’s and Sparkling wines? Kim and I recently decided that we have had enough of the cold and picked up some Live Maine Lobsters and sea scallops.

The pairing of the night was the 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay, which was very buttery and a great match for both the lobster and the scallops.

2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay - $35: Pale gold color. Good weight in the glass, with aromas of apple, peach, buttered popcorn, oak, vanilla bean. Bubblegum, dried apricot, apple, cotton candy, with a hint of grass on the medium body. Good acidity, good balance, nice crispness on the finish. Bordering on “too much oak” but it pulls it off nicely. I’d recommend an hour decant (yes I know it’s a white wine). My rating: 90 pts, GV (good value)
A great place to get live Maine Lobsters any time of year:

Wine Blogging Wednesday #44: Gary Vay-ner-chuk and Ca-ber-net Franc!

Hello everybody and welcome to foodandwineblog.com - I am your host - Michael Mo-hamm-a-di and this is….OK OK, I can’t pull it off using text. Maybe I’ll switch it up to a video blog sometime in the future. Until then, you’ll have to relay on Gary V at WineLibrary TV (tv.winelibrary.com) for over the top, enthusiastic introductions!

This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday host is Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary TV. Gary’s challenge was to try an old world Cabernet Franc. He had recently returned from France and was pleasantly surprised with how well the grape is doing in Southern France, especially the Loire Valley. I think it’s a great theme as I bet most of you haven’t had a single varietal, old world Cab Franc. Often used as a blending grape, most notably in Bordeaux, Cab Franc contributes vibrant color, flavors of green vegetables (especially bell peppers) and ripe red fruits. This was a fun theme for me especially since I’m a big fan of Cabernet Franc. I decided to combine this tasting with my own challenge of pairing a Cabernet Franc with a few food items that red wine isn’t supposed to go with.
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Recipe and Tasting Notes: Grilled Lamb Ribs and a 1995 Brunello di Montalcino

Some Thursday night meals are just better than others. This one was, well, better than most. As you may know, twice a year I buy a whole lamb from our vet who owns a farm (we buy a cow, as well!) and takes outstanding care of her livestock. It’s quite nice to know you’re buying meat from animals that were well taken care of, especially with all of the problems with abuse in the large slaughterhouses. The result of this great care is beautiful cuts of meat that are filled with flavor!

For tonight’s dinner I came up with a rub using some ingredients we had around the kitchen and used it to make grilled lamb ribs. I really enjoy cooking when we haven’t gone shopping in a while; it’s a fun challenge and I usually come up with combinations I haven’t tried before. The result this time was a rib of lamb, rubbed with a dry rub of sage/garlic/thyme/capers (and more) and grilled to juicy perfection!

Here are the tasting notes on the wine (from my favorite wine region in the world, Montalcino) which I acquired recently from a collector with a cellar deep in Italian greats. Overall, the wine was very good- making me miss Montalcino even more!
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Wine Pairing: Seared Tuna with a 2006 Stefani Wine Syrah

Wine rules: White wine with Chicken and Fish. Red wine with meats. Blah blah blah…

Forget the rules. If you like red wine with fish, drink red wine with fish. If you like a light, crisp, acidic white wine with your 44 oz porterhouse steak cooked rare, MORE POWER TO YOU! Sure there are some classic pairings that make the whole food and wine experience an epiphany (Sauternes and Fois Gras comes to mind) but in general, if it tastes good to you drink it. If it doesn’t, then DON’T drink it.
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Recipe: Mint/Saffron Poached Shirmp

Here’s an easy recipe I came up with last week that went great with a bottle of Champagne, bread and cheese for a first course.

Saffron Poached Shrimp

Ingredients

• 6-8 extra-large jumbo shrimp, split and deveined (shell on)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon savory
• 1 teaspoons dried/crushed mint
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/5 teaspoon Saffron fibers

1. Be sure shrimp are properly de-veined- gently rinse in cold water. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt/pepper.
2. In medium sauce pan add olive oil and all herbs/spices (except not saffron) over medium heat.
3. Add butter in small pieces to mixture and allow time to melt. Once butter has completely melted, stir in crushed saffron working the spices into the oil mixture.
4. Allow the oil/butter mixture to infuse with flavors for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
5. Increase heat to medium and add shrimp in small batches so shrimp are completely covered by liquid. Gently stir occassionally over the next few minutes.
6. After 7-8 minutes, remove shrimp and repeat as necessary.
7. To serve, drizzle shrimp with poached liquid and plate with with fresh mint and plenty of bread to dip!

Wine pairing advice: This dish would be served with an appertif, I’d go with a N.V. Champagne, perhaps the Charles Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top ($35), which has good acidity, crispness, and subtle fruit flavors which won’t take away from the delicateness of the mint and saffron.

Wine Pairing Advice For The “Men’s Health Top 10 Worst Foods in America”

Disclaimer: Following the food and wine pairing advice below involves ingesting large amounts of calories, fats, carbohydrates and sodium and is not recommended for those suffering from heart disease, hypertension, or renal or hepatic disease! Side effects may include nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, weight gain, loss of sex drive, and obesity!

