Wine Choices with Fixed Menu

I belong to a group that gets together 4 - 5 times to have one of us cook a meal and everyone pulls out the wines they've got squirrelled away for that special occasion that never seems to come - so we make them happen.

Sometimes we choose a theme, or a general whatever-you-want sort of tasting, but recently we have been telling each participant what one of the courses will be and asking them to nominate several possible wine choices they could supply to go with the food. This gives them something to think about, and gives the 'organizer' some choices so they can assemble a coherent wine event. I thought that it might be fun to post some of the combinations here to see what others think.

I'll post two of the courses I am doing, with the wines that have been 'offered' and you tell me which ones you'd pick (I'll give you my choices once I've mulled it over and decided).



First course: Salmon and asparagus baked in phyllo.

Suggested wines:

2000 Moreau Grand Cru Chablis 'Valmur'
1999 Weinbach Sclossberg Riesling
2002 Javillier Savigny Les Beaunes 'Montchenevoy'



Second course: Mushroom soup with hazelnut gremolata and wild mushrooms (sauteed and added at the end)

Suggested wines:

1999 Jacques Prieur Volnay Champans
1999 Jean Luc Colombo Cornas Les Ruchets
1996 Muga Prado Enea Rioja Gran Reserva

With such a wide array of possible wine choices, this bears thinking about. If you were giving this dinner, which ones would you choose?

I'd choose the Moreau or Weinbach and the Volnay, but mainly because those are the wines I'd rather drink

More seriously, they also seem to be the more 'elegant' wines that strike me as a better match for the refined dishes you are proposing.

But what do I know.

which ones would you choose?

I'd choose to go to your dinner. Dishes sound/look great and wine choices not too shabby!

Would think the Weinbach would be a superb match.
I would think not the Cornas, but don't know any of the three, so not a credible vote.

Charles

BIll,

I think that Volnay is a great match with mushroom dishes in general, and should work very well with the soup. I might try the Savigny with the Salmon, but I'm not sure that any of the choices sound like a great match to me.

I am tending to the Alsatian wine with the fish, and the Volnay would certainly work well with the soup - I have some of that wine myself and it is lovely.

I know the Colombo Cornas and it is heavier than I'd like. I am intrigued by the Muga, as I like those wines a lot, and this one should stand up to the earthy flavours of the mushroom soup (I am getting some fresh chanterelles to top it with) admirably.

The white Savigny is going to be light and lemony, which would go very well with the fish, but I think that the Riesling would be even better and I wouldn't want to pass up a chance to indulge in Alsatian (or any other) Riesling, which all people of taste would agree is the Queen of White Grapes.

So right now, anyway, my thoughts are to choose the Weinbach and the Muga.