Matching Up

October 3, 2011


Last night I was fortunate enough to be a part of the first wine and food pairing collaboration between La Tour Wine Merchants and Spare Parts Bistro. The coming together of two extremely detail oriented and talented people made for a very special evening of food and wine. In short, I have to say that it is a rare occasion for harmony to be found so completely and with such apparent ease as the pairings that were presented to each lucky guest. What struck me the most with each progressing course was the balance of each and every piece working together to achieve a complex and coherent whole.

Amuse Bouche - Pork Fat Carmel Corn
N.V. Domaine Allimant-Laugner Crémant d'Alsace Rosé**+
A light and sweet opening course that displayed a touch of savory notes that was a great counterpart to the bright acidity and fruitiness of the Pinot Noir based bubbles.

Salt-roasted Fingerling potato, Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche, Shallot, Tobiko
2010 Le Galatin, Bandol Rose**+
This pairing was all about balance and letting every note have its moment to shine. Even the smoked salmon was a team player and didn’t over power.

Heirloom Tomato Soup, Bacon, Taleggio, Sourdough Bread
2010 Erste & Neue St. Magdalener "Grobnerhof," Schiava/Lagrein**+
Wonderfully comforting soup and grilled cheese course that was paired with a light and fruity red from Northern Italy that also had enough acid to not get lost while standing up to the tomatoes.

Local Rock Crab, Lane Farms Corn, Jalapeno, Cilantro
2006 Erben Von Beulwitz Kaseler Niles'chen, Riesling Kabinett en Magnum***
Maybe my favorite course. Fantastic sweetness that never got cloying. The sweet and brine of the crab, was hightened with the sweet corn while pairing wonderfully with a delicious Riesling that stood toe to toe with the food and even added to the dish with wonderful acidity.

2009 Domaine Montpertuis, Chateauneuf du Pape**
A nice interlude to keep our palates sharp and not give us one moment to rest.

Garlic Fennel Sausage, Polenta, Wild Mushrooms, Madeira
2008 Confuron-Cotetidot, Bourgogne Rouge**+
A fantastic savory combination on both fronts. The creamy polenta was embellished with home-made sausage and local wild mushrooms. While the wine added a touch of red fruit and continued the earthiness of the mushrooms.

House-made Ricotta, Honey, Berries, Mint
1989 Domaine Brunet, Demi-Sec Vouvray****
A subtle yet elegant finish to the meal. The ricotta was rustic and delicious with the locally grown berries. At the same time, the Vouvray was absolutely tantalizing on the nose offering layers of candied fruits, minerality, and honeysuckle.

A huge thank you goes out to Graham for putting all of this together and making sure that I could be apart of it. The food, wine, and conversation all played a huge part in another wonderful experience living La Dolce Vita.


Cheers!


0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*) - Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**) - A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***) - Great wine that should be searched out
4 Stars (****) - Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****) - An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!


Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.