American’s are overweight. As a nation, our obesity rate is very high, especially compared to other industrialized nations. Not surprising, the rate of Type-II diabetes, heart disease, and a handful of other serious ailments, is through the roof. Our poor health can be attributed to the combination of an overall lack of physical activity and poor diets - many of us eat 2 or more meals at fast food or other PNLP (Poor Nutrition Large Portions) establishments. It’s far more convenient to pick up carry out food, run through a fast food window, or head to the local neighborhood diner than to prepare a healthy meal at home. Unfortunately, these meals out (which often involve large portion sizes filled with 2-3 times the daily requirement for calories, fats, carbs and sodium) may be one of the biggest problems when it comes to our obesity rates as a country.
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Recipe: Grilled Leg of Lamb in Red Sauce

I came up with this a few months back and made it again recently. The key here is to grill the leg of lamb before making the sauce. This can be done the day before, or immediately before, whichever time permits. Recommended wine: Barbera or Syrah of your choosing.

Ingredients:

• One 3-4 lb leg of lamb (with bone), trimmed of excess fat
• 5-6 large rosemary sprigs (fresh)
• 1 head of garlic
• olive oil
• salt/pepper
• butchers twine
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups diced tomato (canned works fine)
• 1 cup roughly chopped red pearl onions
• 2 large turnips, washed thoroughly
• 2 cups red wine (I used Merlot)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 cup slightly torn fresh mint

1. Pre-heat grill. Cut 6-8 slits into the leg of lamb and place roughly chopped garlic in each. Rub the lamb with olive oil, salt and pepper. During this time, soak the rosemary sprigs in water so they do not catch fire on the grill.
2. Surround the lamb with the length of the rosemary so that it’s covered on all sides. Then use the butcher’s twine to tie the rosemary to the leg of lamb. Tie the twine so the rosemary is secure to the lamb and tie it off into a knot. Sprinkle the whole thing with salt/pepper.
3. Place the leg of lamb on the grill over little or no direct heat. Turn the leg of lamb every 4 minutes, or until each side is nicely browned (see image above) but the lamb is very medium-rare in the middle. Use this time to prep the vegetables, open the cans of tomatos, etc.
4. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped pearl onions, garlic and crushed red peppers. After 2-3 minutes add turnips.
5. Remove lamb from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Carefully remove the butchers twine and cut the leg of lamb into small 1″ x 1″ cubes. Lamb should be medium-rare to almost rare on the inside. Place the lamb cubes into the stock pot as well as the leg bone for additional flavor.
6. Once lamb is browned on all sides, carefully add tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, beef stock, chopped rosemary, bay leafs and dash of Worcestershire’s sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat so it’s gently simmering.
7. Allow contents to simmer with lid on for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. At 1 hour, move the lid so some moisture escapes and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning at this point (more salt/pepper sa you desire). Add fresh mint to sauce about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with pasta of your choice. Also great served with bread or rice. There are a lot of wine choices you could go with here, but for me a wine with a little acidity and spice would do best with the lamb and tomato’s. A Syrah works, as well as a Barbera.

10.5 Liters of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Duck, Rabbit, Lamb, Homemade Cheesecake, Great Group of Wine Lovers - Did I get Your Attention?

Saturday, January 26, 2008, the “MD - Cru” met up for one of its “offlines”. The “Cru” is made up of friends, new and old, that have two things in common - they love great food and wine, and they make great company! Kim and I were first lucky enough to meet up with them a first time this past October (see what happened the first time around) but they’ve been doing this for years! After missing at Italian event in November (we were in Italy!) and a Champagne event in December (home for holidays), we were focused on joining in on a tasting of one of our favorite wines - Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

The tasting was held at the beautiful home of one of the “regulars” of the MD - Cru out near Bethesda. The event featured the following food menu of which recipes for some if not all will follow (these people made some OUTSTANDING dishes and I begged and begged for the recipes…hopefully we’re all lucky enough to get them!).

The wines (all Chateauneufs):
2 x 750 ml: 1989 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe La Crau
1 x 1.5 L: 1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe La Crau
1 x 1.5 L: 1998 St. Benoit Chateauneuf du Pape Grand Garde
2 x 750 ml: 1998 Bois de Boursan Cuvee de Felix Chateauneuf du Pape
2 x 750 ml: 2000 Domaine du Pegau Cuvee Reserve
2 x 750 ml: 2001 Domaine de la Charbonniere - Le Hautes Brusquieres
2 x 750 ml: 2001 E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape

Others:
Piper Heidsieck NV Champange
Chusclan Les Ribieres Cotes Du Rhone 2001 - OUTSTANDING VALUE, Great wine
Mystery Bottle (seen in Aluminum Foil) Bob Johnson’s Homemade Pear Wine - Great Stag Winery

MENU
H’ordeurves:
Duck served with cucumber, crackers and chives - Brilliant appetizer, simple yet elegant and quite delicious
Melon Wrapped in Prosciutto - Always a crowd pleaser, the Prosciutto was very rich perfectly cured
Marinated Flank Steak - Paging CS (the owner of this recipe) - outstanding texture and flavors
Rabbit - Delicate, well seasoned, with the right amount of gaminess, perfect way to start the night of French wines!

