The Chef and the Sommelier by Stefano Manfredi
Pressing Matters
Autumn 2000
Matching wine with suitable food is not the exact science it is sometimes made out to be. Some of the more extraordinary combinations are more or less stumbled over and are that little bit more enjoyable because of the thrill of discovery. An exotic, chili laden and aromatic green curry with Piper's Brook unwooded Ninth Island Pinot Noir comes to mind. The wine was slightly chilled and made a perfect accompaniment to the coconut mild curry on a humid tropical day.
The way we go about matching food and wine here at bel mondo is an intuitive process. We don't seem to agonize endlessly about the minutiae of flavour profiles, though we have found that this intuition is informed by knowledge of both the food and wine we serve. It's important to know your product and important to build up that knowledge base - the more you do it the better you'll get at it. The fear of failure is probably the other issue. We can honestly say that the fear is simply that, and as a safety net one can always have an alternative bottle if the match is less than satisfactory. It's probably a good idea to have backup given the number of bottles that are spoiled due to cork taint.
Having said that, here is the way Franck Crouvezier selected wine to go with the menu.
The cannelloni: A WA semillon with its slight grassy aromas complements the firm texture of the yabbie and the silky texture of the pasta. Its clean, balanced fruit-lemon acidity should cut through the richness of the pasta-cheese-tomato combination. The Lenton Brae Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc or Killerby Semillon should do nicely; the latter contains a small percentage of oak giving it a different weight.
The venison: This is an earthy dish, suited to the coming autumn or winter so we need an earthy wine. Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz or Grenache, or combinations of the Rhone varieties will do nicely. These are wines with firm tannins, an abundance of spices and pepper but balanced by loads of fruit and a touch of oak. Torbeck Steading 1997 or Fox Creek JSM could be good fun.
The Tiramisu: The flavours here are rich cream, chocolate and coffee. This is the perfect dessert to devour while watching the film La Grande Bouffe. An auslese-style Riesling is called for here with mixed floral aromas and orange-pineapple fruit. I'd suggest Grosset Noble Riesling 1999 from SA or the Crawford River Nectar 1999 from Victoria.