Jeffrey Morgenthaler Bartending and Cocktail Advice Since 2004

I don’t know how food writers do it. Talking with Andrew tonight, he told us about their last-minute pairing dinners and the challenges of putting together an article the night before the Washington Post’s due date.

And so here I am, trying to write a simple blog post after six courses, complete with wine pairings and an after-dinner sampling of Blue Gin graciously brought to me by Matt Lanning and Chris Bailey.

(If you don’t know what dinner I’m talking about, hear me gush here.)

Anyway, I’m going to shoot off-the-cuff and put this thing out, grammar and prose be damned. Here’s my play-by-play of the dinner at Marché tonight.

Amuse Bouche

Northwest oyster with cucumber granita

Domaine Meriwether Brut
Thomas Jefferson Prestige Cuvée, Oregon 1998

What a great pairing to start with. This oak-aged sparkling reached into the fattiness of the oyster and carried the sweetness of the cucumber granita down the palate into a long, luxurious finish. A complete dish with a lot of playful acid. Boo-ya.

First Course

Albacore crudo with capers, lemon, arugula and olive oil

Three Wives Pinot Blanc
Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon 2007

This was a bright white wine with toned-down fruit, a light body and some slight bitterness. The black pepper from the arugula pulled out the hidden fruit, and the salt from the capers removed the bitterness to show a beautiful, light white wine. On the backside the bright acid cut through the fat of the tuna. A+, snap!

Second Course

Handkerchief pasta, pork belly, sweet corn, spot prawns and summer savory

Roxy Ann Winery Viognier
Rogue Valley, Oregon, 2006

Whoa, what up, pineapple? A great wine on its own, but picturing it with food was a tough challenge for me to wrap my brain-belt around… until the food arrived. Here’s a case of food improving wine, as the herbal punch of the summer savory washed away the tropical fruits and exposed those naked, shivering acids hiding just beneath the surface. It was enough to make the crowd feel dirty. In a good way.

Main Course

Duck breast and duck liver with blackberries and wood oven-roasted root vegetables

Territorial Vineyards Pinot Noir
Stone’s Throw, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2004

Hey, sometimes you bat a thousand, and sometimes you don’t. The big ripe blackberries in the wine clashed with the big not-so-ripe blackberries on the plate. Roasted parsnips seasoned with sea salt would have brought out the earthiness of the wine, and the orange oil in the pate should have taken a backseat. Moving right along…

Cheese Course

Rogue Creamery bleu cheese and toasted hazelnuts

Spangler Vineyards Syrah
Southern Oregon, 2006

Okay, we’re back on track at this point. Sitting at the table with the winemaker, Patrick Spangler, and my friend who put together all of the pairings for tonight, Ryan Stotz, is helping me understand the intricacies of the pairing. I wouldn’t have thought about the tannins in the hazelnuts sitting against the delicate tannins in the wine, nor would I have known about the viognier co-fermented with the syrah. What I would have figured out on my own, however, was the sourness of the cheese lighting up the big, juicy fruits in the wine.

Dessert

Peach napoleon with frozen caramel mousse

Apolloni Viognier
Dolce Vino, Columbia Valley, 2007

I don’t care for matchy-matchy pairings (raspberries with raspberries, etc) but the peach in the napoleon was mellow enough to bring out the stone fruits in the wine. Add in some caramel and acid and the whole mix is crazy delicious. Note to self: Use these ideas for a late-summer cocktail.

That’s my report, and I’m sticking to it. You’ve got my new-found respect, food and wine writers.