Pairing wines with food: The fun part is tasting all the mixing and matching

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines are top sellers in the U.S., each with distinct flavors that give solid cues to their food complements.

Butter and olive oil

In brief, serve Chardonnay with recipes featuring butter and Sauvignon Blanc with recipes featuring olive oil. For wine geeky details: Chardonnay’s production techniques often create diacetyl, an organic compound that gives flavor to butter and “buttery” wine (in far less concentration than health-challenged microwave popcorn and e-cigarettes). So, following the primary pairing guideline – “Look for common denominators in wine and food” – it makes sense to serve wine with butter-like components with a buttery dish, like shrimp sautéed in butter. The Sauvignon Blanc grape contains methoxypyrazine, which endows these wines with green pepper, herbs, green olives and olive oil. So, serve your Sauvignon Blanc with shrimp sauteed in olive oil and herbs.

When your recipe combines butter and herbs, which cork should pop? To solve this culinary quandary, try a mix-and-match of wine and food.

Play with Your Food

Unless you eat and drink for a living, you may need to hone your palate memory. Palate memory tells you which is best on ice cream— hot fudge or ketchup. It also allows a trained sommelier to make on-the-spot recommendations, such as Pinot Noir rather than Cabernet for duck with cherries. Because each person has unique tastes, I often experiment by tasting several wines with each dish. (Someone’s got to do it.)

I conducted one such experiment with guests at Sunset Sips and Savory Supper at The Chopping Block. With Grilled Lobster Roll and Lemon-Tarragon Butter, we sniffed and slurped a delicately oaked Chardonnay, an unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, and, for good measure, a dry-ish Rosè. (See wine details below.) Our hard work paid off with fascinating results.

Folks always ask whether to taste wine or food first. Because I know the wine, I taste food first, being sure to coat my entire palate. Next, I taste wine, and finally – the important part – I wait. No talking, no thinking, just wait. A pause of about three seconds allows all flavors and textures to resolve, or “finish” in wine speak. After the relative quiet of tasting, TCB’s patio dining room was filled with spirited conversation.

And the Winner Is …

Our Rosè, with delicate sweetness, brought out the lobster’s so-called sweetness. While all agreed the wine was delicious, the pairing was our third choice. My palate memory encourages me to try a richer dressing – such as Thousand Island – for future experiments. (Here’s TCB’s recipe: https://www.thechoppingblock.com/recipe-grilled-lobster-rolls-with-lemon-tarragon-butter ).

A razor-thin second was our Sauvignon Blanc, which did its job by highlighting the tarragon. This pairing also satisfied the “Look for opposites that attract” guideline, with the wine’s direct acidity refreshing the creamy mayonnaise, for an overall lighter sensation. If my goal was to enhance Sauvignon Blanc, I would sprinkle in more tarragon. (The Sauvignon Blanc was a surprise favorite with grilled flank steak topped with herb-packed chimichurri.)

And while many were determined not to enjoy Chardonnay, most guests were enthused by the synergy of wine and butter, which created a more luxurious sensation than wine or food on its own.

Try this at Home

A mix-and-match tasting is a fun way to entertain and sure to stimulate conversation. Choose your own wines or ask your merchant for:

Chardonnay, Raeburn, Russian River Valley, CA, 2021: Layers of tree fruit, brown spice and vanilla flavors, grown in California’s prime Chardonnay region. Serve as a satisfying cocktail and complement to rich appetizers and seafood, vegetables and even meats, especially prepared with butter. Suggested retail price: $20

Sauvignon Blanc "Leyda Valley", Boya, Aconcagua, Chile, 2021: Vibrant, dry, and direct flavors of passionfruit and fresh herbs with lime-like acidity. A dynamic cocktail and complement to dishes prepared with herbs or citrus, including seafood, veggie cuisine and even meat. Suggested retail price: $21

Mencia Rosado, Liquid Geography, Bierzo Spain, 2021: Flavors of strawberry, red currant and white pepper combine in this dry rosé, with dynamic acidity for a satisfying cocktail and complement to a wide range of dishes, from appetizers to lighter entrées. According to importer Olè & Obrigado, 50% of proceeds are donated to causes including Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center. Suggested retail price: $15

Our Sunset Sips and Savory Supper at The Chopping Block was such a hit, we’ve added another date, with five wines and three courses tweaked for even more enjoyment. Join the fun from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 6, at The Chopping Block Lincoln Square. Visit TCB’s registration page at Sunset Sips and Savory Supper: A Patio Wine and Food Experience (getoccasion.com)

• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and a recipient of the Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award of Excellence.” Write to her at food@dailyherald.com.