Wine Pairing Recommendations for Upcoming Valentine Menu

Gunderloch-2009-riesling-kabinett-from-rheinhessen-germany-close-up
As you know, our pop-up dinner service is BYOB. Here's some wine pairing recommendations for the upcoming Valentine menu, which was meticulously compiled by our friends, the Kellets. Highly recommended!

 

For specific wines, please contact Cheryl-Lynn Mattos, 497-7704, regarding the Pinot Blanc (Beets), Riesling (Salmon), Pinot Noir (Bun Rieu), and Moscato di Asti (Haw Flake). The other wines can be found at R. Field and/or Fujioka's.

 

OYSTERS

pork cracklins, kaffir lime, fish sauce, chili pepper water caviar

Wines:  ideally, champagne (from Champagne, France of course). But if champagne is not available, then a Prosecco (Ruggeri is my go-to bubbly) from Italy is good. 

BEETS

salt baked beets, raspberries, speck, horseradish creme fraiche, purslane

Wines: 2010 Bethel Heights Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. [Cheryl-Lynn Mattos of JMB Beverages brought this and was a perfect pairing. ]  An alternative to the Pinot Blanc is a domestic Pinot Gris varietal from Oregon or Washington or an Italian Pinot Grigio.  

SALMON

fennel, lemongrass, grape fruit, rice paddy herb, salmon skin chiccharrons

Wines: 2009 Gunderloch Rheinhessen Riesling. This Riesling is bone dry and patches perfectly with the entire dish, especially with the grape fruit and salmon skin chiccharrons! If you can't find this wine, look for a dry German Riesling.

 

BEEF

braised short ribs, quail eggs, red rice, crispy brussel sprouts, sriracha vinaigrette

Wine: This dish calls for a red wine that is lower in tannins with enough acidity to balance the quail eggs. I recommend a wine from the Languedoc region: the 2009 Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue Bronzinelle. If you can't find this wine, then a wine from Southern Rhone France that is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre will suffice. If you're looking for a California red, I would go with any red wine from the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria, or Paso Robles appellations.

 

BUN RIEU

Mama Le's signature soup.. crab, tomato, rice noodles, vietnamese herbs

Wine: I forget what we drank w/this dish but it was a red wine, probably a Pinot Noir. I recommend the Becker Pinot Noir. It's a pinot noir from Germany! It is delicious and can be found on Oahu.

 

HAW FLAKE

kaya, chinese almond, olive oil cake, guava sorbet, shiso

Wine: Hands down, the 2010 Piazzo Moscato di Asti is the best pairing. The fizzyness in this wine, combined with the low alcohol, makes the Haw Flake shine! 

 

Please contact Cheryl-Lynn Mattos, 497-7704, regarding the Pinot Blanc (Beets), Riesling (Salmon), Pinot Noir (Bun Rieu), and Moscato di Asti (Haw Flake).