Pairings

A tasty morsel
«Restoranny bisnes» №11 December 2004

Recommendations to truffles, foie gras and Angus beef as part of an article on delicatessen.

Truffles
There is a belief that white truffles of Alba reach ideal harmony of flavours with old vintages of champagne (Dom Perignon 1959). For more accessible combinations try aged red wines of Piedmont — Barolo and Barbaresco, for instance Marchesi di Gresy Martinenga Barbaresco 1997. Wines of the Northern Rhone, such as Jean-Luc Colombo Les Mejeans Cornas 1997, are especially good with dishes of game and truffles.

Foie gras
Foie gras and sauternes is a classic gastronomic pairing. It is built on the principle of matching rich wine with rich food. Try to pick a concentrated, yet fresh sauternes, like Chateau Coutet 1999. A foie gras is also a specialty of Alsace, you can match the delicacy with wines of the region, for example with Schoffit Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos Saint-Theobald Grand Cru selection de grains nobles 1998.

Angus beef
A claret or a Bordeaux-style wine tend to be the best choice for Angus beef. Refined, rather than powerful wines, like Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon 2000 from California go best with haute-cuisine. Steaks will manage strong, but elegant wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec. An example of the latter is Argentinean Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Reserva 2001.