Great Reference Book

I wanted to cook dinner for my roommates last night. However, I didn’t know what I wanted to make but I knew what wine I wanted to drink. So I used a great reference book for pairings called Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food by Evan Goldstein. It’s a helpful book because he breaks it down into different grape varietals, styles and how to pair with each. He also offers producer recommendations for the different grape varietals and recipes from his mother.

I knew I wanted to drink my 2006 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé which is a Chardonnay from Burgundy. I simply flipped to the Chardonnay section of the book where Evan Goldstein offers different recipes to pair with different styles of Chardonnay [Burgundy-style, New World style and rich, buttery style]. I clearly went with the Burgundy-style recipe, which was grilled, herb-marinated fish on a bed of white beans. I chose swordfish but he also recommends either albacore tuna or sea bass. It was a great pairing and my roommates loved it! The wine was a little restrained but once it opened up it showed subtle notes of apple, honey and minerality which highlighted the herbal components of the dish. 

You can learn more about wine and food pairings and view some great new recipes at his website www.winecouch.com or pick up his book at Amazon.com for $20.