megram - Index

megram - Guide To Spring Fun In Ottawa's West End - Index

Good value, low cost wine suggestions — in tasting order
1 Sparkling FREIXENET CARTA NEVADA BRUT, Spain LCBO 74757 $10.95
2 Sauvignon Blanc SANTA RITA SAUVIGNON BLANC, Chilé LCBO 23606 $10.45
3 Off-dry Riesling CAVE SPRING OFF-DRY RIESLING, Ontario LCBO 234583 $14.15
4 Chardonnay STREWN CHARDONNAY BARREL-AGED, Ontario LCBO 522730 $11.95
5 Pinot Noir PELEE ISLAND PINOT NOIR, Ontario LCBO 135939 $11.95
6 Merlot PASCUAL TOSO MERLOT, Argentina LCBO 35188 $12.95
7 Cabernet Sauvignon SANTA CAROLINA CAB SAUV RESERVE, Chilé LCBO 275925 $12.95
8 Shiraz HARDYS NOTTAGE HILL SHIRAZ, Australia LCBO 375964 $13.00
9 Dessert Wine AOC MAURY CROIX MILHAS, France LCBO 22822 (500ml) $7.95
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the palate between wines. After trying the wines alone, line
up the foods from light to heavy, with sweet last. Now try each
food item with each of the wines and see what happens. If
your first nibble is melba toast with goat cheese and toasted
walnut, chances are that the sparkling and the sauvignon
blanc might work very nicely — perhaps also the pinot noir.
But what do you think about that Chilean cabernet sauvignon
or the dessert wine? You’ll find some magical matches
and others that are truly repulsive. Perhaps you only vaguely
liked the sauvignon blanc on its own, but you might love it
with the goat cheese. How does it work with the chocolate?
The basic principles of wine and food matching mirror
what our palates enjoy. Tart food likes crisp, refreshing wine;
slightly sweet food likes off-dry wine; sweet desserts like an
even sweeter wine. Salty food likes low alcohol or off-dry
wine and dislikes lots of tannins or oak. Spicy food often
works with off-dry whites, rosé, or sparkling wines, or even
beer. Bitter foods like oak-aging and tannic wines. There are
many more guidelines and many exceptions. Hopefully,
your research will confirm some of them.
Keep thinking about what you eat and drink and I guarantee
you that, in time, the process will become more intuitive.
Not every match will be perfect, but you’ll have enormous
fun experimenting, encounter lots of surprises, and
enjoy a few occasions of pure bliss. Always taste the wine
before you eat to see whether you like it on its own. Then
you’ll be in a better position to assess the match.
Spring is here. Do some research, pull out your
favourite recipes, and follow your intuition to choose wines
to match. Cheers and bon appétit!
Carol Anderson is an accredited sommelier and an associate of The
Savvy Grapes, an Ottawa-based, award-winning wine and food
events company.
Due West/Due East Magazine • Spring 2008 Ottawa Page 8