Now Let's Pair...

March 05, 2019

The only thing better than finding a great wine you love, is to find the perfect pairing of food to go with it! There are a few simple rules of thumb that can help you make choices that will enhance both the wine and the food when combined. One approach is to pair dishes from a specific region to wines that are native to that region. Another good tip is that opposites often attract. For example, a dish heavier in cream or butter might pair well with an acidic, clean tasting wine. Ultimately, food and wine pairing is not an exact science and we highly encourage taste testing as many different combinations as possible! Read on for a few dishes from our kitchens with suggestions on wines that are a good match.

Escargots Bourguignons from Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro Order adventurously and try these delicacies. Pair this dish with a wine from Burgundy which is where the snails come from. The snails are buried in a rich garlic-parsley butter and mushrooms blanketed with a flaky pastry crust. Opt for a white burgundy, such as Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils 2016, and the neutral flavor of the chardonnay grapes will let the snails and all of that delicious butter take center stage. Grab a seat at Lake Park Bistro for lunch or dinner and order to your heart’s content.

Strauss Veal Porterhouse from Bacchus Served with marble potato salad, spinach, grainy mustard vinaigrette, and veal jus, this dish is a savory favorite at Bacchus. General Manager and Sommelier Patrick Erdman suggests a Rhône Valley wine as a perfect pairing, specifically the Santa Duc, “Vieilles Vignes” Côtes du Rhône France 2015. Patrick recommends this wine because “it’s smokey and rich, complex and full-bodied, and is able to cut through the rich flavor of the tender beef. “

Grilled Tuna Entrée at Harbor House This deliciously grilled tuna is served with fresh spinach, avocado, Honeycrisp apples, walnuts, chickpeas, with a citrus vinaigrette. General Manager and Sommelier Christian Damiano recommends pairing this dish with “a white Bordeaux, specifically our Châteaux Villa Bel Air Graves 2016. This particular bottle is pretty consistent year over year and when served at cellar temperature (50 degrees or so) it really opens up and becomes less acidic. The sauvignon blanc and Semillon grapes develop an elegant balance of ripe stone fruit and mild acidity to cut through the heartiness of a fish like tuna.”