Food & Wine Pairing Party

Club members Jay and Kathy recently invited me over to provide a little food and wine experience for Jay's birthday.  We worked to create a menu that showcases a flight of Fidelitas, all with paired dishes.  I'm sharing the whole menu below today and then will feature each course in coming posts to give a more in depth idea of the pairing, beginning with the apps today.

to start
bruschetta trio: pea pesto – tomato, olive & basil – ricotta, roasted grapes & thyme
NV SEGURA VIUDAS CAVA

first
sesame crusted salmon with orange miso & scallions in wonton cups
2011 COLUMBIA VALLEY SEMILLON

second
antipasto pizza with salami, roasted eggplant, red onion, & sun dried tomatoes
2009 COLUMBIA VALLEY MALBEC

third
pork tenderloin & sour cherry sauce atop rosemary polenta triangles
2009 RED MOUNTAIN MERLOT

fourth
herbed skirt steak over potato risotto
2008 OPTU RED WINE

to finish
dessert duo with chocolate petit fours and Danish blue cheese
2008 CIEL DU CHEVAL VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON

So, I'll admit it.  We started the evening with bubbles instead of a Fidelitas wine.  However, Charlie loves bubbles, so I know that it's okay with him.  There's also a great reason for it.  Sparkling wines are perfect for pairing with a variety of foods.  High acids, a lush body and those lovely little scrubbing bubbles are very compatible with almost any food. (My sommelier instructor was a firm believer in suggesting Champagne for a group of diners where the dishes ranged from seafood to steak to pork to vegetarian.)  We started with a trio of bruschetta featuring a lovely pea pesto (one of my favorite super-easy, yet elegant recipes), a tomato, olive and basil tapenade (salty olives can be notorious for ruining wine flavors but bubbles just lift the notes nicely) and then grapes roasted with thyme and served over ricotta.  The Cava was very forgiving with these three very different flavor profiles, making it a great way to start.  Plus - no one turns down a pretty flute of bubbles at the start of a celebration!