You may ask, "What does wine and food pairing have to do with gardening in western Washington?" I don't know. I could say that this will help you pair the fresh vegetables and (if you have them) cows and chickens you grow. I could also say that I'll pair some Washington wines with those western Washington fowls and fine green delights. However, truth be told, I don't think that it has anything to do with any of those. Mostly it is that I'm lazy and love sharing things I love. I don't want to start another blog on wine and food pairing, yet I like wine and want to learn to pair it with foods properly. I also believe that all of you know a lot more about this than me, so you are going to give me shortcuts with lots of good culinary techniques and recommendations to good vintages. I also may stumble upon some myself so hopefully you will enjoy the journey and get a good laugh as I travel the semi dark road of wine and food pairing.
In this travel our guide or sherpa (for this may be very uphill) will be What to Drink with What you Eat. I will use this to make our matches and then report on what I think. I will choose wines from Costco, Tacoma Boys in South Hill, and a good wine shop called Vinotique (http://www.vinotique.com). I know the sommelier there and he will give recommendations as to which bottle to choose. The only problem may be that due to a deficiency (probably in my dna) is proper taste of what is good and what is not; these opinions will be mine. A true connoisseur would probably have different, and better, opinions. Be that as it may, let's forge ahead.
The idea behind this is going to be every Wednesday my wife and I will cook up some nice pleasant feast and pair a wine with it. Then I will report it on Thursday. Lucy will eat the leftovers and I'll let you know what she thinks if it seems important.
I have tasted most kinds of red wine from port to pinot and have stayed far away from the whites. So, the first meal is going to be copper river salmon and Pinot Gris. This is Copper River Salmon from Costco and Uncle Ben's wild rice. Paired with it is 2010 Elk Cove Pinot Gris. I like salmon and the rice, so that is a plus. The pairing seemed good if you like pinot gris. I thought it a bit acidic, but I put too much salt on the salmon - happy mistake - so they offset eachother very well. The fish did not overpower the wine or vice versa. (the book says that is a good thing) All in all, I don't think I'll try it again. There are other recommendations for the salmon, so I'll try one of them.
However, in all fairness, my mother in law loved the pinot gris, so this may just be a lack of a proper pallet on my part.
Until next Thursday, bon appetit!
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