2. TODAY’S DISCOVERIES:
Wine & Food Pairing Guidelines
Port
Madiera
Brief Overview of:
Australia
New Zealand
South America
South Africa
3. Wine and Food Pairing:
a talent to be honed
Chardonnay?
Zinfandel?
Cabernet?
4. Though wine and Food pairing is
intricate and diverse, there are
some basic rules one can follow.
It’s not just the protein that is
paired, but everything on the plate
in balance; like the wine.
5. Grüner Veltliner
When a dish has lots of
fresh herbs…
Austrian Grüner Veltliner’s
citrus-and-clover scent is
lovely when there are lots of
fresh herbs in a dish. Other
go-to grapes in a similar style
include Albariño from Spain
and Vermentino from Italy.
Pinot Grigio
Pairs with seafood…
Light seafood dishes seem
to take on more flavor
when matched with equally
delicate white wines, such
as Pinot Grigio or Arneis
from Italy as well as a
Chablis from France.
6. Off-Dry Riesling
Pairs with sweet &
spicy dishes…
The slight sweetness of
many Rieslings,
Gewürztraminers and
Vouvrays helps tame the
heat of spicy Asian and
Indian dishes.
Moscato d’Asti
Loves fruit desserts…
Moderately sweet
sparkling wines such as
Moscato d’Asti, Demi-Sec
Champagne and Asti
Spumante help emphasize
the fruit in the dessert,
rather than the sugar.
7. ML/Oak y Chardonnay
For fatty fish or fish in a
rich sauce…
Silky whites—for instance,
Chardonnays from California,
Chile or Australia, are
delicious with fish like salmon
or any kind of seafood in a
lush sauce
Rosé Champagne
Great with dinner, not
just hors d’oeuvres…
Rosé sparkling wines, such as
Rosé Champagne, Cava and
sparkling wine from
California, have the depth of
flavor and richness to go with
a wide range of entrées
8. Dry Rosé
For rich, cheesy dishes…
Some cheeses go better with
white wine, some with red;
yet almost all pair well with
dry rosé, which has the
acidity of white wine and the
fruit character of red.
Pinot Noir
Great for dishes with
earthy flavors…
Recipes made with
mushrooms and truffles
taste great with reds like
Pinot Noir and Dolcetto,
which are light-bodied but
still full of savory depth.
9. Traditional Tuscan dishes, for example, have
evolved along with Tuscan wines over centuries,
and have resulted in a symbiotic relationship
with each complimenting the other.
Old World Wines and Old World
dishes are intrinsically good together
10. Malbec, etc.
Stands up to strong
sweet & spicy barbecue
sauces…
Malbec, Shiraz and Côtes-
du-Rhône are big and bold
enough to drink with foods
brushed with heavily spiced
barbecue saucesCabernet Sauvignon
Great with red meat…
California Cabernet,
Bordeaux and Bordeaux-
style blends are terrific with
steaks or chops; their firm
tannins refresh the palate
after each bite of meat.
11. Syrah, etc.
Matches with highly-
spiced dishes…
When a meat is heavily
seasoned, look for a red
wine with lots of spicy
notes. Syrah from
Washington, Cabernet
Franc from France and
Xinomavro from Greece are
all good choices.
Zinfandel, etc.
For pâtés & mousses…
If you can use the same
adjectives to describe a wine
and a dish, the pairing will
often work. For instance, the
words rustic and rich describe
Zinfandel, Italy’s Nero d’Avola
and Spain’s Monastrell wines,
as well as duck liver mousse.
12. But what about wine and cheese?
Because wine and cheese are both natural
products that improve with age, they have limitless
combinations, pairing well as their flavors evolve
The acid in wine and the fat in cheese compliment
each other well, as one provides what the other lacks
Many cheeses also help to soften the tannins in
wine, creating a fuller and fruitier taste
New cheese varieties, many incorporating creative
flavors/ingredients, provide new pairing possibilities
13.
