LeDomduVin: Food & Wine Pairing

Food & Wine Pairing

The essence of a Sommelier's job is to buy wine and pair it with food. The sommelier must therefore have vast knowledge and skills not only in wine but also in food. However, in most cases, the sommelier buys and pairs wines without really knowing the food with which the wine will be paired.

First, a sommelier does not necessarily taste all the dishes prepared by the chef and/or may not know the menu in advance but still must plan some wines based either on basic info about the menu (e.g., starter, fish, meat, cheese, and dessert) and/or the desired types of wine and the approximate budget per bottle.

One might think that, ideally, all the dishes are or should be tasted by the restaurant staff, to be able to describe and recommend them to the customers, yet, it is not the case in most restaurants.

Secondly, a sommelier does not necessarily taste all the wines he/she buys either. One might think that it is the case, but, in fact, no. More precisely with sought-after, expensive, and/or niche wines, often allocated due to small productions or limited quantities due to high demand.

A sommelier is like a tightrope walker juggling with seasonal wine selections that must be sufficiently versatile, open-minded, layered, sophisticated, and well-rounded, in terms of prices and choices, not only to satisfy the tastes, moods, and desires of the customers but also to match as best as possible, with the dishes on the menu (and the restaurant’s type too).

In fact, a sommelier must be a worldly person, experienced and knowledgeable about the practical and social aspects of life, culture, and traditions, to buy wine not only based on his/her palate, experiences, and tastes, but also on his/her gut’s feeling, producer’s reputation, press, and critic’s tasting notes and scores, and of course, better judgment, especially when he/she cannot taste the wine.

Curious and epicurean by nature, with a desire to always learn and discover and satisfy the customer’s needs, even if the wine and/or food cannot be tasted, a Sommelier must still know a little something about it to describe it and recommend it. Having a broad knowledge of food and wine is fundamental.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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Vin du lendemain...

Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée du Baron"2017

I bought this bottle the other day, late, at a local supermarket, as I needed a bottle for a last-minute event, for my son. 

I must say the selection at the local supermarket near my residence is really unimpressive, really bad I should say. 

However, amongst every other uninspiring bottle, I found this bottle, which was really the only one that talked to me at the moment. So, I bought it. 

Of course, my son forgot to bring the bottle to the event... so, I found this poor bottle alone in my kitchen and I could not leave it like this. I had to open it to give it a purpose. Yes, I know, I'm nice like this, I never let a bottle down or on her own. 😉

And the verdict: it is way too young to drink now and will take time to fully develop and attain its full potential. So, after drinking a glass of it, I decided to wait until the next day (today), to check if it would be better. 

And, 24h later, Hallelujah !!! (alleluia), even if still too young and still presenting a firm tannic structure and texture, it tasted much smoother, tamed, and integrated than the previous day.

Boasting dark berries and fruits, pepper, earth, a touch of spice, and more earthy notes and minerality, with oaky, toasted, and mocha nuances. 

It paired really well with the saucisson, as the fat mellowed down some of the edges of this wine. 

My advice, (for what it is worth), if you buy some, let it seats in your cellar for a while, as it is still too young to be enjoyed now. Yet, if you cannot wait, double decant it or open it and wait for the next day, it will be so much nicer. 

Cheers! Santé! And Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. 

Dom

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Guigal’s “La Las” wines 2014

This trio represents the epitome of both Guigal's portfolio and undoubtedly the best of what Côte Rôtie has to offer. There are amongst some of the most sought-after wines in the world. 

Domaine Guigal La Mouline 2014

The most feminine of the 3, La Mouline should always be served first when the 3 are presented together. From a vineyard planted on the Côte Blonde, with 89% Syrah and 11% Viognier, and vines averaging 75 years old, La Mouline is like a spring-blooming flower, exhibiting delicate floral aromas and violet scent, with dark and red berries fruits flavors, mingling with earthy minerals notes. Delicate, elegant, and charming. Very seductive, despite a certain tightness and restraint due to its very young age, this wine deserves time to express its full potential. 

Domaine Guigal La Turque 2014

Halfway between La Mouline and La Landonne, in terms of structure, texture, and taste, La Turque is the youngest and most approachable in its youth of the 3. Fuller and denser than La Mouline, but not as complex and rich as La Landonne, La Turque is crafted from a vineyard in the Côte Blonde planted with 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier on vines averaging 25 years old. complexity and quality. The resulting wine is supple, generous, sensual, with a strong expression of its terroir. 

Domaine Guigal La Landonne 2014

Crafted from 100% Syrah, from vines averaging 35 years old, planted in iron-rich clay and limestone on the Côte Brune, La Landonne is a complex and rich, more masculine wine, bursting with dark fruit flavors mingling with earthy, smoky, gamey meats and minerality notes. Surely the most layered, textured, and structured of the 3, La Landonne is also the one that takes the most time to fully develop, gaining in flavors and complexity as it ages, rewarding those who have the patience to wait for it. 

Although they showed well after 2 hours of decanting, they were still too young to be fully enjoyed, in my opinion, showing restraint and shyness (brought by a customer, so, no choice). Yet, personally, I will have left them in the cellar to mature a few years longer, to reach their full expressions. 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom 

@ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #guigal #ledomduvin #lesphotosadom #rhonevalley #rhone @domaineguigal

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2021 on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, drawings, illustrations, visuals, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).