The best pairings for amontillado and palo cortado sherry

Amontillado sherry has richer, nuttier flavours than a classic fino or manzanilla sherry and calls for different food matches. Think more in terms of cured meat, game and cheese than seafood and richer, meatier tapas.

Which match works best depends on the level of sweetness. An inexpensive medium-dry amontillado will tend to suggest different pairings than an aged dry amontillado which will be much drier and nuttier - arguably best sipped on its own.

Palo cortado which starts life as a fino but finishes it like an oloroso is similar calls for broadly similar pairings

Dry amontillados and palo cortados

Jamon iberico - amontillado can handle the extra richness and depth of flavour of iberico ham - and an extra bit of fat

Cheese - Aged manchego is classic but amontillado is also surprisingly good with cheddar, aged Comté and similar cheeses and parmesan as you can see from this rocket and parmesan salad

Almonds and hazelnuts - try it with the Middle-eastern dip dukkah

Sautéed mushrooms

Kidneys

Albondigas (meatballs)

Patés, especially game patés

Cold game pie

Smoked duck and other smoked meats

Pork scratchings

Salad with sautéed chicken livers

Chestnuts

Jerusalem artichokes

Roast root veg

Braised rabbit

Chicken yakitori

Peach - according to Heston Blumenthal!

Medium-dry sherries work best with cheese, patés and even plain fruit cakes like Dundee cake. The same suggestions would apply to medium-dry montillas

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The best food pairings for syrah

Syrah and shiraz, as you may know, are the same grape variety but quite different in character. Syrah, especially from the Northern Rhône, tends to be savoury, shiraz from Australia, far more sweet-fruited.

In this guide, I’m concentrating on food pairings for syrah. Learn, for example... 

*Which meats and cooking styles bring out the best in syrah’s savoury notes?

*Are there surprising vegetarian or cheese pairings that work beautifully with syrah?

*How do you pair high-end syrahs like Côte Rôtie or Hermitage with food?

*What unexpected dishes, like fish or Moroccan tagines, pair well with syrah?

What sort of food goes with syrah?

In a nutshell, meat, especially steak and other beef dishes. Particularly if it’s grilled or cooked on an open fire. With an inexpensive syrah think steak frites: a rib of beef with a finer, more expensive wine.

Pork is also good, especially if it’s grilled.

Garlicky Toulouse sausages are divine. In fact garlic generally makes syrah sing as do fragrant herbs such as thyme, oregano and rosemary (think Provençal and southern French food generally). Be wary about black pepper though. Just because there are peppery notes in syrah doesn’t mean you should pair it with peppery food. Something like a steak in pepper sauce can cancel out the pepper notes in the wine.

Oh and black olives. Great with syrah if you want to add them to a dish.

Why not lamb? Personally I think there are better matches for lamb. For me lamb is best with cabernet, tempranillo (especially rioja) and Italian reds but I’m not going to get precious about it. Go for it!

In terms of pairing syrah with vegetarian dishes I’d go for hearty dishes based on beans or lentils and intensely flavoured vegetables like aubergines and mushrooms. And syrah is one of the best red wines with cheese.

I’d also suggest different food pairings for different styles of syrah.

Young quaffable syrah

These are often natural, brimming with fresh, bright berry fruit - real vins de soif (thirstquenching wines) as the French call them. Perfect with charcuterie and cheese - so the wine for your fancy meat and cheese platter. Especially with olives!

Young syrahs are also good with lighter meats like grilled and sautéed chicken and rabbit like this braised rabbit dish.

Medium bodied syrah around 2-5 years old

e.g. Crozes-Hermitage, or Saint-Joseph (sometimes referred to as cool climate syrah)

We’re talking slightly more substantial, more full-bodied syrah here, with a bit of bottle age. Typically from the northern Rhône.

So grilled meat again, obviously but also think braises and daubes which are excellent with this style, especially beef short ribs (especially with Cornas). Oxtail and ox cheek too. And I do like black pudding with a syrah. (Haggis too, come to that)

Although I prefer a ripe new world style with barbecue (see below) they’re also tops with a fatty lamb belly kebab according to my colleague Zeren Wilson. And, to my surprise, with this pairing with coffee and maple syrup-brined pork though I’d probably still go for the fruitier type of syrah below.

Think cheese too with this style of syrah. Aged Comté can be bliss.

Ripe fruity syrah from e.g. California and Chile.

Typically fruitier than Northern Rhône syrah but less ripe and full-bodied than an Australian shiraz.

Great with American-style barbecue and spicy marinades, especially with pork (think pulled pork. Look at this pairing of spicy grilled quail and a Boekenhoutskloof Syrah too. They work with hoisin duck too.

You could even try it with seared or grilled meaty fish like tuna as in this pairing with Elephant Hill syrah.

If your wine is labelled shiraz, particularly if it comes from Australia, click here.

Posh syrah

Syrah produces some of the most seductive wines in the world - think Côte Rôtie, Hermitage and Grange (which in my view counts more as a syrah than a shiraz from a pairing perspective) If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle what should you pair with it?

Basically the answer is the same sort of food you’d eat with a cheaper syrah, only up the quality. Think rib of beef, Chateaubriand, Wagyu beef and aged Galician beef. Venison and wild boar will also show off a top syrah as will feathered game such as grouse, pheasant and pigeon/squab (see also below). Same goes for goose - top Rhône syrah is a great wine to put on the Christmas table. It also has the intensity to handle rich wine-based sauces or ‘jus’.

You might also think of veal kidneys if you like them.

Syrah (along with syrah blends) also handles cheese better than more fragile burgundies or Bordeaux so they’re a good wine to drink with a cheeseboard as long as you avoid pungent washed-rind cheeses and strong blues.

Older syrah vintages

Syrah ages well, often developing a gamey note which itself goes well with game, especially pheasant, pigeon and woodcock as you can see from this report about a spectacular Cambridge college dinner. That’s true of ‘new world’ syrah too as this pairing of a 17 year old Californian syrah and venison proves.

Think too of well matured beef like Pete Hannan’s Himalayan salt-aged beef which will bring the fruit in an older vintage to the fore.

And you might be surprised but the gentle spicing of Moroccan food, especially tagines, seems to work well with mature syrah. Worth thinking about them with middle-eastern and Persian food too.

What are your favourite pairings with syrah?

Read this post if you’re looking for matches for shiraz though there is obviously some overlap.

Top photo ©chiyacat at shutterstock.com
Charcuterie photo ©rawpixel at shutterstock.com
Wagyu beef photo ©hlphoto at shutterstock.com

The best food pairings with Saint-Emilion

Saint-Emilion is a familiar name on a wine list but what sort of food goes with it best? Sommelier Nathalie Gardiner suggests her favourite pairings.

As one of the four main red wine producing regions of Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion offers the typical Right Bank combination of merlot and cabernet franc. Even though the blend remains the same across the majority of the area, its wines are incredibly varied; by vintage, by class, by vineyard and even by individual plot.

AOCs around the main appellation such as Lussac Saint-Emilion, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Saint-George Saint-Emilion and Puisseguin Saint-Emilion also produce similar wines (often at a more reasonable price) which go with the same type of dishes.

Pairing food with Saint-Emilion is best approached by age and style. Generally, you can’t go wrong with partnering it with local dishes like confit duck or beef entrecôte, but there are plenty of other, more diverse international options too.

Basic Saint-Emilion (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)

This is your entry-level wine in Saint Emilion; they meet the basic appellation rules, and tend to be more youthful, juicy and simple than your Grand Cru Classés and above.

Duck or game terrine with some quince jelly on the side would be great due to its rich fatty content that balances with the freshness of the wines.

Comté or similarly mild, slightly sweet cheese.

Shoulder of lamb roasted with rosemary or thyme, with seasonal greens

Rich, tomato-based pizza and pasta dishes, such as a pizza napolitana, or lasagne

If you have a Saint-Emilion that has a higher proportion of merlot, spicy Asian dishes like rogan josh, or Chinese or Korean hotpots can work well; just make sure that the wine is fleshy enough to handle the spice

A big ol’ sticky rack of ribs, especially when eaten with hands and sauce dripping down one’s face; seems like a bit of a long shot, but once you try it you will be convinced!

Good quality Saint-Emilion, 2-5 years old (generally within Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé classification)

At the time of writing, the past few years of released vintages of Saint-Emilion have been considered quite varied, so check the vintage on the label. It’s the general consensus that 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 are the best recent years: with these vintages especially you will want your dishes to be richer, more flavourful and more heavily sauced. This is to keep up with the riper tannins and higher levels of alcohol and greater concentration that has become the norm in the merlot dominated blends of the Right Bank.

Classic Entrecôte à la Bordelaise is, irrefutably, the best dish with Saint-Emilion wines; perfectly cooked rib of beef with the famous red wine and shallot sauce. Serve it with some ceps and you’re on the road to pure joy.

Along the same lines, Beef Wellington (known in France as Boeuf en Croute) is a rich dish that benefits from the power of a good Saint-Emilion

Roast pigeon, preferably served with a thick, rich red wine jus and confit onions (paradise!)

Stews of lamb or game, especially those with slightly more middle-eastern influences, such as tagines.

Chilli con carne (or ‘sin’ carne, as your diet dictates), or other Tex Mex dishes like beef burritos.

Macaroni cheese/mac’n’cheese - a surprise pairing, maybe, but a good one as you can discover here

Tapas of any kind will go well, specifically patatas bravas, pulpo Gallego and croquetas de jamón

Confit de Canard, another classic Aquitanian dish of confit duck legs

Saint-Nectaire cheese, which can be found on any cheese plate in Saint-Emilion despite its roots in the Auvergne, or any other earthy, nutty semi-hard cheese

More evolved, mature Saint-Emilion of 10+ years

(These can be within any class in the entire Saint-Emilion Classification, definitely including Premier Grand Cru Classé, but of high quality)

These wines tend to be more delicately balanced, with tannins that are well integrated. The ripe fruit that was there in its early years will most likely have turned into earthy, mushroomy or dried fruit flavours. Of course vintages are still important but it is better to steer away from those rich sauces that were better with the younger wines.

