By The Glass Roberto Viernes

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Wine and food pairings bring tasty benefits

I've said it before and I'll say it again, pairing food and wine is an inexact science. You never know what the pairing will taste like until you actually try it. It is also somewhat subjective. Some people don't mind bitterness as much as spiciness, and so forth. That being said, I must tell you about some really terrific pairings that I've had recently, some planned and some not.

A friend invited me over, saying he would be serving steak and pasta tossed with fresh pesto. I thought about bringing an Italian wine that would go with the grilled steak, which I assumed would be the dominant flavor. Pasta really has no flavor and while pesto can be quite aromatic, on the palate it is fairly mild.

But I opted for something else, something not as high in acid as a sangiovese or nebbiolo from Italy. I chose a deep and complex 2004 Domaine Pallieres Gigondas ($28) from France. This wine is made with grenache, which is rounder and not as tart as most Italian wines. It was a terrific match. The smoky, grilled, intense flavor of the meat melded juicily with the spicy earthiness of the grenache. The rich gaminess of the gigondas also was a perfect textural match to the protein and fat in the steak. The bottle was gone in no time.

anothernight I had some friends over and I made a classic dish I'd seen on television -- butter-sautéed chicken and apples, deglazed with Calvados and finished off with a bit of cream. Calvados is an apple brandy made in Lower Normandy, France, in the same fashion as cognac.

I served a delicious bottle of 2002 Bouchard Meursault "Les Clous" ($40) made from chardonnay in the heart of Burgundy. It made everyone smile to taste the two together. The great caramelized apple character of the dish went seamlessly with the apple/pear essence of the wine. And the wine's acidity really cut through the richness of the sauce. Just thinking about it makes me salivate for another go at this pair.

Speaking of pairs, I had a great duck-and-wine experience that must be noted. I am a bit of a duck fanatic. Everywhere I go, from Italy to France, Australia to Napa Valley, I have to try the duck. But my favorite is still Chinese roast duck. Nothing brings out the flavor like roasting duck with Chinese spices. And I always choose pinot noir as the best match.

Last night I bought a duck from one of my favorite Chinese places, and a friend treated me to a 2004 Domaine Leroy Chambolle Musigny ($225). This wine has juice from the Musigny Grand Cru as well as the Premier Crus of Charmes and Fremieres and is among the most stunning examples of village wines I've tasted.

But on top of that, the wine's gorgeous complexity of spices, red fruits, minerals and violets, paired with the duck, was pure heaven. The silky texture and balanced acidity of the wine smoothed out the fat and gaminess of the duck. I was like a pig in mud!

I hope you've had some special experiences like this. I'll keep trying to find great matches too. They aren't always this good, but they are worth the search. Cheers!

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