Specific recommendations for wine pairings to go with food courses have evolved over the years. The more rigid older solutions such as white wine with fish and red wine with meat no longer strictly apply. Moreover, the older traditional wine choices that worked well are now rather expensive. In addition there currently are so many more newer excellent reasonably priced wines to consider. Everyone is looking for a new magical value pairing.
Our IWFS Founder Andre L. Simon recognized wide choices in his booklet called Partners – A Guide to the Game of Wine & Food Match-Making:
“Which wine is the right partner for each food? It is just a matter of taste, always, and also a matter of luck, often. The place, the company, the weather, the mood of the moment all have something to do in the happy of unhappy match-making of wine and food. No book can tell us. Yet, because of the insistence of so many people asking to be given some guidance in the game of the partnering of wine and food, this little book has been prepared with the greatest diffidence.”
On March 25 a most interesting dinner entitled Sommelier Showdown was cleverly organized by Sarah McCauley Corporate Wine Director for Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver. It was a competition final event for testing the skill of top local Sommeliers to match wine with food but as voted on blind by all 50+ diners in attendance. The food was sublime with talented Chef Alex Kim (fresh off his glorious first place finish at 2025 The Canadian Culinary Championships in Ottawa) and his brigade producing four outstanding food courses. Sarah brilliantly orchestrated the serving before each course of two wines blind as chosen by the finalists Nick Berlioz (NB) of Wentworth Hospitality and Sean Nelson (SN) of Somm Wine Club. The hospitality for the evening was wonderful as Alexandre Blais Director of operations stated:
“People may forget what you’ve said or what they ate, but they will never forget how you made them feel. No one who ever changed the game did so by being reasonable. At Five Sails, we trained our team to be unreasonably good listeners and dream makers. The food, the wine, the restaurant, it’s all black and white… hospitality is the colour you add to the paint.”
Lots of fun and so educational. Well done!
Here are the food courses and insightful choices made by the Sommeliers:
The aperitif was 2019 TINHORN CREEK BLANC DE BLANC 100% Chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley BC showing fine small bubbles, crispy entry with good acidity.
1. Hokkaido SCALLOP crudo lemon Arbequina emulsion, Castelvetrano olives, chervil & fennel salad.
2022 ETNA BIANCO PLANETA SICILY (NB): 100% Carricante organic grapes from 10 hectares single vineyard volcanic soils on north side of Mt. Etna at 700 metres harvested late September 29 to October 8 fermented 80% Stainless and 20 Nevers & Allier large oak casks at 14 abv.
2022 POGGIO ALLE GAZZE DELL’ORNELLAIA TOSCANA IGT BIANCO ITALY (SN): 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 37 Vermentino, 6 Viognier, 2 Verdicchio, 23 Semillon 13 abv fermented in 50% barriques (25% new) and 50 Stainless/Concrete (half each) with regular battonage during 6 months on the lees with no malolactic.
Two excellent choices. The scallop course had subtle flavours with chervil & fennel plus Sicilian special olives. Your scribe slightly appreciated the quieter neutral minerally pairing guess of “Grillo from Sicily” than the bigger rounder richer full complex flavours of perhaps an “oaked Loire Fume Blanc style”. Group vote very close with NB narrow winner.
2. PORK RILLETTES Speck crisps, chive mustard vinaigrette vol au vent.
MV ROEDERER ESTATE SPARKLING BRUT ROSE ANDERSON VALLEY CALIFORNIA (SN): Multi-Vintage blend of 56% Pinot Noir & 44% Chardonnay plus 15% oak-aged reserve wines with 8g/l dosage.
2021 MARAIA BARBERA DEL MONFERRATO MARCHESI DI BAROLO ITALY (NB): Means “little rascals” from the Province of Asti Barbera grapes at 14 .5 abv.
Another close vote but SN prevailed with lovely elegant Rose bubbles pairing beautifully with the exquisite looking white pork & crispy Speck dish. The red has acidity too but the big red fruits and alcohol make quite a forceful statement. Nice contrasts.
3. FRASER VALLEY DUCK BREAST Orange gel, salt-baked beetroot foie gras. Chef Alex Kim says “FV duck is known for its tender meat and crisp, buttery skin. They are Grade A Pekin ducks raised without antibiotics. The ducks are hatched, raised, and processed on the farm in Chilliwack British Columbia”.
2023 ELK COVE ESTATE PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY OREGON USA (SN): 100% Estate fruit dry farmed low yields from six vineyard sites harvested at 23.5 Brix fermented in small open top steel followed by 10 months in French oil at 13.5 abv.
2020 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL FAMILLE PERRIN RHONE FRANCE (NB): Blend 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 50 % balance of 10 other grapes including Cinsault, Syrah & Counoise.
Two outstanding choices with lighter stylish perfumed refreshing pinot noir and darker full bigger fruits structured spicy one.
Both popular and dead heat group vote.
4. APPLE DESSERT Sable Breton, Vanilla mousse, creme anglaise apple & passion fruit compote. Sensational.
2018 CHATEAU D’ ARMAJAN DES ORMES SAUTERNES FRANCE (NB): Very textbook blend Sauternes so sweet rich and stylish with honey, ginger, and balancing acidity. Not cloying.
2003 ERMITAGE VIN DE PAILLE M. CHAPOUTIER RHONE FRANCE (SN): Very special unique wine with 20+ years of aging. Made from straw dried Marsanne for nearly two months and then aged in new oak. Intriguing caramel tropical fruits.
Group vote 28:24 in favour of NB.
Over the four courses a virtual tie. Showed that both wines chosen worked well in all four cases with the dishes presented. Taste-off required to determine the winner with notes was a blind 2019 RED MOUNTAIN LES GOSSES VINEYARD SYRAH WASHINGTON STATE USA. Big ripe style had guesses from Malbec in Chile to Barossa Valley in Australia. Both Sommeliers did a stellar job in selection and analysis but Sean Nelson was declared the winner by a whisker.
Outstanding event so well organized by Sarah! Made you think about appropriate wine pairings while enjoying the superb meal. Congrats.
You might also like:
