Lord Jim of Dilling - Diplomat Magazine

WINE|DELIGHTSHow do U choose a wine 2 go with food?Every once and a while, I do a littleof what I call emergency wine support.This typically involves receivinga phone call or text message froma friend in desperate need of on-the-spotwine advice: “I’m at the LCBO rightnow, and we’re having lamb burgerswith mushrooms and provolone cheesetonight. What do I buy?” I’m always honouredmy friends seek my advice, andI enjoy being a sommelier whether I’mengaging tables at Beckta, or respondingto a text about whether to go with thegrenache or the petite syrah.There are still many restaurant guestswho are afraid to pick a wine despite agrowing level of food and wine knowledgeand sophistication. People feel unpreparedto make their own choice, andthe resulting pressure detracts from whatshould be a relaxing dining experience.What’s a guest to do?First, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’malways entertained when I overhear dinerswhisper that they don't know a certainwine, and then politely decline assistance.Not only do more and more restaurantsnow have sommeliers and wine-educatedserving staff, but the number of restaurantsthat promote caring, intelligent service isincreasing. Wine and wine-food pairingplay important roles in this, so spend yourvaluable time and hard-earned money inestablishments which not only understandthis, but are passionate about it. Ask theservers working in those restaurants aboutthe menu and trust the sommelier. Whenyou find restaurants providing excellentfood and wine with knowledgeableservice, take a leap of faith. Ask if there’schef’s menu, or, if not, if the server andsommelier would serve you somethingthey think is smashing.But what do you do when a restaurantis lacking such service? Some restaurantshave a massive collection of wine, butprovide no support. This is the kind of establishmentwhere one of the most dreadfulguest-server exchanges can be heard:“What wine would you recommend?”“Well, this one is popular.”This tells the guest nothing other thanthey’re about to receive the pop star ofthe wine list. Better to develop a smallamount of knowledge about your tastesand preferences.Though there are countless variables,food-and-wine pairing can essentially bePieterVan den Wegheboiled down to threebasic considerations:the weight of thefood and the wine,the acidity and thesweetness. In an idealfood-and-wine pairing,neither the foodnor the wine shoulddominate completely.Rather, it should be like a great dance,where, though one may lead, both playimportant roles. Choose more delicatewines for lighter dishes and heavier onesfor richer dishes. Acidity is needed bothto match higher acid foods and to cutthrough rich, fatty dishes. A wine needsto be sweeter than the dish with whichit’s served. That said, there are two go-toversatile grape varietals I always suggesta slightly off-dry Riesling for a white anda Gamay Noir for the red. They may notbe a perfect match with certain dishes,but they will pair very well with a broadrange of foods. Lastly, no matter whatkind of formula or proof I can provide toexplain a wine and food pairing, drinkOffering FreeCourier ServiceAlways ensuring the best service forthe diplomatic community, Accu-RateCorporation offers free courier servicefor embassy currency exchanges andpayroll conversion.Accu-RateCorporationForeign Exchange & International Payment Serviceswww.accu-rate.ca-what you want to drink. If that involvesdowning a massive Californian cabernetwith your seared scallops, so be it. Yourtastes are your own.However, when an opportunity arisesto place your dining experience in thehands of dedicated service professionals,do it. Your tastebuds will thank you.Either that, or get the cell number of yourfavourite sommelier.Pieter Van Den Weghe is the sommelierat Beckta dining & wine.Accu-Rate Corporation2573 Carling Ave.(613) 596-5505For your personalconsultation please call:Marie BoivinManaging Director613-596-5505 ext. 101marie@accu-rate.caWorld Exchange Plaza111 Albert St.(613) 238-8454diplomat and international canada 31