"O" is for Other Elements At Work in Wine

There’s more to the culinary experience than meets the eye, the nose, and the palate. I often discuss the primary building blocks in wine and food and how they work together. And while this gives you the ability to look at the tangible elements in each, there are also more subtle aspects at work.

Let’s pretend, for a moment, that you decide to visit the Niagara Peninsula on a hot, summer day to tour wine country in celebration of your marriage anniversary. For lunch, you and your partner head to the Niagara Escarpment to dine at a winery. While there, you both sample fresh, Canadian cheeses and sip a wonderfully crisp, dry Riesling to refresh your palate. The sun warms your shoulders as you gaze at rolling vineyards that gradually fall to meet Lake Ontario’s shoreline with the Toronto skyline in the distance. Best of all, you are experiencing and sharing these precious moments with your partner on this special, intimate occasion. An experience such as this might very well serve as one of the most memorable anniversaries you and your partner have ever experienced with this particular dry Riesling now becoming your favorite white wine.

A year goes by and on your next anniversary; you decide to relive this incredible wine touring experience with your partner but at home. You head to the local wine and cheese shops to pick up a bottle of the same dry Riesling and a few varieties of Canadian artisan cheese. You arrange the cheese tray, light the candles and await the arrival of your partner from work.

Your partner arrives but has forgotten your anniversary and is less than pleasant due to Murphy’s Law and having had to endure a dreadful day. Empathetic, you listen intently. After an hour, you begin to ignore the negativity, intent on recreating that romantic, wine country magic. As you open and pour the wine, you remind your partner that it is your anniversary. Instead of sharing your feelings of romance, your partner bites back with a sarcastic remark and continues about the day from hell. You glare across the table and say nothing as disappointment sets in.

You sip the wine. In shock you look down at your wine glass. This can’t be the wine you enjoyed that winetouring weekend in Niagara! It tastes terribly tart and metallic. You check the label to make sure you didn’t make a mistake, and you wonder if you’ve purchased the wrong vintage or if the wine has spoiled. You even begin to entertain thoughts that this isn’t your REAL partner, but an evil twin.

The wine is no doubt fine. We often fail to realize that many other elements – besides the wine’s building blocks and flavours – directly affect our taste and culinary experience from moment to moment. These elements are:

Our Mood:
Our mood – good or bad, happy or sad – will colour our experience and most certainly our opinion of the wine. Celebratory occasions almost always make any wine taste fabulous. Stress and overwhelm can cause us to ineffectively judge a wine’s character. The reason is that when under stress, our gastrointestinal system becomes acidic. This causes our palate to be acidic, which interacts with the wine’s acid and can cause a metallic taste in our mouth. (Kind of like licking a brass lollypop!)

Climate:
The time of year – the weather -- can also influence our decisions with respect to wine with food. For example, we might enjoy pairing a chilled crisp Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese and fresh greens on a hot summer day. This wine would be less than delicious after spending a long day on the slopes, skiing. Instead, we might enjoy a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon while lounging by the fireplace to warm our chilly bones.

Environment and Temperature:
Our environment, such as sitting in a crowded, claustrophobic and loud restaurant might taint our experience with both the wine and food. The temperature of our body will also directly affect how we experience a specific wine and food combination.

Cold temperatures in both wine and food also affect flavor. Generally, cold dishes are often more highly spiced to enhance flavor. Wine loses its flavor if served too cold. The colder the wine the more flavor is decreased. By the same token, serving warm wine can give the perception that the wine is high in alcohol.

Personal Preferences:
What we like best is what we should drink and eat – despite what the critics might say. Some people mistakenly believe they will ruin their meal if they choose the "wrong" wine. They need not worry. There are so many variables involved that it is impossible to guarantee success every time. ALL wine and food pairings are gambles. The good news is that it's impossible to ruin a good meal if you select a wine that you enjoy.

"N" is for Noodles

When pairing wine to one’s favorite noodle dish, the rule of thumb is to consider the sauce. The old rule states that we should pair white wines to white sauces, such as Alfredo and red wine to red sauces like tomato-based versions. While this rule certainly is a great starting point, also consider the noodle’s shape and consistency and match this to the sauce’s weight and texture. Said another way, marry the weight of the sauce to the density of the noodle to the weight of the wine. Otherwise, one element will dominate the others, causing the combination to be imbalanced in flavour and texture.

For example, thin, delicate noodles like angel hair or thin spaghetti are best served with light-style, thin sauces (broths) that partner well with delicate or lighter styled wines (non-oaked Chardonnay.)

Thicker noodles like fettuccine are an ideal partner for heavier sauces (meat-based), and therefore work well with heavier style wines (Cabernet Sauvignon.)

