During the off-season months of late winter and early spring, harbor activity here in the San Juan Islands slows down to a crawl. However, the positive side of this easy pace is that it is the perfect opportunity to liven things up and invite our famous wine makers from across the Cascades to join us for a night of food, wine, and great stories about our passion for creating excitement on the plate and in the glass.
Winemakers and chefs share a common language when discussing their development of flavor, aroma, and texture in their creations. Sweetness, spice, acidity, buttery richness, structure, balance, and brightness are just a few words we both share when describing our food or wine. For a chef, exotic flavors and mouthwatering delicacies can be created within hours or even minutes, but, for a winemaker, it takes days, months, and years for their wine to unveil its complexity and brilliance. That is why planning a wine pairing starts with tasting the wine then creating the dish that does one of two things; complements the wine by matching similar flavors, like a buttery chardonnay with a buttery pasta sauce, or contrasts the wine by balancing opposing flavors, like a sweet wine with a salty dish. Congruent and contrasting wine pairings can enhance the flavors of the food and wine by matching flavor intensities.
Ok! If I’ve lost you, let’s bring back home. Recall when you were a kid in mom’s kitchen. That peanut butter and jelly sandwich mom made was amazing; salty, peanut butter with the sweet and tart strawberry freezer jam layered between two slices of Wonder Bread. Even as a kid you were enjoying contrasting foods that exploded in your mouth. Now imagine what you can create with your adult palate, a juicy rack of lamb, and a bottle of Walla Walla Syrah.
Recently, I invited my high school buddy and now award-winning winemaker Rob Mellison from Mellisoni Vineyard in Lake Chelan to partner with me in a wine dinner at McMillin’s Dining Room at Roche Harbor. A few days before the big night, Rob grabbed a case of assorted varietals of his favorite wines from his cellar. With the same excitement we had back in the day, when tapping a keg of ice-cold Rainier in the vacant lot, we proceeded to open bottle after bottle, matching the intensity of each wine and debating the food that would be the best contrasting contender or congruent match made in heaven. After a few hours of sipping and snacking, we came up with a menu that showcased my talents in the kitchen and his brilliance at the winery.
This is what we came up with:
Yellowfin Ahi Carpaccio with Mellisoni Vineyards, Pinot Grigio, Lake Chelan, 2024
Thin slices of Tuscan seared tuna, baby Arugula, red onion, and crispy capers with our lemon extra-virgin olive oil sauce.
Contrasting pairing notes: The high acidity of the pinot grigio compliments and enriches the tart flavors of the lemon olive oil sauce and arugula without overpowering the delicate raw tuna.
Roasted Beet and Blue Cheese Salad and Mellisoni Vineyards, Chardonnay, Royal Slope, 2024
Roasted red beets layered with creamy Maytag® blue cheese. Served with Honeycrisp apple, toasted walnuts, gathered greens, and beet sprouts.
Contrasting pairing notes: Deep earthiness of the beet and blue cheese is refreshed by crisp and refreshing fruit with every bite and sip of chardonnay.
Weathervane Scallop Risotto and Mellisoni Vineyards, Malbec, Royal Slope, 2022
Pan-seared Alaskan weathervane scallops, creamy risotto, Cointreau orange liqueur gastric, and grated Parmesan.
Contrasting pairing notes: Delicate sea breeze flavor and bright orange rind sweetness with sensuous, rich blackberry dark plum of the malbec for an equally powerful duet.
Prime Cap of Ribeye and Mellisoni Vineyards, Forte Rosso, Royal Slope, 2017
The most prized cut of meat from the entire steer. The beefiest, tenderest, and most buttery cut of beef you will ever eat. Served with Sandeman ruby port veal demi, fingerling potatoes, and onions cooked in beef tallow.
Congruent pairing notes: The rich fatty beef is complimented by the robust flavors and bitterness of the tannins of the 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec.
Sweet Italian Bread Pudding and Mellisoni Vineyards, 3 Bastards, Royal Slope, 2024
Warm bread pudding with rich, creamy custard, flavored with Florio Marsala and vanilla. Served with warm Amaro “bitter” grappa cream sauce and limoncello whipped cream.
Congruent pairing notes: A blend of roussanne, viognier, and chardonnay create a medium bodied white wine with fuller body highlighting and complementing the sweet custard and tart golden raisins
The wine dinner with Mellisoni Vineyards was a big hit. Rob and I filled the evening with laughter as we shared embarrassing stories of our youth and how special it is to reunite with our shared love of food and wine. Whether you choose a wine to complement or contrast with your meal, wine doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. A good wine, like best friends, will always pair with an excellent meal and warm memories. Remember that getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks with your wine choices can create great surprises and newfound varietal favorites: Champagne and fried chicken, chardonnay and bacon, or Syrah and chili. Your adventure awaits with the pop of a cork.
