Adventures in Food and Wine Pairing

During one of my tutored tastings with the Rosendal sales team the other day, I was told that the food suggestions I include in their tasting notes are far to adventurous and bold for their clients. Now, you must understand…I dread these tastings. These individuals are highly opinionated, truly critical and well…brilliant at their jobs. If they’re not happy, it’s all guns blazing!!

So why did I pair oysters with Chenin Blanc? Well, Google suggested it of course…as well as some ‘experience’ on my part.

One of my fondest food and wine memories take me (many, many years) back to the Oystercatcher Bar in Knysna. Where an innocent bottle of Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc and a couple of enticing oysters welcomed the sunset and also a pair of perfect strangers to our table.  They had trouble deciding which wine to order and we asked them to join us. One bottle of Petit Chenin became 2, a dozen oysters became 3 dozen and pre-dinner drinks turned into a sublime meal at 34 ½ Degrees South. What transpired was one of the most memorable evenings spent with people whose names I can’t recall but whose company I will never forget.

So, for me it’s important to put some thought into pairings. Making memories and telling the stories are tremendous marketing tools. And pairings don’t need to be complicated. The first bottle of first-growth wine (Chateaux Margaux 1997) I ever had was accompanied by a hand full of roasted cashews. Enjoyed after closing time in the back room of the Islington wine-shop I worked at in London. Man…that bottle blew my mind.

Sticking to all the rules of white wine with kabeljou and red wine with steak and lamb choppies are things of the past. Playing around with innovative combinations is great fun! But if you are really stuck and need inspiration, go check out www.matchingfoodandwine.com. Fiona Beckett is an absolute whiz when it comes to the matrimony of food and wine. It’s one of my favourite sites.

I've included some recipes in Rosendal's newsletter, which I write quaterly (see below).  We have just released our first Chenin Blanc and we truly hope our clients love it just as much as we do! With or without oysters, of course...

Cheers for now.