The Spill On Wine: For Valentine’s Day…

By Canton Citizen

Food and wine have a symbiotic relationship (heck, there’s a whole magazine, Food & Wine, dedicated to the subject). Each complements the other and makes it stronger, like the bird in the Hippo’s mouth, but in a much more appetizing, less-saliva kinda way. A juicy steak with a big California Cab; Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese; lobster and Riesling, each partner enhances the other.

I will be dedicating several columns to this subject and was pondering where to start when the subject of Valentine’s Day came up. Last year I decided that rather than go out we would stay in and I’d cook. Valentine’s Day is probably only surpassed by Mother’s Day as one of the more “factory-like” nights as restaurants deal with the larger crowds through “special menus” and tighter reservation times, resulting in a less-than-optimal experience. Why not stay home, spend a bit extra on some prime ingredients and nice wine and have a more romantic experience. And at a fraction of the cost!

One question is: what comes first? Do I choose a wine then match the food, or vice versa? The answer is a murky “depends.” If I have an extraordinary wine, I’ll buy food to match it. If I’ve got an awesome, massive, juicy ribeye, I’ll buy wine to match that. In the case of Valentine’s Day, I did a mixture of both, which you’ll see in the description of each course. I can’t go into recipe details here, but you can request them at orders@maincourse-ma.com. The recipes are relatively simple and “guy friendly.” So, guys, give it a try. I’ll just say this much … it worked for me!

By the way, you’ll notice I recommend four bottles of wine for this meal. Don’t be alarmed for two reasons: 1) You don’t have to finish them! The only bottle I’d “kill” is the champagne because the bubbles go away after a few hours, leaving behind something that is flat, tasteless and undrinkable. Enjoy a glass with your partner while you’re prepping and cooking and then finish it off during appetizers. The wines, if unfinished, will hold for several days. Put them in the fridge and pull the red out a half hour before you drink it next. The ice wine lasts for weeks. 2) The beauty of drinking at home is you can indulge a bit more without endangering society, so don’t be afraid to “freshen up the glass.” What to do if you do end up knocking back all four bottles will be covered in a later article. Until then, just make sure you drink a lot of water.

So let’s get started…

Appetizer – Duxbury oysters on the half shell and shallot mignonette with sparkling wine or Muscadet Sevre et Maine: Oysters and champagne chose themselves for this dinner. Both have romantic connotations and are a recognized perfect match because the minerality in the champagne matches well with the oyster. I also chose the Muscadet because it matches so well with all shellfish. It is dry with a nice mouth feel (due to aging on the lees), also with minerality, and some say a hint of saltiness (the grape is grown near the Atlantic at the mouth of the Loire). – Graham Beck Brut NV, South Africa, $17.99, Remy Pannier Muscadet Sevre & Maine 2007, Loire, $11.99

First Course – Pan seared scallops on sauteed spinach with Viognier. In this case I chose the Viognier and looked for a complementary dish. I call Viognier the “Valentine Wine.” In its highest form, known as Condrieu, named after the town in the northern Rhone in which it’s made, it is sublime with peach, apricot and white flower aromas and creamy lusciousness. It’s like bringing a bouquet of flowers to the table. A bouquet that you can drink! (Now that’s my kind of florist!) Viognier is a difficult grape to grow, so despite its popularity, it has not spread throughout the world like other grapes. However, there are some very good examples from California, Australia and Chile at considerably lower pricing. They tend to be a bit less “luscious” with a bit more fruit and less flower, but some believe are a better food pairer. Still, Valentine’s Day is when I personally splurge on the Condrieu. As you may have picked up on by now, the scallops are just an accompaniment to the wine; their sweetness provides a nice balance to the wine’s acidity and complement to the wine’s aromas. – E. Guigal Condrieu 2008 Rhone Valley $50, Yalumba Viognier 2008 South Australia $11.99, Secreto Viognier 2007 Chile $11.99

Second Course – Grilled lamb chops and chive potato hash with Syrah/Shiraz: One of the nice things about the grilled lamb chops is that you can have portion control, which fits well into a multi-course meal. Two riblets is a nice little nosh, after oysters and scallops, and will leave plenty of room for desert (yay!). But you can always add more if you want. Shiraz (or Syrah as it is known most elsewhere) is a classic pairing with lamb. Interestingly, a bit of Viognier is blended with the Syrah to create Cote-Roties (and the Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier), which makes the transition from the previous course kind of cool. The bold flavors of the Syrah stand up well to lamb and garlic with its fruit providing a nice foil to the lamb’s richness. The wine’s tannins help tame lamb’s tendency to be a bit fatty. – E. Guigal Cote Rotie2000 France $45.99, Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier 2008 South Australia $11.99

Dessert – canolis with ice wine or brownies & ice cream with port: For so many people, the wine part of the program ends with the main course. But they’re missing out on one of the nicest pairings to be had. A lusciously sweet/tart ice wine (or Eiswein in Germany) can be an excellent foil for a creamy canola (think berries and cream). Or imagine a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream washed down with the rich chocolate/butterscotch/dark cherry of a port. An excellent way to end a romantic dinner for two! – Jackson-Trigss Ice Wine $20.99, Graham’s 6 Grapes Porto NV $20.99

All of the ingredients and wines needed to create this meal (as well as many other fine wines) are available at The Main Course Market, 11 Washington St., Canton, MA 02021, 781-821-0005, www.maincourse-ma.com

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