Yesterday was a Wine & Food Tasting day on the mountain, and that makes Pappy happy.
The goal? Select three wines, and three pairings.
Our culinary compatriots for the event? The very fine chefs from Bash.
My co-tasters? The Depth-Chargedly-Groovy Hospitality Team at Monte Bello: Amy Monroe, Sam Howles-Banerji, and Kirsten Anderson.
The challenge: Select which of two possibilities is the right wine for the pairing, and modify one thing about each dish to better suit the pairing.
Round I
The wines: 2011 Ridge Vineyards Mikulaco Chardonnay, or 2007 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Chardonnay
The dish: Arugula salad with beets, pine nuts, and goat cheese, in a Champagne vinaigrette
What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?
Round II
The wines: 2010 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville, or 2010 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel
The dish: Salmon with sautéed carrot and warm fennel-arugula-pomagranate salad
What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?
Round III
The wines: 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache, or 2006 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Grenache
The dish: Braised short rib with tomato sauce, capers, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted corn
What do you do? Which wine do you select, and what do you modify about the dish, to create the perfect pairing?
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The results!
Round I
The wine: 2011 Ridge Vineyards Mikulaco Chardonnay
The dish: Arugula salad with pine nuts, goat cheese, and sprinkle of pomegranate seeds with Champagne vinaigrette – two roasted beets on side for garnish (did you notice what we changed?)
Round II
The wine: 2010 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel
The dish: Salt & Pepper’d Halibut with sautéed carrot and warm fennel-arugula-pomagranate salad (did you notice what we changed?)
Round III
The wine: 2008 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache
The dish: Braised short rib with tomato sauce, capers, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted corn (Did you notice what we changed? Trick question! there was NO change, the dish was perfect!)
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Thanks for playing!
And thanks to my co-tasters!
And especially, thanks to the very talented Bash team; for their well-honed skills, their delicious food, and their impeccable hospitality!
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p.s. Special thanks to the very clever folks at NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” from whom I derive both the title of this post, and many hours of educative amusement!
