A week of #PerfectPairings!

Again, we are so grateful to all who attended our Beer & Wine University Pairings Class last night…another fun group with a slew of delicious #beer & #wine paired to small plates.
My favorite pairing from last night’s class included a Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie bite paired to both the pairing wine I brought, Crios Cabernet of Argentina, and the Left Hand Milk Stout that Michael of A Perfect Pint brought. Both combined perfectly to the deep, dark notes of the chocolate, while the wine added another dimension to the pairing, lifting some fun tangy sides of the chocolate’s spice.
Later last week, my class at the Cooks of Crocus Hill, Edina location named: Big, Brash & Bossy came with a whole other slew of fabulous food and wine combos. (Seriously, some of my favorite this fall!)
One, a gorgeous combination of wild mushroom risotto and a delicious-ly vibrant Nebbiolo from the Barolo region of Italy and two, an Oloroso Sherry of Jerez, Spain paired to a dish of sweet and spicy holiday nuts – roasted to perfection.
Loving how both the earthy elements of the mushrooms played to the dark, violet-y flavors of the Nebbiolo, at the same time, I was just as pleased with my sherry/nut combo – if not, making it my favorite pairing of the night!
While pairing, yes, is a science combining just the right balance between the notes of the wine (fruit and acidity) to the food, at the end of the day, it is your palate. Maybe your ‘balance’ is not my balance, plain and simple. Ultimately, combine what you like best. In truth, finding those immaculate food and wine pairing combos does take time to master, but learning the art and science of it should not be excruciating. Make it a regular date night with your partner, or invite a regular group of friends over to experiment with different food genres or wine varietals and/or wine regions combined to each other. Eating and drinking, after all, should really, just be about having fun and engaging with one other.
In the end, it is at the heart of what brings us all just a little bit closer…