ThE NEW RulES OF WINE PAIRING

(There aren’t any!)

By JAMIE RELTH

Gone are the days of the hard, fast (and convenient) rules for wine and food pairing: whites with fish, reds with meat. In their place, a more liberal philosophy reigns, allowing foodies to pinpoint the perfect pour for their specific meal, palate and preference. Now, it’s just a matter of choosing.

If a booming local wine region and a dining scene where lists of 500 wines are commonplace leave you wondering where to begin, consider these tips from three seasoned food-and-wine matchmakers.

1. COMPLEMENT or CONTRAST

There are really two paths you should consider first when pairing, according to Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the Santa Barbara-focused wine country restaurant Bouchon Santa Barbara and partner at Wine Cask and Intermezzo: to complement or to contrast. Making an argument for either direction, the Bouchon Scallop Trio features one scallop served with a citrusy grapefruit marmalade that pairs well with a palate-cleansing, crisp, contrasting Sauvignon Blanc, while another scallop is served with a creamy risotto, best accompanied by a Chardonnay of equal richness. Just don’t take the principle too far. Sam Marmorstein of Los Olivos Café and winemaker of his backyard-vineyard grown Bernat wine label, says that extreme flavors, such as foods or wines that are too “sweet,” or imbalances like “heavy” wines with “light” foods can spoil the pairing.

2. PREPARATION OvER PROTEIN leonard Schwartz, executive chef and general manager of Lucky’s in Montecito, says there’s no question that big reds go well with dark meat, and lighter reds with the lighter meats, like pork or veal—“But nothing is etched in stone.” Why the caveat? Sjerven explains, “It’s really not the protein that drives it; it’s what the chef does to it.” For instance, when people demand that fish should be served with white wine, he says what they’re really imagining is a dish like Dover sole with beurre blanc sauce; at Bouchon, the salmon dish is often pre- pared with really hearty, earthy, full flavors that are “screaming for Pinot Noir.”

3. SPICE IS NOT ALWAyS NICE

According to Marmorstein, it’s important to think about the type of cuisine you’re preparing, before pairing. “I think really spicy food clashes with wine,” he says, explaining that he opts for pastas, fresh fish, vegetarian dishes and other natural pairings at his Mediterranean-California cuisine café. “Sushi might go well with a certain type of wine, but usually it’s beer.” Sjerven seconds this opinion, saying, for example, that neither the humid climate of Thailand, nor its spicy cuisine is really conducive to wine, and something like a spicy chipotle marinade with a rack of lamb will not go very well with a subtle Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara.

underscoring the “spicy” argument is the idea that food and wine pairing has its roots in the soil. Sjerven says that for Bouchon, which serves food sourced as locally as possible, he offers exclusively Santa Barbara wines. Not only does this make for an authentic experience; it also allows for natural pairings based on a shared taste of place “If I were to travel to Italy, you’d never catch me drinking a bottle of California wine—please! I think, ‘When in Rome.’ That’s half the fun,” he says. Schwartz, however, whose wine selection is global in reach, counters that, while Italian wines like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo can be found in California, they don’t always have “the finesse and the development,” of the wines grown in the terroir of the traditional Tuscany and Piemonte regions.

Famed names and steep price tags do not ensure a perfect pairing. It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters most. Marmorstein points out that most wineries do not make all wine varieties equally well, so he tries to pick the winery’s strongest representative—perhaps a Rhône blend from Beckman, a Pinot from Alma Rosa. Similarly, Schwartz says that an ideal wine matches the food as well as the desired price point. For the lucky’s bone-in filet mignon special, for instance, he would recommend a big Cabernet—whether that means a simple glass of Frank Family Cabernet, a Faust Cabernet from Napa ($95 per bottle), or the Grgich hills Yountville Cabernet ($275). “Any of those wines would marry perfectly with that steak.”

Critic’s reviews or recommendations from sommeliers can help with the process, but as Sjervin notes, when it comes down to it, “There’s really no right or wrong.” The only mistake may be to forgo the wine and miss out on what all three gourmets describe as a critical element of enjoying food.

PERSONAL PERFECT PAIRINgS:

BOuChON SANTA BARBARA

Maple-Glazed California Duck Breast & Confit of Thigh + Melville

Estate Pinot Noir ~ Mitchell Sjervin lOS OlIvOS CAFÉ

Skuna Bay Salmon + Bernat Sangiovese ~ Sam Marmorstein luCKY’S

Duck Special, made with port and dried cherries + Paul lato Pinot Noir ~ leonard Schwartz