14. Portugal
Though Portugal has recently emerged with
some fabulous still wines, we will focus on
their main claim to fame:
Madiera and Port
16. PORT WINE HISTORY
Established in 1756, the port wine producing Douro
region of Portugal is the third-oldest protected wine
region in the world after the Tokaj-Helgaja region in
Hungary, established in 1705, and Chianti, in 1716
Port became very popular in England after the Methuen
Treaty of 1703, when merchants were permitted to
import it at a low duty, while war with France deprived
them of French wine
The long trip to England often resulted in spoiled wine, so
the fortification with brandy was introduced to improve
the shipping and shelf-life of the wine for its journey
The continued English involvement in the port trade can
be seen in the names of many port shippers: Cockburn,
Croft, Dow, Gould, Graham, Osborne, Offley, Sandeman,
Taylor and Warre being amongst the best known
17. PORT WINE
Brandy began to be added during fermentation to
kill the yeast and leave un-fermented sugar
Subsequently, Ports have a reputation for being
higher in alcohol, noticeably sweeter, with more
body and palate density than other still wines
The two styles of Port, therefore, pair well with
desserts, as they accommodate a number of
dessert options with ease and added versatility
Ports also pair well with many cheeses. Ruby
Port, for example, is traditionally paired with
Stilton blue-vein cheese
18. PORT WINE STYLES
Port wines can be split into two distinct
categories:
Wood-Aged (Tawny color)
Bottle-Aged (Ruby color)
The only true bottle aged port is a Vintage Port
Port starts life as a red wine (unless, of
course, it is a “White Port”) and then it's
typically aged in wood casks or in the
bottle (if it’s a Vintage Port)
19. PORT WINE STYLES II
Basic Ruby Ports are inexpensive and made
from a mix of both grapes and vintages and are
“aged” 1 year in oak and 2 years in the bottle
However, they do not technically continue to age in
the bottle because they are already oxidized and are
designed to be consumed young
Tawny Ports are lighter (in color and body) as
they spend more time in oak; their color fades
from ruby, to brick, and ultimately to mahogany
The taste becomes nuttier and develops the rich
caramelized flavors of dried figs, dates and prunes
20. TAWNY PORT STYLES
Tawny ports are commonly classified in 10,
20, or 30 year designations which refer to a
the average of a blend of various vintages
Tawny Ports come in three different styles:
Colheita: Made from grapes that all share the
same vintage year
Crusted: An un-filtered Tawny that develops
visible sediment (“crust”), which then needs to
be decanted before serving
Indicated Age: Made from grape blends that
are older in average age
21. VINTAGE PORT
Vintage Ports are made of blended grapes from
various vineyards which are all from the same
vintage year; hence the name
Aged 6 months in oak and then bottled (unfiltered
and not oxidized) and aged for another 20 years!
As a direct result of this long-term aging, one can
expect a pretty heavy layer of sediment, requiring
decanting and a good bit of aeration prior to
consumption
If Ruby Ports are entry-level, then Vintage Ports
represent the upper-echelon of quality and cost
22. LBV PORT
A classification that is commonly mistaken with
Vintage Port is "Late-Bottled Vintage" Port (LBV)
Originally wine that had been destined for bottling as
Vintage Port, but because of lack of demand was left
in the barrel for longer than had been planned
Over time it has become two distinct styles of wine,
both of them bottled between four and six years after
the vintage, but one style is fined and filtered before
bottling, while the other is not
LBV provides some of the experience of drinking a
Vintage Port without the need for lengthy bottle aging
23. WHITE PORT
As the name implies, White Port is derived
from white grape varietals and can be made
in both the very dry to semi- sweet styles
White Port is typically fruitier on the palate
and a bit fuller-bodied than other fortified
white wines
Often served as an aperitif, this particular
Port has found favor as a replacement for
Gin in a “Port & Tonic” on the rocks
24. MADEIRA
Madeira is a fortified white wine that is
available in several different styles of dry to
sweet variations
The base white wine is fortified with neutral
grape spirits at differing points during
fermentation, depending on the level of
sweetness the maker is going for; the more
sweet the Madeira, the earlier point in
fermentation the base wine was fortified
25. MORE MADEIRA MY DEAR…
Madeira is a unique wine because it is not
only fortified and oxidized, but also “cooked”
under controlled temperatures in special
buildings called “Estufagems”, making for
an indestructible wine
In fact, the term “Maderization” refers to the
process of oxidizing and heating a wine
Madeira is typically an amber-colored gem
of a wine with caramel and nutty flavors
26. MADEIRA GRAPES AND STYLES
Sercial: A white wine grape that is used to
produce a dry-style of Madeira, which is
served as an aperitif with salty foods, olives,
almonds, walnuts, and broth-based soups
Verdelho: A white wine grape used to make
a semi-dry variation of Madeira, which is
served with richer appetizers like prosciutto,
fancy mushroom dishes or caviar
27. MADEIRA GRAPES AND STYLES II
Bual: A white grape that makes a semi-
sweet Madeira, which is served as a dessert
wine with fruit-based or caramel desserts
Malmsey: A white grape that makes the
sweetest, richest, most full-bodied Madeira,
which is an excellent dessert wine that is
