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

In this exercise, which involves identifying
spice types and levels in both food
and wine and assessing their interaction,
two of the wine samples are traditionally
described as spicy: the Gewürztraminer
and the Shiraz. The other wine samples
are relatively low in spicy characteristics.
The Riesling should have an acidity that
helps to provide a cleansing impact and
which masks any sweetness in the wine.
The Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied wine
that can have a variety of flavor characteristics
depending on the climate, terroir,
and production techniques used. These
flavors can range from jammy to minerally
or spicy, or the wine can be relatively
EXERCISE 9.2
RANKING AND MATCHING SPICE LEVELS IN FOOD AND WINE
neutral. Research suggests that Pinot
Noir works best with less spicy cheeses, 14
but other authors have suggested Pinot
Noir is a good match with certain types
of spicy foods; 15 you will need to judge
for yourself.
The aroma wheel can be helpful in
identifying specific spices or herbs within
general categories.
OBJECTIVES
Table 9.6 Wine Samples for Exercise 9.2
To identify the type of spice and rank
spice level in four wine varietals; to identify
the spice type and rank spice level in
Exercise 9.2 203
five food samples; to determine level of
perceived match for each food sample
with all four wine samples.
Mise en Place: Things to Do Before
the Exercise Review the sections
of Chapter 9 describing the wine and
food spice sensations. Assemble the food
ingredients, wines, and other materials.
Prepare one sample per student (about 1
ounce) of the wine samples as shown in
Table 9.6. Prepare the popcorn samples
as in step 2 below, tossed with the spices
shown in Table 9.7.
White Dry Riesling Gewürztraminer
Red Pinot Noir Shiraz
Table 9.7 Spiced Food Samples for Exercise 9.2
Popcorn
Sample 1
Popcorn
Sample 2
Plain salted Spiced with Cajun or
Creole seasoning
Popcorn
Sample 3
Spiced with taco
seasoning
Table 9.8 Materials Needed for Exercise 9.2
1 white paper placemat per student
with numbered or labeled circles to
place wineglasses (Figure 9.4a)
1 spit cup per student Napkins
Popcorn
Sample 4
Crackers to cleanse the palate
Corkscrew Drinking water for each student
1 copy of the Aroma Wheel per student 4 wineglasses per student
Popcorn
Sample 5
Spiced with curry Spiced with Chinese
5-spice seasoning
5 copies of Figure 9.3 per student 1 copy of Figure 9.1 and 1 copy of Figure 9.2 per student