Noodles with holes or ridges -- mostaccioli (two-inch long macaroni tubes) or radiatore (about one inch long and half an inch in diameter chunks that resemble tiny radiators with rippled edges) – are great for chunkier sauces (seafood or meat) and work with big, bold wines – big, bold whites and/or big, bold reds.

Rotini (spirals) is a twisted noodle that holds bits of meat, vegetables and cheese, so it works well with heavy or chunky sauces. Capellini (angel hair) is delicate in texture and so is best suited to thinner, delicate sauces. Manicotti can be stuffed with a mixture of meat, cheese and vegetables, topped with your favorite sauce and bake.

With so many heavy and competing flavours, Manicotti is best matched to a big, full-bodied wine (Cabernet or Zinfandel.) Farfalle (bow ties) is thick enough for any sauce. Medium and wide egg noodles can be baked, tossed in soups or salads, or topped with cream, tomato, cheese or meat sauces.

Spaghetti and linguine are the perfect choice for nearly any sauce, while fettuccini is great for heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato sauces. Rigatoni's ridges and holes are perfect with any sauce, from cream or cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces.

Here’s a few ideas for pairing ideas:

Tomato-based sauces with capellini noodles pair well with a light to medium red like Pinot Noir.

Spicy tomato-based sauces with farfalle, spaghetti or linguine pair well with light, fruity reds with good acidity, such as Pinot Noir.

Pesto with gnocci (potato dumpling pasta) pairs well with a big, fat Chardonnay.

Blue cheese sauces with gnocci, fettuccini or rigatoni pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel.

White cheese sauces with fettuccini or rigatoni pair well with a big, fat Chardonnay.

Herb sauces with angel hair pair well with light, fruit reds, as well.

Cream-based sauces with gnocci or fettuccini pair well with a big fat Chardonnay.

Meat sauces with gnocci or fettuccini or rigatoni pair well with a big, bold Cabernet.

Oil-based sauces (olive oil and garlic) with spaghetti or linguini pair well with a big, fat Chardonnay.

"M" is for Moscato grapes

I rarely drink sweet wines. However, I just discovered a sparkling one on the LCBO’s new general list that I plan on consuming quite regularly on hot days this summer, and I plan to serve it to my guests after barbecue entertaining.

Petalo Il Vino Dell’Amore Moscato Bottega (CSPC # 588780, $14.20, LCBO, Ontario), (SKU #580993, $17.99, B.C. Liquor Stores, B.C.) is a bubbly produced from Moscato grapes grown on the hills of Veneto, Italy. The area is renowned for rose growing, and so it is said that during flowering the bees transfer the delicate perfume from the roses to the wine, hence the name, ‘wine of love.’

Light-bodied and refreshing, Petalo possesses delicious, juicy tangerine and peach aromas and flavours. It’s like experiencing a liquid fruit salad in a flute glass. After all, it has a sugar code of 9! Best of all, this bubbles seems to sparkle forever, a nifty value –added element found in few inexpensive sparklers.

This wine attains its fresh and fruity character, not only from the Moscato grape, but through the winemaking practices. The juice undergoes a soft pressing and short fermentation, believed to release the fresh, fragrant character from the grapes. A secondary fermentation at low pressure allows the wine to retain its natural sweetness, while only reaching a minimal alcohol level of 6.5%. This fresh fruity character and low alcohol makes Petalo ideal for daytime sipping. Wines with higher alcohol often make us feel too sluggish in the sun.

Petalo is so delicious I would serve it throughout an entire evening. Hand a glass to your friends upon their arrival at your home. The appetizers served can harmonize with the wine, as well, such as warmed brie stuffed with fresh peaches, spicy coconut shrimp and melon wrapped in prosciutto. Pour your guests another glass for dinner to serve alongside a hot and spicy Thai or East Indian curry over rice or, instead, barbecued tuna or chicken topped with a peach and strawberry salsa. For those of you who don’t like to cook, order in Hawaiian pizza with pineapples. The meal could end with a glass of Petula accompanied by a bowl of tangerine wedges with a hefty dollop of frozen yogurt, poached peaches in sabayon, grilled apples with vanilla ice-cream or a hot slice of rhubarb-apple pie with a spoonful of clotted cream.

This wine of love is also the best gift to express your love for that romantic brunch, your next wedding celebration, a new baby arrival or for baptisms and birthdays.

"L" is for Lasagna

Lasagna is a flat noodle about two inches wide, often with ruffled edges. To create this delicious dish, boiled lasagna noodles are layered with cheese and sauce. The cheese variety and type of sauces used is strictly up to the cook. Most sauces, however, are some derivative of meat, tomato or Bechamel sauce. Bechamel, named after the inventor Louis de Bechamel XIV, is pronounced “bay-shah-MEHL”. This Italian word describes a basic French white sauce consisting of flour, butter and milk.

