October 17, 2007
I was browsing through some of the comments from last week’s blog, and noticed a question that lead me into this week’s blog, “Wine with Friends”. The question was on the ever-debated subject of whether or not red wine can be paired with seafood. I don’t want to get too much into the subtleties of this question, as they pertain to specific wine pairing details, which I will discuss further in subsequent postings.
Several answers to this question do exist though. One answer is “yes”, in a case such as grilled salmon with huckleberries paired with an Oregon Pinot Noir. Another answer is surely “no” when it comes to pairing any Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Merlot-based wine with oysters, clams, caviar, or other such delicate items from the sea. The other answer, which is the basis for this blog, is “maybe”. The term holds some significance in the discussion of “Wine with Friends”, because the majority of our wine consumption throughout our lives is exactly that, drinking wine with friends. “Maybe” leaves the door open to interpretation, no one gets offended, and everything’s cool in the end.
Comments
janet wrote:
thanks for the help in picking a wine..... im so bad with gettting the ingrediant factor paired with a wine when it comes to meats/seafood though. any tips?
posted on October 18, 2007 at 3:57 PM
bc wrote:
thanks, stephen, for confirming that it's ok to wine/dine for enjoyment as well as protocol. i have friends who can amaze me with the intricacies of wine and food pairing, and can regale me with best years and vintages of every winery worth its salt, but the ones i truly enjoy dining and drinking with are the ones who can tilt their glasses back and let it flow. what a thoroughly enjoyable column, and if you do get into food and wine pairings in future blogs, i'll read them as well! best of luck on your restaurant endeavor.
posted on October 18, 2007 at 11:29 PM
adina wrote:
Love the blog. When are you opening your wine room in LA?
posted on October 19, 2007 at 1:28 AM
HeatherH wrote:
Nice blog, Stephen. I had been planning a trip to WPB this winter to visit family -- if it comes to fruition, I will try to stop by the new restaurant (congrats on that).
posted on October 21, 2007 at 11:53 AM
Max B wrote:
Stephen,
This is a great blog. I really liked the fact that you were very honest in that every pairing while just having dinner with friends doesn't have to be perfect. I'd like to know when serving different chicken dishes what wine to serve. Like whenever I prepare chicken with some sort of a tomato sauce I'm never sure what wine would work the best. Red for the tomato, or white because it's chicken. Thanks for your insights.
posted on October 21, 2007 at 6:14 PM
clara wrote:
Stephen,
Thanks for the green light to just enjoy the wine, food and company and not turn it into a science (ok, it is science). I was lucky enough to go wine tasting with my sister and her husband this weekend in northern NM and my wine tasting philosophy was to experiment, enjoy the scenery and have fun with family. I think I succeeded and came home with some bottles to enjoy at home with dinner.
Love you much!
Clara
posted on October 22, 2007 at 1:41 PM
dave wrote:
Ever since the reunion episode you have been my favorite top chef. At the inter-season competition i think you proved me right; and your sense of "time-and-place" for perfect wine pairing further solidifies my opinion. As i prepare to go to culinary school and enter the ranks of unpaid interns and nervous, wide-eyed line cooks, I will undoubtedly continue to follow your career in hopes of somehow having similar success (not the TV aspect, but the kitchen aspect).
posted on October 24, 2007 at 6:52 AM
victoria wrote:
The way you talk about wine is quite a revelation. You make the subject so much more approachable than I expected, and you make your points very well. I wish you had spoken about wine in this fashion during your run on Top Chef, because frankly, you appeared to commit some of the sins of a wine connoisseur that you warned us about in your first blog- pretentiousness being the most obvious. I must admit I only read the first one out of curiosity as to how elitist you would be in talking about your favorite subject, but I will return in order to get some of that learning you were so eager to impart at every opportunity.
ps when you appeared on Top Chef 3, Dale seemed to shut you down awfully quickly, and I was disappointed that he did so. While you may have gone on a bit long on the subject of wine during your own episode of Restaurant Wars, I thought that you hadn't crossed that line this time, and that he was jumping the gun based on your past performance. It seemed as if the editors were trying to cut the show so that Dale would be vindicated, but in my opinion they only managed to make Dale look b**chy. I hope you continue to do well, and that we will see more of you on Bravo somehow in the future.
posted on October 24, 2007 at 10:24 PM
Fred wrote:
I am a huge fan of Silver Oak's cabernets from Alexander Valley (2000-2002). Hopefully you too are familiar with this wine. It has a very smooth finish, I'd call it buttery, unfortunately no one else calls it that and I have a hard time labelling flavors in wine. Most of the Silver Oak wines have this type of finish. Could you describe this finish in more 'popular' terms?
I'm always searching for a cab that has this type of finish but costs less that $60-$100 as do the Silver Oak Alexander Valley and Napa Valley cabs. Any help would be appreciated as would any suggested cabernets.
Thanks.
posted on November 19, 2007 at 1:36 PM