Plate to Palate

What could be more natural than wine & food? As noted British Master of Wine Michael Broadbent has said, “drinking good wine with good food in good company is one  of life’s most civilized pleasures.”  Canadian wine writer Natalie Maclean, provides a great overview of wine and food pairing guidelines on her website writing that:

Dinner with wine used to be simple. The rule was white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. But most of us don’t just eat meat and potatoes or drink claret and chablis these days.  With modern fusion cuisine and wines from new regions around the world, the choices and confusion are great. 

When the marriage of food and wine works well, each enhances the other, making the meal greater than if you had consumed them separately. That’s why the following classic matches have survived the changes in food fashion: stilton with port, foie gras with sauternes, boeuf bourguignon with Burgundian pinot noir and goat cheese with sauvignon blanc.

It helps to start with the basic principles of food and wine pairing as they still provide a basis for experimenting with new world cuisine. One of the most important elements to harmonize between wine and food is flavor… Your best source of food and wine matching is your own palate. Experiment with different combinations to discover not only what makes a perfect pairing for you, but also to broaden your range of possibilities.

Check out her blog for the full article and a nifty wine/food pairing app.

We have an extensive calendar of delicious and entertaining wine and culinary activities planned this spring. Our winemaker Bradley Cooper is hosting sold out Winter Wine and Food grazing nights at our Langley winery this week.  Next week you’ll find us in Alberta supporting the Alberta Theatre Project with Flavours of the Naramata Bench.  Next month our proprietor Mike Raffan is co-hosting a Dine Out Vancouver Wine Country Luncheon with longtime friend and chef Neil Wyles at the delectable Hamilton Street Grill. And for Valentine’s we’re holding our annual Date Night at our Langley winery with a decadent evening of seafood, chocolate and wine. Stay tuned for additional festivities for the spring and Easter…

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