Join other wine lovers in learning about Bordeaux wines and the best wines for your custom wine cellar.
Wine lovers in Canada, mark your calendars! The annual Bordeaux Wine Festival in Québec City will be from Thursday, August 31, 2017, to Sunday, September 3. At this event perfectly suited for wine connoisseurs and gourmet chefs alike, you can expect to experience the harmonious marriage of Bordeaux wines with Quebec’s renowned gastronomic flavors. Wine tasting workshops are scheduled, including one that is designed to inspire appreciation for food and Bordeaux wine pairings. As with all wine-related extravaganzas, you can also expect to find some wine selections that are ideal for your custom wine cellar or wine cabinet in the Toronto area.
Spotlight on Food and Wine Pairings
Keep in mind that there is no need to be intimidated by pairing wine with food. It should be fun, even though there are many variables that can be confusing. For instance, Bordeaux is a region from which we can choose young red or white wines, older red or white wines, and old or new sweet wines. The following are some general rules that add wonderful simplicity to pairing wine with food:
- Pour a glass of wine that you enjoy to drink with a meal that you enjoy. This is better than forcing a wine-food pairing with a dish you have no appetite for.
- Simple wines go best with complex meals and vice versa. The finest wines have lovely aromatic blends that can become lost if served with complex dishes. For instance, 2010 St. Emilion Bordeaux wines are plush, opulent, pure, rich, and powerful; such a wine is best served with simple fare.
Serving the Wine
Additional elements of enjoying wine are serving it at the optimal temperature and decanting it in the way that will best enhance flavors. You may, for example, enjoy a red Bordeaux more if it has a slight chill, as opposed to serving it warm. If you are decanting your wine, time it so that you can pour the wine when the food is served.
Make Wine the Focal Point
A mistake many gourmet chefs tend to make with regard to fine wine pairings is that they make their dishes the main event when it should be the wine. When you pull a beautifully aged wine from your custom wine cellar or your custom wine cabinet, is it with great anticipation? If so, that is as it should be. It never hurts to do a bit of research for yourself, as to what experts might say about what to serve with particular vintages. But follow the general tips above, and you probably can’t go wrong. Of course, when you visit an event such as the Bordeaux Wine Festival in Québec City, you will be even better equipped to enjoy food and wine pairings.