commonly paired with cheesecake, flan,
tiramisu, crème brûlée or dark chocolate-
based desserts
28. GENERIC MADEIRA
A “Generic" Madeira labeling basically
denotes that the wine is not made from
one of the four key noble grape varietals
It will also typically come with a "hint" on
the label as to whether it is:
Sweet (Doce)
Medium-Sweet (Meio-Doce)
Dry (Seco)
29. MADEIRA AGING CLASSIFICATIONS
Finest: Aged for a mere three years
Reserve: Aged for five years
10 & 15-Year: As the name implies; aged
for 10 or 15 years
Vintage: Dated for a specific year
30. AUSTRALIA
In just 200 years, Australia's wine industry has
become renowned throughout the world for their
quality, innovation and depth
Consistently one of the top-ten wine producing
countries in the world
Australia is such a large country, that almost every
climate and soil type can be found on the continent
One of the few countries that produces every one of
the major wine styles:
Reds, whites, fortified wines (such as port), sweet wines,
and sparkling wines
31. AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION
Australia also has some of the oldest-surviving
original Vitis Vinifera vines in the world
Since many of Europe's established vineyards were
destroyed by disease in the 1800’s, some of the only
survivors had been brought to Australia
In order to preserve these, Australian viticulturists
have developed cutting-edge vine-management
techniques now used throughout the world
Also developed methods using fewer chemicals
The home of the wine cask (aka “bag in the box”), it
was invented and patented in Australia in 1965
32. AUSTRALIAN WINE REGIONS
Wine is produced in every Australian province,
with more than 60 designated wine regions
However, Australia’s wine regions are mainly in
the southern, cooler parts of the country, with
vineyards located in:
South Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
Tasmania
Queensland
33. AUSTRALIAN WINE REGIONS
The wine regions in each of these states produce
different wine varieties and styles that take
advantage of the particular Terroir such as:
Climatic differences, topography and soil types
With the major varieties being predominantly:
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot,
Semillon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, & Sauvignon Blanc
Wines are often labeled with the grape variety,
which must constitute at least 85% of the wine
34. NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand wine is distinctive for its purity,
vibrancy and intensity
The long ripening period (a result of cool
temperatures) allows flavor development
whilst retaining fresh acidity, a balance for
which New Zealand wines are renowned
New Zealand is home to what many wine
critics consider the world’s best Sauvignon
Blancs
35. NEW ZEALAND WINE REGIONS
There are a number of distinct major
winegrowing regions spread throughout New
Zealand, with the majority on the East coast of
the Islands in the rain shadow of the mountains
Within these diverse regions, sub-regional
characteristics are beginning to show through
and wines are now being distinguished as being
not just from a wine region, but from a sub-
region and a place
36. Historically,
French Sauvignon
Blancs have been
considered the
world’s best,
especially the
Loire’s Sancerre
and Pouilly Fumé
New Zealand’s
stellar Sauvignon
Blancs, however,
have garnered
quite a world-wide
reputation
37. SOUTH AMERICA
The wine producing nations of South America are
making great strides in improving the quality of
their product
Chilean wines are the most predominant on the
foreign market
Argentina, Chile's larger neighbor, is increasing
quality, and is beginning to make an impact
As well as these two countries, there is also a
small amount of wine coming out of Uruguay
38. CHILE
West of the Andes, Chile's climate varies from
the heat of the arid, rocky, mountainous desert to
the north and the icy, Antarctic expanse in the
south
Midway between the two are the warm, fertile
valleys that are home to this nation's vineyards
Like many New World nations Chile has only
made an impact on the foreign market in the
past decade, viticulture has been established
here for centuries
39. CHILE II
There are a wide selection of international
varieties planted, including:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay
In truth, much of what was once thought to be
Merlot has recently been correctly identified as
Carménère, a rarely-planted Bordeaux variety
Many wineries are bottling Carménère as a
varietal, though it continues to be common to
blend it with Merlot
40. ARGENTINA
Malbec, historically thought of as a minor blending
Bordeaux variety, is behind some of Argentina's top
reds and has become a trendy choice for
consumers
Torrontés is another interesting Argentine grape; a
white variety with some character
With good winemaking, this variety can produce fresh
and aromatic wines, not unlike those made from Muscat
Some of the world’s highest altitude wineries are
found in Argentina
41. SOUTH AFRICA
The heart of the South Africa’s wine industry
encompasses the Cape Peninsula and the
Coastal region, both of which are exposed to
the maritime influences of the Atlantic and
Indian oceans
A significant development in the South African
wine industry has been the enforcement of the
“wines of origin” (WO) program, which
dictates the way that wine regions are defined
and how they appear on wine labels
One of the main features of the program is that
a wine stating a WO on its label must be made
exclusively from grapes grown in those areas.
