01/05/06 Food and wines - Unexpected pairings

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is Food & Wine pairing day. This year my husband and I hosted a Holiday Open House. That was when I did my major holiday cooking. Once the big Christmas feast was due we were ready for a more simple meal. From this meal came an unexpected and very good food and wine pairing. Our family took a quick vote and decided that a simple brunch and a late simple supper were what we wanted to have on Christmas. The supper menu consisted of Champaign and finger food like nuts and olives for appetizers. We then sat down to a tossed salad of nothing but mixed greens and cherry tomatoes tossed in a fig vinaigrette., along with a bowl of potato leek soup. I was all set to serve white wine but everyone wanted red! Who was I to argue? After a quick trip to the wine closet I had a California Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, a lighter style of Merlot and a Dolcetto. I wasn't convinced that any of them would work. But WOW! I have found my new favorite pairings  yes I said pairings. I am uncertain if it was the fig vinegar or the hazelnut oil in the dressing but it went well with the Pinot Noir and kept on going well right on into the Potato Leek Soup. Perhaps it was the lovely acid in the wine, that eased the richness of the soup. Maybe it was the wines generous fruit, that complimented the leeks. I have no real idea, but it certainly was tasty. Try Pinot Noir with your next pot of Potato Leek Soup. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's vine to wine.