Location: Todd English Restaurant, On board the Queen Mary 2 (Between New York and South Hampton)
Menu and wine: There were five wines paired with five tasty dishes. These included:
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Pouilly Fume “Les Chaumiennes” ($50.00); paired with pan seared scallop with tropical fruit ketchup.
Condrieu, Tardieu-Laurent ($95.00); paired with The classic Todd English “Truffle Love Letter”.
Le Corton “Grand Cru” ($170.00); paired with Pan Roasted venison with cranberry and pistachio espresso.
Chateau Giscours “Cru Classe” ($210.00); paired with Grilled double sirloin with powdered wild mushrooms.
Veuve Clicquot, Demi Sec ($80.00); paired with mixed berries pana cotta with fruit coulis.
Tasting Price: $100.00 each.
Comments:When we learned about this seminar titled “What is all the fuss about those French Wines?” and the fact that it was with a food pairing we just couldn’t resist…and we REALLY enjoyed it. Why did we like it so much? Well it was a pairing with just a small amount of a specific food that was perfect with the taste of wine…there was just enough of each to thoroughly understand the pairing and enjoy it; second, the wine was PERFECTLY paired with the food, without question these wines not only went with these foods they enhanced each other; and third, there was a handout sheet that provided background information about the wines, then a different Sommelier went through the tasting of each wine with a step by step tasting discussion. It was VERY informative and LOTS of fun.
Pouilly Fume “Les Chaumiennes”. We had this early in the week with red snapper (see our write up at Pouilly Fume “Les Chaumiennes”) and really did not like it because the citrus and grapefruit taste was so strong it overwhelmed the fish and made it quite unpleasant drinking alone. However, with the scallop it was delicious although when drinking alone the grapefruit taste was still overwhelming. This is a textbook case where the acidity of the wine was complemented by the fat in the scallop.
Condrieu, Tardieu-Laurent. The love letter was potato based in a creamy sauce with a delicious truffle taste and with the vanilla and peach aromas and mineral taste in the wine it made a fantastic combination. The wine was good alone and simply fabulous with the food…the wine and the truffle flavor REALLY complemented each other.
Le Corton “Grand Cru”. The wine was smooth and delicious, with delicate, complex flavors that lasted long into the finish. When paired with the melt-in-your-mouth roasted venison it was a perfect harmony. We don’t usually drink Pinot Noir without food but this was one of those smooth wines that truly needed nothing at all with it. We both agreed this was easily our favorite at this tasting.
Chateau Giscours “Cru Classe. This had strong oak and fruit aromas, full bodied, very nice tannins and was delicious with the beef but also drinking alone. We both liked it but Vicky’s comment was that “it was not nearly as good as Opus 1”!!!
Veuve Clicquot, Demi Sec. Although we really don’t like sweet wine, or Champagne, this went well with the berries and sweet coulis. This had a wonderful grapefruit aroma and you could taste the pinot noir body, but it was simply to sweet for both of us. And, really didn’t stand a chance after drinking our pre-launch bottle of Henri Goutorbe Brut.