While the noodle style determines the foundation of this dish, there are thousands of other interesting and delicious variations. There’s meatless and cheeseless Vegan Lasagna, Polenta Lasagna, Tofu, Wild Mushroom, Veal, Chicken Florentine, Turkey and Vegetable, Balsamic Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Crab and Lobster, and even Passover Egglplant Lasagna. The list is endless.

What’s great about this particular dish, is that its creation is virtually “idiot-proof.” There are a few tips to keep in mind, however. For example, do not add oil to your boiling water. Simply stir the noodles consistently to keep them from sticking together. Adding oil keeps the noodles from absorbing the sauce while baking. Leave the noodles slightly undercooked. They should be flexible but firm. The reason is that the noodles will continue to cook while baking and absorb some of the sauce. Refrain from rinsing the noodles, as well, as this washes away flavour. The no-boil noodles work well, but are thinner than the traditional ones and so yield a thinner tasting dish. This dish is time consuming to create, so make a large batch and freeze the remainder. Butter the baking dish before you line it with sauce. This will keep your noodles from sticking and falling apart.

Marrying wine to your Lasagna follows the same rule as any other pasta dish. Consider the sauce and type of flesh added. White sauces call for white wines. White sauces with heavy cheese need big, oak aged whites with enough weight and texture to stand up to the fattiness in cheese. The ‘ol style oak fermented and/or aged Chardonnays are an excellent choice. Tomato based, vegetarian, veal or chicken versions work well with light to medium-bodied, fruity red wines offering good acidity, such as Chianti (not Reserva), Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Burgundy, etc. Lasagna with meat sauce and/or game requires full-bodied reds. “Super Tuscans” are an excellent choice. These reds came into vogue in the late 1980s and gained international attention. The wines were sold as table wines because their use of international varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, made them ineligible for official wine categories. A super Tuscan can be produced from just about any grape variety, such as from a pure Sangiovese to a complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with a hint of Pinot Noir. They are often expensive, so serve them with Lasagna when you’re interested in impressing your guests. For everyday Lasagna, a full-bodied Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon will do the trick.

"K" is for Keeping Wine

While teaching my course at Fleming College called ‘An Introduction to Wine’, one of my participants asked the question, “How long does wine keep in the bottle once opened?”

This is a frequently asked question. Many wine lovers open a bottle of wine to enjoy a glass or two. But what do you do with the wine that is left over? How do you keep it fresh once the bottle is opened?

A wine’s style helps to determine its life span in an opened bottle. Champagne and sparkling wine have the shortest life span. Inferior sparkling wines will lose their effervesce quickly, so drink them to the last drop once the bottle is opened. If produced in the traditional methode champenoise, sparkling wine and Champagne can last a couple of days in the refrigerator, if re-corked.

White table wines have a relatively short life span, as well. When re-corked and refrigerated, a white wine will stay fresh for a couple of days. They will still be drinkable, but may lose some of their wonderful aromas and flavours. Some white wines with excellent acidity, such as white Burgundy, can often retain its character over a few days. White dessert wines, because they are generally high in the preservatives called alcohol and sugar, will keep longer when re-corked and refrigerated, sometimes weeks.

Red wines have a love and hate relationship with oxygen. While older vintages are decanted to remove sediment, young reds are decanted so they are exposed to oxygen so they can breath. Decanting allows for the wine’s aromas and flavours to open up. However, if exposed to oxygen for a few days without being re-corked and refrigerated, the wine will soon oxidize and eventually turn to vinegar.

If you intend to store an opened bottle of white or red wine overnight to drink the remainder on the following day, then re-cork the bottle and put it into the refrigerator, standing upright. Chilling the wine helps to slow the oxidation process. I do this regularly, as a bottle of wine rarely lasts more than two days in my house. If I am refrigerating a half bottle of quality wine, I will add a splash of vegetable oil to the bottle. The oil film helps to keep the wine from air exposure left inside the bottle, even after it is re-corked.

If you want to prolong the life span of your wine for up to a week, consider investing in a vacuum pump. This gadget pumps out air, before you re-cork the bottle. You can purchase pumps, such as the VacuVin. To use this device, you attach the rubber stopper to the bottle’s rim. The vacuum is attached to the top of the rubber stopper and air is sucked from the bottle. Some wine aficionados believe this method also draws out the wine’s subtle characteristics.

Scott A. Farmer of California’s Private Reserve developed a spray product called Private Reserve made from a mixture of various gasses (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon) to be used to lengthen a wine’s life span. This is a gas that is sprayed into the opened bottle before it is re-corked. A gas film covers the wine and slows the oxidation process. When using spray products to keep wine fresh, be sure to push the cork into the bottle until it is level with the rim.