Wine Help

[Bean]

Fellow CPers, I am planning a little surprise for the girlfriend in which I am planning to serve wine and dessert after dinner. The problem is: I don't have a clue as to what wine is good when paired with what dessert food. She has mentioned that she enjoys ice wine but I am not sure what would be a nice compliment to such a sweet drink. (choosing a nice ice wine is also another one of my problems)

Help please!?!?

[Mr. Ski]

Frozen Furit Sorbet goes pretty well with Ice Wine. We've had that at a few nice places out and enjoyed it. As you said though, nothing too sweet (or too sour either). Something like a peach or mellon type is good.

For the Ice Wine itself, my personal favorite of the five or six I've tried is Ehrenfelser Icewine from Grey Monk. They describe it better than I can here: http://www.graymonk.com/WinePortfolio.php?art=77

Beyond that, as far as choosing one, another good bet is to visit one of the better wine stores in town and ask for their recommendation. I've had that work out very well when expanding my wine experience in the past.

Hope the meal goes well.

[Tron_fdc]

Go to La Chaumiere and let them decide for you.....but bring a visa with a VERY large limit. I saw the owner of Shaw Cable (Jim Shaw??) ask for the most expensive bottle on the menu while dining with what looked like his secretary, and quickly backpeddle his way out of it when told it was several thousand from their private reserve. I snickered quietly.....

Cheese (a very sharp cheddar or Roquefort) or chocolate works well with a good port wine, but I would try the port before you take a risk on serving it. Not all people like the taste of it, as it is pretty sweet. I love the stuff though, and can drink several bottles chased with goat cheese and dark chocolate if given the opportunity.

Try to balance the sweetness...as in don't serve a Zinfandel with a chocolate bar. Conversely, Merlot goes well with steak but not so good with chocolate souflee (sp?). A good Cabernet will go with just about all the above, as it's pretty moderate in sweetness, and can be paired with anything from a burnt steak to fruit platters.

This is off Google

Pair wine and cheese. In some European countries the best wine is reserved for the cheese course. Red wines go well with mild to sharp cheese. Pungent and intensely flavored cheese is better with a sweeter wine. Goat Cheeses pair well with dry white wine, while milder cheeses pair best with fruiter red wine. Soft cheese like Camembert and Brie, if not over ripe, pair well with just about any red wine including Cabernet, Zinfandel and Red Burgundy.


Adjust food flavor to better pair with the wine. Sweetness in a dish will increase the awareness of bitterness and astringency in wine, making it appear drier, stronger and less fruity. High amounts of acidity in food will decrease awareness of sourness in wine and making it taste richer and mellower — sweet wine will taste sweeter.

Bitter flavors in food increase the perception of bitter, tannic elements in wine. Sourness and salt in food suppress bitter taste in wine. Salt in food can tone down the bitterness and astringency of wine and may make sweet wines taste sweeter.

[Bean]

Hey guys, thanks for your help so far. I was hoping to have the wine with something like strawberries and whipped cream; (nothing too sweet like cake or chocolate) as an after dinner 'thing'. Mr. Ski, would the Ehrenfelser Icewine from Grey Monk be a good match with strawberries?

I think what I might end up doing is just going to a wine market of some sort, throwing down my credit card and letting them pick something out for me. It worked for a boss' gift last year so I hope I can pull it off again.

Tron, thanks for the quote. I did a google search myself and I think I may have read the exact same thing; unfortunately I'm still sort of lost. If worse goes to worst; I'll have to get me a bottle of Banana Cognac.

[calf]

just don't put the ring in the wine glass or desert...that's so tacky.

[JBR]

Here some wine for ya...

"If Bertuzzi wasn't out, Naslund didn't suck and the Sedins' had a set of nuts, we would have beat Calgary last plahyoffs..." Any Canuck fan!

[Mr. Ski]

Originally Posted by Bean

Hey guys, thanks for your help so far. I was hoping to have the wine with something like strawberries and whipped cream; (nothing too sweet like cake or chocolate) as an after dinner 'thing'. Mr. Ski, would the Ehrenfelser Icewine from Grey Monk be a good match with strawberries?

I would say so. Strawberries are more traditional with Champagne or other sparkly faire, but would still taste very good. It's a great wine.

[return to the red]

Iniskilin (sp)ice wine is also very good. I have worked and served at several winemakers dinners while bartending at Heritage Pointe. My suggestion to you is to stay away from any red wines if she is not an avid wine drinker short reasoning being that matching the wines with the food and tastes will be lost if she doesn't know what she is looking for

If you are looking for a dinner wine my personal favorites are the Wolf Blass wines

[Mr. Ski]

Originally Posted by return to the red

If you are looking for a dinner wine my personal favorites are the Wolf Blass wines

I agree here too. I'm not usually a white wine drinker, but had their South Australian Chardonnay at a wedding banquet this past summer and was really impressed. Not too sweet, not too dry. Very nice. Perfect for any meal with a lighter sause on pasta, fish, chicken, veal, etc.

After all this discussion I'm going to have to stop off on my way home for a Christmas dinner selection now...