42. SOUTH AFRICA II
South Africa demonstrates a mix of Old and New
World winemaking styles
Its sparkling wine, and the majority of still wines, follow
New World winemaking practices
There are many well-known fortified and dessert wines
which are more in line with their Old World
counterparts
Diverse grape varietals are grown in South Africa:
Chenin Blanc (locally know as “Steen”) and Chardonnay
top the list of whites
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are notable reds
Pinotage is another important variety and produces a
signature-style of South African reds
43. Wine # 1
Vintage: 2010
Name:Pinotage
Producer: MAN Vintners
Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Wine # 2
Vintage: 2010
Name: Morse Code Shiraz
Producer: Henry’s Drive
Region: Padthaway, Australia
45. Tasting & Wine Evaluation
Let’s Taste Our Wines:
See: (color/clarity), Swirl & Sniff: (viscosity &
aromas; F.E.W.), Sip: (mouth-feel & flavor),
Swallow: or expectorate, Savor: the finish
Take a minute to savor your wine:
15 seconds Mouth-feel
30 seconds Fruit flavors & body
45 seconds Are other flavors present?
1 minute Tannins, length of flavors
46.
47. Fermented in stainless steel tanks over 5 days with
frequent pump-overs. The skins were removed and the
wine was pressed and racked back to tank for completion of
alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.
20% of the wine was matured in American oak barrels
(25% new) for 6 months. 15% Shiraz was added for its silky
tannin structure and spicy fruit flavors.
A small portion of the Pinotage was co-fermented with
Viognier to enhance the aromatics. After further tank
maturation, the wine was fined and filtered, then bottled.
Vintage conditions: Good winter rains in 2009 kept
vineyards healthy throughout summer. Excellent ripening
conditions started the 2010 season, with cool temperatures
prevailing. Strong winds resulted in some crop loss, but
increased concentration of flavors in remaining fruit.
2010 MAN Vintners, Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South
Africa
48. It all started as a simple plan: to make a wine
that we’d love to buy. We wanted quality wine that
offered excellent value and great packaging. Not
exactly an epiphany, perhaps, but enough to
motivate us into action.
Of course, first we had to come up with a name.
To keep peace in the families, we took our wives’
initials (we each have one wife) - that is how we
explained to Marie, Anette and Nicky that we were
going to be “busy” most weekends. “It’s for you!”
we told them. And mostly it’s true.
Fun Information about MAN!
49. Morse Code Shiraz is a fruit driven wine made with minimal
oak contact to allow the fruit flavors and regional characters to
be at the forefront. With lifted floral lavender, spearmint, plum,
cherry fruit and hints of spice and licorice this is a very
aromatic wine.
The palate is medium-bodied and elegant with fleshy plum
fruit and cool climate rose and lavender characters as well as
hints of spearmint; finishing with a soft and smooth tannin
structure.
Vinification: The vineyards destined for the Morse Code
Shiraz are harvested when flavour ripe, and fermented on
skins for a period of 5 days. Only the free run fraction of the
wines is selected for the Morse Code as we aim to have a soft
rounded palate with a velvety finish. It is matured for a period
of around 12 months and a small proportion of the wine
Henry’s Drive, Morse Code Shiraz, Padthaway, Australia
50. Simply put, this is a big, big wine and an outstanding value. It
has a sappy, black cherry and blackberry nose woven with
bright perfumed accents. The palate is full and fruity, with
slightly jammy blackberry and plum flavors. There’s a little
cocoa on the finish, which is relatively short. I’d like it if it had
a touch more tannin, but it’s still a great wine at this price!
Another opinion:
Admittedly this is a rustic version of the Malbec grape, but it
offers full-throttle black and blue fruit scents and flavors
underscored by notes of bitter chocolate, licorice and
lavender and a touch of Malbec’s cedary, leafy, dried thyme
quality. Tannins are a touch roughshod but essential and
enjoyable too, in a sort of “these-boots-are-made-for walkin’”
way. Call it succulent AND brutish
2011 Diseno Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
51. Amber golden in color, soft and rich on the
palate with a fine and mellow fruit flavor
blending in with the almond overtones of
prolonged cask aging.
A very fine Port to be savored in a
reasonable sized glass so that the aromas
and color can be appreciated. Serve slightly
chilled in warm weather.
Dow’s Tawny Port, Portugal