Indian Summer Wines

As the warm sun and colors of our Indian Summer is upon us and I have a couple of things I want you to think about.

There's always that question, when you are out shopping, about which wine best complements certain foods. I suggest that you let the food choice dictate your wine selection. Select the salient tastes in the dish and match the wine to it/them…you can't miss!

Let's briefly discuss the concept of "food wines." Take fish for example. It's a popular summer item, usually accompanied with a slice of lemon. We squeeze the lemon on the fish and start digging in. The acidity in the lemon amplifies flavors in the fish, cuts through any oiliness and, if not over-done, enhances the fish's flavor. When it comes to choosing a wine to complement your fish, you should find one that acts as a "stunt double" for the lemon. Here you need a crisp wine (red or white) that has the requisite acidity to fire up the flavors and cut through sauces like beurre blanc, etc. My favorites for whites include Sauvignon blancs from France (Sancerre and Pouilly fumés), New Zealand (look for the more subtle ones that don't scream one-dimensional grapefruit), and South Africa. My absolute favorite white food wines are the "recently being discovered" dry German Rieslings-trocken (dry) and halb-trocken (semi-dry).

Food & Wine Synergy: Food wines are like condiments when combined with food…they improve the end results! Imagine this: You are out at your favorite fish restaurant and you order some swordfish. It comes and you dig in impatiently because you love swordfish so much. Then upon reflection, you realize that you forgot to add that little squeeze of lemon. So, you quickly pick up that lemon wedge and proceed to squeeze it into your mouth - obviously, that would be downright unpleasant.

Having studied behavioral psychology before embarking into the wine & food arena, let me share with you an observation that I always experience when I watch people dining out. The average restaurant guest orders his fish, chooses an appropriate food wine (having the requisite acidity) and when it comes he does the following: Open mouth, eat two bites of fish, swallow fish and reach for the wine to wash it down. What's wrong with that, you ask? If wine and food are to be synergistic, then you need to enjoy them simultaneously. By this I mean just before you swallow your salmon, you introduce a little sip of your high acid wine at the same time…then and only then will the food and wine be in concert. In other words, how can you ask a wine's acidity to add to the flavor of your fish when it is already residing in your stomach? There is a reason why we put salt, pepper and lemon juice on our food before we begin to taste.

My favorite red "food wine" is Pinot Noir, the best of which are from France (Burgundy), Oregon, New Zealand, Italy and California. As far as California Pinot Noirs, you need to be vigilant as they seem to present in two very different styles. First, are those heavily extracted, fruit bombs (more than 15.5% alcohol). Although these may win contests thanks to sheer power of extract, they kill any delicate food flavors, not to mention having a searing aftertaste. I like the others that are vinified in the fashion of French burgundies being what I call pretty. They are elegant, crisp, low alcohol (13.2 -14) and are sinful with food…I have, on occasion found them to be sinful on their own! Your favorite wine merchant can assist you in finding the regions that produce them.

Learn more at www.eddieosterland.com

Enjoy the rest of your summer! Cheers! Eddie - America's First Master Sommelier