I recently did a food and wine pairing event that went exceptionally well, and I wanted to share with you some of my pairings and the observations and reactions from guests on the results.
Here are the pairings and their tasty results:
 
Start the Night of Sparkling:
Segura Viudas Heredad Spanish Cava Reserva paired with Asian Nachos.  The Nachos were topped with salmon, ahi, and red snapper, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado over a spread of cream cheese.  This was a fantastic pair!  The creaminess of the cheese and avocado were refreshed by the snap of the Cava's lemony finish.  The delicate melon and mineral notes make a nice complement to the sushimi grade fish, neither overwhelming each other.  The sparkler was defnitely a hit, event the non-bubbly lovers were sucking it down!
 
The Femme Fatale of Grapes:
Kunde Estate Viognier, Sonoma paired with Alaskan King Crab Legs.   This pairing was created for those who love rich and voluptous whites.  This viognier isn't your over-the-top orange and peach fruit bomb like you see from many California producers, no, it has the weight of a full-bodied california white, but without any new oak or ML, it's only the fruit that shines through!  I chose the crab for it's sweeter and super rich flavor.  The pairing would have been dead-on, but the chef over-salted the crab, and you know what happens to wine when there's too much salt?  It makes it taste metallic and the crab too fishy.  Granted the fish was served cold, but if the crab was totally left in it's natural state, this wine would have been absolutely perfecto!  A bit bummed by this result.  This wine would have also stood up nicely to scallops or lobster (again not too much salt!!!!)
 
Bringing Back Merlot:
Luna Merlot, Napa paired with Filet Mignon Bites topped with horseradish sauce.  Right now is the perfect time to buy merlot.  Why?  Well, the tables have turned the other way around with Pinot NOir and Merlot.  Now you pay way too much for sub-par pinot, and way too little for killer Merlot.  This is a killer bottle of affordable merlot.  Luna uses biodynamic farming, again only the fruit shows through on this well-balanced red.  Smoked roasted walnuts, blackberry, figs and anise dominate the experience.  The tannins are all merlot: soft, lush, ripe.  Excellent acicidty to boot!  I choose filet to pair with Merlot because Filet, like merlot, has a softer and less gamey flavor.  A steak would've been overpowering to this red.  This pairing rocked and the Merlot was definitely brought back, as this was the first red to go!
 
Lamb and Shiraz!
Ok, it's a Shiraz-Viognier blend from Victoria, Australia.  This is the Terlato Chapoutier blend I blogged about last week (go and read it if you want more info.).  This pairing had the most wow-factor.  I choose shiraz to pair with the Rosemary and blue cheese topped lamb chops because lamb is intense and needs a bold and intense red to stand up to it.  In fact, the super ripe blackberries, plums, and blueberries with the lush tannins not only tempered the innate gameyness of the lamb, but the lamb brought out that 3% touch of viognier...the floral-violet flavors.  This pairing was the best because the wine made the lamb taste better and the lamb brought out new flavors to the wine. 
 
I encourage all of you to get out there and explore with your palates.  It's not that hard, just remember the basics: intense food or sauces require more intense wines, more delicate dishes and flavors require more delicate wines. And don't forget to factor in weight and intensity of tannins when you're pairing. If you have some menu ideas you want to run past me, I am all ears!
 
Happy Hedonism!
 
Lindsay Pomeroy
Director of Events and Marketing, VinVillage
Wine Director Dussini Mediterranean Bistro
Principal Consultant The Wine Smarties