The Intricacies of Taste

Why do some food and wine pairings work so well, while others disappoint? Several dozen members and guests of CLUB 23 gathered at the winery on May 29 for an intensive exploration of food and wine pairing.

In the cave's Great Room, sensory scientist Sue Langstaff led a tasting of a series of wine and food pairs. "There are synergies in these combinations," Sue said. "With the right combination, one plus one equals three." For example, a mild, rich cheese made the Sauvignon Blanc taste delicious. Yet the same cheese masked the flavors of the less acidic Chardonnay, and the Sauvignon Blanc went sour when tasted alongside a piece of tart green apple. A salty blue cheese that flattened out the Cabernet Sauvignon highlighted the sweet richness of the Port, but the Cabernet tasted delightfully multi-dimensional when sipped alongside a mild cheddar. Sue emphasized that your best guide is your own palate. "Everybody's taste is different," she said. "Play around and find out what tastes good to you."

The event moved from theory to practice when the group sat down in the winery's Cellarius Kitchen for a lunch by guest chef Mark Dommen. The feast included marinated hamachi with wild fennel, paired with our 2002 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and squab with mushrooms, turnips, and chard, served with the 1995 and 2000 CASK 23. Mark explained that he seeks to echo the wine's flavor notes in the food. For example, the bacon that garnished the squab picked up the CASK 23's hint of smokiness. "What's most important is that the salt and acidity are right," he said. "In the food, as in the wine, everything has to be in balance."