 BISHOP'S WINE and FOOD From - Bishops, The Cookbook  German white wines, with their lovely soft floral flavours, were very popular at the time, and perfect with our wonderful Dublin Bay prawns. The Irish are great meat-eaters, so for reds we served mostly wines from Burgundy and Beaujolais, with their earthy, mushroom, damp-cellar smells. And my wine education went on from there. The Bishop's cellar is ten years old. We began, like most small restaurants, with a very humble budget. The wines were purchased almost daily, depending on how busy we were and how many bottles we'd sold the night before. If I remember correctly, we had ten reds and ten whites on the menu, all from either Europe or America. A lot has changed in ten years. Every month's end, Abel Jacinto, our wine keeper and sommelier, spends two days checking and counting the stock. He, more than anybody, knows his way around the two cellars we now have. Wines for long-term keeping are stored at the bottom of piles of cases. Old Bordeaux are stored on their sides on racks. Everyday bottles of wine are kept in their original cases. Small amounts of premium wines are stored in bins. We change our wine list almost weekly, partly in order to offer more of our 3,000-bottle inventory and partly because we must constantly de-list the wines that sell out and list the new ones that come along. When I think of wine, I nearly always think of food. That is not to say that wines cannot be enjoyed by themselves, but wines really do make a meal complete. Wine can bring together all the flavours if it is properly paired with food. There are many opinions on how to do this, and everyone's palate is different, but here are some ideas I've found successful. In matching wine and food, the ideal is to create a balance so the flavours of both wine and food are allowed to come through and complement each other. There are a few ways to do this. You can choose wines that match the flavours and weight of the food--for instance, have a seasoned steak with a Rhône red to match the peppery qualities of both. Or match a fish dish that has a rich, creamy sauce with a sumptuous, oaky Chardonnay or Sémillon. You can also choose wines that are a contrast to the dish and act as a palate cleanser--poached salmon is rich in flavour and oils, so a light but flavourful wine with good acid levels such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc or Sancerre will cut the richness but still stand up to the flavour. But for salmon that is grilled or barbecued--a style of cooking that creates more intense flavours--it is best to choose a bigger wine such as Chardonnay, rosé, or even a light red wine such as a Pinot Noir. The combination of some dishes and wines adds an extra flavour element. When a heavy meat or game dish meets a hearty red wine such as a rich California Zinfandel or Cabernet, the complexities of both are heightened. The clearest and most simple guideline is for dessert wines. The dessert should not be sweeter than the wine. The serving temperature of a wine is a personal choice. Certain rich, full-flavoured white wines can be served at about 45oF (7oC). Lighter, possibly more acidic wines can be kept on ice throughout the meal. Champagnes and sparkling wines are always served chilled. A mature Cabernet and other similarly weighty wines I like to serve just below room temperature. Younger robust red wines can be served even a little cooler--55oF (13oC), which is an ideal cellar temperature. I enjoy pouring Pinot Noirs and some other red wines on the cool side and allowing them to evolve in the wineglass. A proper wineglass enhances the flavour of the wine by concentrating the flavour and bouquet. The restaurant standard is Riedel crystal, which is available at select wine stores and by mail order. It is fragile and expensive, but also the best. For everyday use or for parties, I suggest going to a restaurant supply store and buying a case of thirty-six Stodart 1003 glasses. These are reasonably priced, extremely durable and usually dishwasher safe. Storing your wines is very important if you plan to keep them for a long time. If your home has a cool storage area where the temperature doesn't vary much from 55oC (13oC) and there's no vibration, that's good. Otherwise, you'll probably want to invest in a temperature-controlled storage unit, of which there are many types and sizes available. The key is maintenance, because if the cooling mechanism breaks down and the temperature rises, older, more fragile wines can suffer permanent damage. Before you invest in a large amount of any wine, it is a good idea to purchase a sample bottle to taste or seek advice from your wine retailer or local wine columnist. Wine clubs offer different kinds of events at which you can taste and compare. Just remember that in spite of all of the advice, all of the best suggestions and recommendations in the world, you should explore, discover and buy wines that you personally enjoy. Throughout this book, I've suggested wines to accompany the dishes. I don't get too exact, as wines differ from label to label, and from vintage to vintage--but I do give an idea of the type of wine that will complement the flavours of the dish. The reward of matching wine and food is that when everything comes together you produce a wonderful, harmonious, balanced, flavourful treat. |