Food

Food is just as often the inspiration for wine pairings as wine. I have been enjoying wonderful summer dishes that create a thirst for wine. Recently, I attended a winemaker dinner with Il Fornio Restaurant. There was one pairing that I especially enjoyed. It was Prosciutto di Parma e Pere. Prosciutto di Parma topped with thinly sliced Red Bartlett pears, watercress, shaved parmesan; drizzled with a lemon infused extra virgin olive oil.  It was the best pairing that I have yet enjoyed with my 2008 Viognier from David Girard Vineyards. But, what makes it such a great pairing? A deconstruction will allow me to share how this worked so well.

First the primary flavor, Prosciutto. It's salty and has a flavor that resembles the parent pig. It's thinly sliced, translucent, so it doesn't conflict with the body of wine. It's also usually served at room temperature which is how I enjoy most pairings. The saltiness in the ham will enhance the flavors of minerality in the wine, while the touch of sliced pear will accompany the aromatic lift enjoyed in the Viognier. A slight sweetness to the pear compliments the dry style of wine. A hint of slightly bitter watercress provides a relief to the wine that allows it to be full and expand in the mouth. And cheese....yum. The Parmesan cheese actually enhanced the saltiness and added some earthy flavors that accentuated the floral aromas of the Viognier. The cheese also being fairly pH neutral, allowed the acidity of the wine to come forward. Lastly, the touch of lemon infused olive oil provided a punctuation that paired will with the citrus components in the wine.

When you can break down each step of the pairing in this way, it can help to understand how to build it up  and create the next pairing.