Palmer Emmitt's Blog: Stunning Valentine's Day Wine Pairing
While reading Harvey Steiman's great article in this month's Wine Spectator on pairing wine with chocolate, I was reminded of a recent palate shattering discovery:
I had chosen for my Third Thirsty Thursday tasting in October to focus entirely on sparkling wines, but beyond one example from Champagne, I wanted to really explore all the possibilities and surprise some people. I figured a Moscato d'Asti would start us off right, then, to satisfy the masses, a brief line-up of traditional method sparklers including a rosé, but from there I went off the reservation. A friend in the distribution business suggested a Lambrusco, which I had never tasted but sounded like just what I was looking for - a formerly ubiquitous but now under the radar style of red sparkling wine from Italy to pair with the ribs I planned on barbecuing.
The true inspiration for the evening however, came when I stopped in at K&L Wines to pick up my box of sparklers and asked Mari what else I should try. She suggested the Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz from Australia. I had never even heard of sparkling shiraz and it frankly sounded a little odd - take one of the biggest baddest most bruising styles of wine in the world and add bubbles to it? Who would do such a thing? But like a linebacker who takes ballet classes in the offseason to improve his footwork, it seemed like an idea just crazy enough to work. When she added that it was a good pairing with dark chocolate, I was sold.
The evening went off without a hitch, as people enjoyed all the sparklers along with the Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and of course ribs with red beans and rice that I had selected as pairings. But just as things were winding down, and people were starting to think about going home, I shocked them with the pièce de résistance - the Black Chook paired with chipped Scharffen Berger dark chocolate (their 62% Cacao Semisweet version). It was a complete palate explosion - the Black Chook had all the big dark fruit you expect from an Aussie shiraz bomb but the bubbles masked the alcohol and left a pleasingly refreshing sensation; the Scharffen Berger only added to the experience, bringing out the chocolate notes in the wine, adding an opulent creaminess, and matching it's sweetness level almost sublimely. In a word - decadent.
The Black Chook ran away with wine of the night honors - but it was really the pairing that made it shine. Whether with a group of bittersweet singles or alone with your loved one on this Valentine's Day, I guarantee this pairing will make the holiday a memorable one.
The entire line-up of wines from the Third Thirsty Thursday sparklers tasting:
Saracco Moscato d’Asti 2007
Argyle Willamette Valley Brut 2002
Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne (NV)
Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé (NV)
Gelsomina Lambrusco Montevano 2007
Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz (NV)
I had chosen for my Third Thirsty Thursday tasting in October to focus entirely on sparkling wines, but beyond one example from Champagne, I wanted to really explore all the possibilities and surprise some people. I figured a Moscato d'Asti would start us off right, then, to satisfy the masses, a brief line-up of traditional method sparklers including a rosé, but from there I went off the reservation. A friend in the distribution business suggested a Lambrusco, which I had never tasted but sounded like just what I was looking for - a formerly ubiquitous but now under the radar style of red sparkling wine from Italy to pair with the ribs I planned on barbecuing.
The true inspiration for the evening however, came when I stopped in at K&L Wines to pick up my box of sparklers and asked Mari what else I should try. She suggested the Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz from Australia. I had never even heard of sparkling shiraz and it frankly sounded a little odd - take one of the biggest baddest most bruising styles of wine in the world and add bubbles to it? Who would do such a thing? But like a linebacker who takes ballet classes in the offseason to improve his footwork, it seemed like an idea just crazy enough to work. When she added that it was a good pairing with dark chocolate, I was sold.
The evening went off without a hitch, as people enjoyed all the sparklers along with the Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and of course ribs with red beans and rice that I had selected as pairings. But just as things were winding down, and people were starting to think about going home, I shocked them with the pièce de résistance - the Black Chook paired with chipped Scharffen Berger dark chocolate (their 62% Cacao Semisweet version). It was a complete palate explosion - the Black Chook had all the big dark fruit you expect from an Aussie shiraz bomb but the bubbles masked the alcohol and left a pleasingly refreshing sensation; the Scharffen Berger only added to the experience, bringing out the chocolate notes in the wine, adding an opulent creaminess, and matching it's sweetness level almost sublimely. In a word - decadent.
The Black Chook ran away with wine of the night honors - but it was really the pairing that made it shine. Whether with a group of bittersweet singles or alone with your loved one on this Valentine's Day, I guarantee this pairing will make the holiday a memorable one.
The entire line-up of wines from the Third Thirsty Thursday sparklers tasting:
Saracco Moscato d’Asti 2007
Argyle Willamette Valley Brut 2002
Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne (NV)
Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé (NV)
Gelsomina Lambrusco Montevano 2007
Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz (NV)
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