Any kind of roast bird would be fantastic with an older Saint-Emilion. Christmas dinners are the perfect time to open a beautiful vintage with turkey, goose or partridge, and all the trimmings (especially the bread sauce!).

A mushroom risotto or tagliatelle with creamy morel sauce would be great, since wines that age well still have a freshness that will give some life and lightness to the rich sauces.

Sautéed chicken that is cooked with some more earthy and nutty accoutrements, like cherries and almonds.

A light lamb or veal stew like a navarin of lamb, or if you’d really like to immerse yourself in the Southwest, a Garbure, perfect for transitional months

Duck breasts preferably prepared in the traditional Southwest style - i.e. pan-fried in their own fat

Truffle omelettes - not found often in my experience, but they are a goldmine of pleasure when you come across them. The earthiness of the truffle is perfect for slightly older Saint-Emilions.

Do you have any favourite Saint-Emilion pairings I haven't included here? Do share if you do!

For other Bordeaux pairings see What food to match with red Bordeaux

Nathalie Gardiner is a sommelier and is currently studying for a Wine and Management Diploma at the Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris.

The best wine matches for Comté

After a recent visit to the Jura I've rethought my ideas about which wines make the best wine pairings for Comté cheese.

We were guided through a tasting by flavour analyst Claire Perrot who suggested a couple of matches I wouldn’t have thought of - Champagne and Alsace Pinot Noir. And since then I've been back and tried a couple more (see my update below)

Comté is France’s most popular AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) cheese by a significant margin selling about twice as much as its nearest rival Roquefort.

It’s a cooked pressed Gruyère style cheese which in fact used to be referred to as Gruyère de Comté. Individual wheels vary hugely though I found them in general more caramelly, nuttier and slightly less salty than Gruyère but less fruity than Beaufort though there will obviously be differences between winter and summer cheeses - summer cheeses being fuller-flavoured than winter ones.

The French tend to eat Comté fairly young which makes it an unchallenging partner to a wide range of wines including reds. Once it’s older, nuttier and more intense you may want to veer towards whites or some of the other suggestions below:

Local dry Arbois whites
The classic local terroir-based match. Most of the ones I tasted were a blend of Chardonnay and the local Savagnin grape which gives the wines a nutty, slightly earthy, mineral character which chimes in perfectly with the cheese. I suspect old Muscadet, which I've been tasting recently, would work well too.

Vin Jaune
Arbois’ distinctive sherry-style white is a fantastic match for 12-18 month Comtés. And on that basis so is ...

Dry(ish) sherry
Amontillado and palo cortado being the two wines recommended by the Comté website although since I’ve successfully paired dry oloroso with Gruyère I suspect it would work well with Comté too. (Sherry is more sympathetic to Comté than port, I think.)

Champagne
The big surprise. I tasted a biodynamic Champagne from Lassaigne, les Vignes de Montgueux, which was just delicious with a 15 month old winter Comté. Vintage Champagne I suspect would be fantastic with older Comtés still.

Aged or minerally Chardonnays
On the basis that Arbois wines containing Chardonnay work well others should too, particularly mature Chablis and other mature Chardonnays such as this one from Kistler that struck gold with a 56 month Comté. You wouldn’t want the oak influence to be too pronounced though.

Old white Bordeaux - an 18 year old Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan was stunning with both 2 and 4 year old Comtés at a tasting I did with affineur Bernard Antony a few years ago.

Alsace Pinot Noir
I really liked a 5 year old 2006 Schueller Pinot Noir with a fresh, milky six month old Comté but the local Poulsard grape works well too

Mature - and immature but not overoaked - Languedoc reds . . .
A surprise perhaps but I’ve drunk Languedoc Syrah - young and old - successfully with youngish Comté.

. . . and mature Spanish reds
I've had striking success with a 9 month old Comté and an 8 year old Navarra red from Chivite. Mature Rioja reservas and gran reservas of course, should work too.

So a number of different possibilities which indicates that Comté is a pretty easy-going cheese which earns its place on a cheeseboard. The common factor in the most successful pairings however seems to be age. Mature wines seem to work particularly well. The wines I’d hesitate to pair with it are high alcohol new world reds with a lot of jammy fruit and intensely herbaceous whites like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which I don’t think would work as well. I don’t think rosé does Comté many favours either.

September 2015. On my latest visit to Fort des Rousses I discovered two other really good pairings for a full-flavoured 3 year old Comté Juraflore: a 2002 vin de paille and a MacVin du Jura, a curious blend of savagnin juice and must and brandy which tastes like a cross between a dessert wine, a grappa and a whisky!

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