Starters:
Green bean casserole - One of the best green bean casseroles I’ve had, so rich, good textures, lovely
Carrot souffle - Delicate. So delicate, perfectly prepared. Everyone guessed nutmeg, but cinnamon was the star.
Brussel sprouts pancetta - How do you take a vegetable some people dislike and make it to die for? Add pork! I love Brussel sprouts anyways, but this take on them is a real winner.
Potatoes - Cheesy and delicious.

Main Course:
Lamb - Perfectly tender, seasoning was spot on, cooked to perfection - juicy and delicious.
Cassoulet - It’s hard to mess up something that’s ingredients include rabbit, sausage, lamb…beans, I mean, come on…this was incredible.

Dessert:
Cheese cake (homemade with white/dark chocolate) - The crust was so delicate, the body very rich. Outstanding cheesecake.
Cannoli’s and Carinaolies - Vaccaro’s never fails!

Here’s what a plate of this deliciousness looked like:

As far as food and wine pairings go, almost everything was spot on. Anytime you have lamb, duck, or rabbit on the table, a Chateauneuf is a good match. It would be very difficult to pick a wine of the night - they were all very good. The 1995 Vieux Telegraphe was drinking INCREDIBLE, the St. Benoit as well, the Pegau had a lot going on with complex flavors and amazingly silky tannins, and the 2001 Bois de Boursan Cuvee de Felix was outstanding. This wine with a bit more age will be very special and is highly recommended if you can find it. Specific tasting notes will be posted and linked in the next day!

Again thanks to everyone in the group, especially to Mr. & Mrs. J. for hosting this incredible event in their beautiful home- Kim and I really enjoy these off-lines and look forward to many, many more!

WineLibrary TV - Steak and wine

The most popular video wine blog out there right now is WineLibraryTV. Host Gary Vaynerchuk, who’s family owns The Wine Library in New York City, takes a different approach to wine, one that is laid back, informal, and often involves references to professional wrestling and the New York Jets. I started watching WineLibraryTV a few months back and find myself keeping up with most of the new episodes as well as going through the archives for topics that interest me. I’m not going to lie, I found Gary to be a bit annoying at first, but the more I watched, the more I realized he knew what he was talking about and was just being himself while having a great time doing it.

Monday night’s episode of WineLibrary TV dealt with wines that pair well with steak. Gary featured a few reds and one Riesling that he paired with a nice medium rare steak (see the episode here). He concluded that the Riesling he chose was the best match of the four wines he paired with his steak. As always, the show ended with a Question of the Day (”QOTD”) which is intended for viewers to leave their answers in the form of a comment on the episode. The question was simple: How do you like your steak?” I rarely respond to his “QOTD”, but this time I had incentive: those who responded (all 1000 or so of us) were entered into a random drawing to win a 6 liter bottle of 1992 Silver Oak Cabernet, signed by the winemaker.

My reply to the question was: Rubbed with olive oil, salt/pepper, seared medium-rare served with a slice of lemon and a Chianti or Barolo.

Motivated by my own reply to the question, I felt compelled (hungry) to make a steak and pair some wines with it myself. So last night I made a 20 oz bone-in Ribeye steak using this simple formula:

Let steak (1 1/2″ thickness) sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.

1. Rub 1 teaspoon of olive oil all over steak. Liberally sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
2. Heat a large pan (All-Clad or some other high quality metal pan) over high heat. Place steak in pan and let cook for 4 minutes.
3. Turn steak over and cook and additional 4 minutes.
4. Remove from pan, place on cutting board and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Place foil over steak and let sit 5-10 minutes.
5. Serve with lemon wedge.

It’s that easy. The outside will be perfectly seared (see image), the inside medium-rare to perfection.

I’d pair this with a Rosso di Montalcino (or perhaps Chianti Classico) or a Barolo. A nice Burgundy would also work, as would a Malbec or Tempranillo. The best way to figure out what pairings work and what don’t, is to make a few steaks, invite some friends over, and open 5-10 different wines and see what you like the best!

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Food and wine pairing: Key lime torte and…

Key lime torte is one of my favorite desserts. A delicate crust, wonderful custard filing and a sugar and lime sauce is a great way to finish a meal. Recently I really enjoyed a glass of Donny Boon Muscat Vin de Glacier (2005, $15 / 375 mL) with a slice of Key lime torte. The pairing was almost perfect. The flavors in the wine melted together with the torte, and the acidity of the wine was a perfect match for the creamy custard filling.

Have a better pairing idea?  Leave a comment and let us know!

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