Posted on: Wednesday, September 1, 2004

RAISE A GLASS
With wine, you really need food

By Heath Porter

My friends give me flak because I'm a wine geek in my career, but I'm more often seen drinking beer. Don't get me wrong, I love wine, and I'm very lucky to taste wine every day for a living. But in order for me to truly enjoy all this wine to its fullest, I need one major thing: FOOD! Like Laverne and Shirley, Bert and Ernie, or maybe even Archie and Edith, food and wine rely on each other to bring out the best characteristics each has to offer. The two, if paired correctly, can offer an intoxicating result.

The joy of fresh, perfectly seared 'ahi with an elegant red burgundy is as underrated as an extra pass in basketball. Superb sashimi or sushi with great champagne is a must. Don't forget the pickled ginger with the bubbles. They dissipate together like the sunset. A spicy, earthy, Chateauneuf-du-Pape with fennel-braised leg of lamb is pure gluttony.

Of course, finding the right pairing will take some work. So let's start with the basics. Region to region, contrasting flavors or textures, and matching flavors or viscosity. If it's a dish that originated in northern Italy, chances are it's a northern Italian wine that will match. If it's a beautiful seafood stew with earth and aromatics from southern France, what could be better than a dry, crisp aromatic rosé from the south of France?

And what about the fat content of a rib-eye steak? That's what tannin in red wine was made for, to eat the protein. Too much butter in the beurre blanc, maybe a big, buttery chardonnay, but what about a Rhone white wine (roussanne or marsanne) with a better natural viscocity not imparted from the oak barrels in which it is stored?

Of course there are foods that seem to be too complex for wine. I love great Thai food, but how do you handle the spice? Sweetness, that's how. An off-dry riesling from Germany is a great companion because the spice finds its resolve in the acid and sweet nectar of this wine.

But then I think it comes down to the palate's greatest recognization. If you taste a pronounced (or underlying) flavor in a wine, why wouldn't you try to incorporate those same flavors in a dish? If you smell and taste a hint of freshness with brine and shells in chablis, why not get into a half-dozen oysters on the half-shell? Smell a little coffee or mint in a wine? Throw these in the marinade. My favorite is when I find the essence of ripe blackberries or fig in a wine, then I put one of these fruits in the sauce.

What's the worst that could happen? You'll still eat and drink tomorrow even if a pairing isn't very successful. But if all goes as planned, it's like winning the lottery in your mouth! So, if you see me drinking a beer at the bar, go ahead, offer me some wine. Just be sure to bring a pork chop with it!

Here are a few wines I think are a little more food friendly than most:

• Pavi: A pinot grigio from Napa Valley. It's bright and tropical and has great balance with shellfish or antipasti.
• Chateau Routas: A rosé from Provence. It's very versatile and goes especially well with soup, salad, chilled food or hot food.
• Babcock: A pinot noir from Santa Barbara, Calif. Pairs excellently with fish with some oil content, chicken, and grilled vegetables.

Heath Porter is general manager and wine director at the W Diamond Head Grill in the W Hotel, Waikiki. Reach the grill at 922-3734.