Wine Pairing Advice From Chef Michael Mina

Last weekend was Taste Washington, a spectacular event that includes a day of seminars followed by a aptly named "Grand Tasting." More than 200 wineries and dozens of restaurants put their best efforts on display in the glass and on the plate and 2,000 enthusiastic ticket holders try to pack as much tasting into the relatively short space of a few hours. The lesson: You simply cannot have it all. Which is why many people return year-after-year to participate in what some have called the best wine tasting in the country.

This year, I soaked up some incredible lessons listening to panel discussions among industry leaders. One of my favorite subjects during the seminars was a talk on food and wine pairing featuring celebrity chef Michael Mina, pictured here on the right with James Beard-awarding winning chef Jason Wilson from Crush. Mina, the eloquent owner of 18 restaurants in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, Detroit, Washington D.C. and, soon, Seattle, generously gave a huge chunk of credit for his success to his lead sommelier, Rajat Parr.

Parr, who was named the top somm in the U.S. by Food & Wine magazine in 2009, has a brilliant palate and isn't shy about suggesting the chef make changes to some of his dishes so they will be more compatible with wine. "Raj is a great cook," Mina said. "He actually went to the CIA. And, yes, I have changed dishes when he's asked. He's that good."

That's impressive.

What chef and sommelier are striving for is balance in both food and wine, but often the attention is weighted toward the food or the wine. That's why some of the most successful pairings are the most obvious. For instance, steak and Cabernet or roast chicken and Chardonnay work so well together because simple, straightforward flavors of the dishes provide a foundation for wine to shine.

It starts getting much trickier when dishes are more complex, but "when you go out to dinner, you might want to try being a little more adventurous," said chef Mina, who grew up in Ellensburg, Wash. And Raj added: "Especially when someone else is paying."

One of the combinations panelist agreed would be a terrible match was oysters and Merlot. "But, what if you were given the chance to drink Petrus with your oysters? You wouldn't turn that down, would you?" asked the panel's moderator, Travel + Leisure's wine editor, Bruce Schoenfeld.

After chewing over this often-debated topic for more than an hour, the grape-stained bottom line: Eat what you like and drink what you like with it. Don't get too hung up on rules. And, most importantly, treat a restaurant's sommelier as the terrific resource they are. The best somm should offer great pairing advice, while staying within your budget.

-- Leslie Kelly

Comments

[Rossean on April 02, 2011 at 09:14 PM]

The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something interesting to say.