
1 minute read
Weddings
He said that when he was in his 20s, he had visited Europe and had had that dish, and that a waiter had suggested the white wine to go with it. He said he never forgot how well the flavors married.
Many sommeliers think pinot noir and salmon are the perfect pairing, but I often prefer another wine with that fish.
I usually order salmon rare because it’s a rich, oily fish, and overcooking causes it to lose some of its charm. When it’s rare, I find it often works well with a pinot gris, notably one from a cold region. Such a wine then will have good acids and tannins to contend with the richness of the fish.
Most cream soups also could use assistance from wine. But not just any wine. I adore dry Oloroso sherry with cream soups, and often put a teaspoon of the sherry in the soup!
One basic rule that’s easy to remember: Try to match up the basic flavors of the food with the basic structure of the wine.
Oysters, for example, are briny and tart, so the best companion wine is a lean and tart French Chablis or a sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley.
And the simplicity of pizza calls for a simple, quaffable red wine, such as Barbera or a zinfandel.
And if a buffet table is laden with numerous different kinds of foods, from meats to light cheeses, probably the best allpurpose choices are a dry rose, or one that’s sparkling, or a light red Beaujolais.


In the final analysis, however, I live by one creed: I’d rather have an excellent “wrong” wine than a poor “right” one. Wine of the Week: 2021 Triennes Rose, Vin du Pays du Var ($19) -- This is annually one of the finest pink wines you can find, with a gorgeous aroma of strawberries and subtle earth tones. It is basically dry and still has some of the rich red-wine notes imparted by the four grapes in the blend, Cinsault, syrah, grenache, and merlot. Really tastes like a white wine with red wine influences. Frequently found at about $15.
Dan Berger’s weekly column, “Dan Berger on Wine,” can be found at creators.com.