food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington

EXERCISE 4.1
Exercise 4.1 87
TERROIR’S IMPACT: HARVEST-FRESH VEGETABLES, EARTHY GOODNESS, AND WINE
Harvest-fresh vegetables combined with
the earthiness inherent in root vegetables
creates an undeniably wine-friendly combination
and hints at the way terroir links
food and wine. Many vegetables create a
more wine-friendly atmosphere when
added to cooked dishes (remember the
combination in Oysters Marie Laveau).
Root vegetables such as onions, garlic,
and shallots often require cooking to
bring out the natural sweetness and accentuate
their earthy character. Beans
and potatoes are other sweet and earthy
examples, and when they are accented
with onions or garlic, the combination
creates a rustic but magical taste. Other
earthy vegetables include beets, cauliflower,
cabbage, turnips, parsnips, and
even greens.
The three traditional dishes in the
following exercise provide a glimpse of
the wine affinity of the onion family. The
MATERIALS NEEDED
STEPS
featured wines exemplify differences
based on climate zone characteristics.
This exercise points out the classic characteristics
of climate zones that provide
great clues for food and wine pairing. In
analyzing the match potential with the
food items, be sure to consider the body
of the particular dish (light or full-bodied),
the cooking method (light, such as
steamed or poached, or heavy, such as
broiled or braised), and the style of the
dish (rustic, homey, or upscale and luxurious).
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this exercise are to reinforce
your understanding of climate
zone differences and to expose you to the
compatibility factors between earthysweet
root vegetables and wine. Tasting
wines from different climate zones side
Table 4.2 Materials Needed for Exercise 4.1
1 white paper placemat per student with numbered or labeled circles to
place wineglasses (Figure 4.2)
1 spit cup per student Napkins
by side will allow you to clearly differentiate
the acid, fruit, and body characteristics
of wines from cooler and warmer
climates. When tasting these wines with
food items to determine the best match,
this exercise reinforces the relationships
of earthy flavors, natural sweetness,
cooking method, texture, and body with
the acid, sweetness, fruit, tannin, and
body of wine.
Mise en Place: Things to Do Before
the Exercise Be sure that the production
of the food recipes (at the end of
this chapter) and their timing is well
planned out and clearly understood. The
mise en place for the recipes should be
done in advance and plans for transporting
the item samples to each taster and
the cleanup process should be determined
ahead of time.
Crackers to cleanse the palate
Corkscrew Drinking water for each student
Utensils for tasting food 4 wineglasses per student
Prepared dishes: Onion Rings, Roasted Garlic, Onion Soup Paper plates and bowls to serve dishes
1. Choose four wines from the list below.