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

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Chapter 3 Gastronomic Identity
Table 3.2 Climate Zones and Old/New World Traditions
Climate Zone Regions 1 to 2 Cool Regions 2 to 3 Moderate Regions 3 to 5 Warm
Old World
examples of
wine and food
matches
New World
examples of
wine and food
matches
Typical styles
based on
climate zone
Red Burgundy with Boeuf
Bourguignon (Burgundy
region of France)
Sancerre and goat cheese
(Sancerre, France)
Alsace Riesling and
Choucroute (Alsace,
France)
Oregon Pinot Noir and wild
salmon (Willamette Valley,
Oregon)
New Zealand Sauvignon
Blanc and a fusion of
influences
A cool and less sunny
growing season. Lean and
unripe fruit with apple and
pear flavors in whites and
red fruits (cranberries, red
currants, and cherries) in
reds.
Wines are usually more
subtle and elegant in style.
Red Bordeaux and lamb
(Bordeaux region of France)
Beaujolais and Salade Lyonnaise
(Lyon, France)
Barolo and tagliatelle (Piedmont
region, Italy)
Buttery Chardonnay with
Dungeness crab (California)
Zinfandel with grilled anything,
barbecue, or pizza (California)
A temperate and moderately
sunny growing season. Ripe and
juicy fruit styles with citrus,
peach, apricot, nectarine, and
melon flavors in whites. Reds
have flavors of dark fruits such
as black cherries, black currants,
plums, blueberries, and
blackberries. Resulting wines are
of a medium intensity.
Nero d’Avola and spaghetti
with meat sauce (Sicily, Italy)
Sauvignon Blanc with
chicken breast or chips
served with salsa
Shiraz with grilled pepper
steak (Australia)
Malbec with Beef
Empanadas (Argentina)
A warm and very sunny
growing season. Overripe
and lush fruits styles in
these bolder and more
intense wines. Whites have
fruit flavors of mangos,
pineapples, papayas, guavas,
and bananas. Red wines
have overripe and sometimes
dried fruit flavors such as
figs, raisins, and prunes.
Source: Lower section adapted from Andrea Immer, Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier (New York: Broadway Books, 2000).
based on climate zone. Brief descriptions of the growing season, wine fruit style, white and
red wine fruit flavors, and overall wine style are provided along with Old World examples
of wine and food matches and New World examples of wine and food matches.
The Old World countries provide many classic marriages in food and wine. These
examples create matches between many of the components, textures, and flavors inherent in
the wine and foods. It seems most wine books and books discussing fine cuisine have a focus
on French traditions of wine and food. Why? Are the French the largest wine producers?
No, Italy ranks first among wine-producing countries worldwide. 28 Does France produce
the best wine? Not necessarily, as many other countries around the globe rival France in
wine quality. But the viticultural history of France is still the template used for premium
wine production techniques, and the formulation of the AOC system was the first of its
kind. Therefore, the focus on French wines in many wine books is based on its historical
preeminence and foundation of quality control. The same can be said regarding the books
on fine cuisine. French cuisine has a long history of codification of classical sauces, recipes,
and professional techniques. The French tradition is also important for classic marriages in
food and wine.
New and Old World Confusion An important event more than thirty years
ago opened a crack in this Old World/New World dichotomy. In 1976 British wine writer
Steven Spurrier arranged a blind tasting of five Napa Cabernets and five Napa Chardonnays
to be pitted against five red Bordeaux from the Mêdoc and Graves districts and five white
Burgundies from the Côte de Beaune district. A condition of this tasting was that all of the