July ushered in a new era of social media for ASI. Amongst the new initiatives designed to increase engagement between ASI and its global audience of sommeliers is Pairing Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, a sommelier from around the world is asked to pair a dish with a wine style. Sommeliers are encouraged to share their pairing suggests for the dish. The initiative launch coincided with our “Pairing Beyond the Grape” webinar, which garnered intriguing pairings from the likes of Julia Scavo, Paz Levinson, Kristjan Peäske, Karl Sjöström, Atsuhide ‘Hossy’ Hoshiyama and Ciro Fontanesi for a dish presented by sommelier Valeria Tenison of Tentazioni Bordeaux 1*.
Dish: Cueillette de bord de mer / Coquillages, crustacés, plancton et sorbet iodé
Restaurant : Tentazioni, Bordeaux, France
Sommelier : Valeria Tenison, assistante maître d’hôtel
Pairing : Ancestrale Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
Instagram : @valeria_tenison
About the Pairing: We serve this refreshing and refined dish with a glass of very delicate dry ancestrale Valdobbiadene which does not overpower the dish but gives a beautiful fruity kick to the saline harmony of this marine composition.
Guest Sommelier Pairings:
Paz Levinson: GRANITO CRU 2018 from Luis Seabra, Albarnino 100% from the región of Minho and for tea I prefer a Gyokuro as it has seaweed flavours and matches perfectly well a dish with saltiness and marine character.
Ciro Fontanesi: Oolong Tea such as Tie Guan Yin low roasted from the volcanic soils of Boshan, Yunnan (China) as it balances the sorbet temperature in the mouth and enhances the iodine sensation, connecting the green sensation of plankton and enhancing the sweet sensation of the crustaceans.
Julia Scavo: Saké « Début » from Wakatakeya Shuzo in Fukuoka, a Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu made of Reihou rice with a 70% Seimaibuai and glass pairing of Reveal’Up Soft 30 cl.
Atsuhide ‘Hossy’ Hoshiyama: My beverage is “Sake (Nihon-shu) highball”. It is a Sake cocktail, made with Sake and soda. In this case Daiginjo (Not Junmai Daiginjo) Gensyu type would be a good idea. The addition of soda lowers the sake’s alcohol, increasing its fruitiness and freshness. The crisp mouthfeel of the bubble will be layered with a crunchy texture of iodized sorbet. And aromatic flavours of the cocktail are good for crustaceans. Also, gentle umami masks the negative flavour of the shellfish. In addition, Gijno type has green flavor like bamboo, the green flavor will be layered with the herb of the dish. This is a refreshing addition.
Kristjan Peäske: My selection for the dish would be a Hoegaarden Witbier (Belgian-style wheat ale). The delicate tropical sweetness of the beer matches the sweetness of the prawns and balances the saltiness of the seafood and the iodized sorbet. Hoegaarden’ s elegant and juicy acidity combined with light bitterness bring the liveliness to our match while the yeasty notes elevate the aromatic component of the herb aooli in the dish.Beer’s foamy texture enhances the seafood texture while elegantly supporting the texture of the sorbet.
Dish: Yellowfin Tartare
Restaurant: Chef Franck Dangereux from The Foodbarn in Noordhoek. Instagram
Instagram: @the_foodbarn_Noordhoek
Sommelier: Jean-Vincent Ridon, recipe from his book Passion for Pairing, Best in the World Gourmand Award, 2021
Pairing: Dry Riesling from South Africa
Instagram: @jvridon
About the Dish: Yellowtail looks very much like a tuna but is actually an Amberjack distant cousin of the mackerel, and famous in the South Seas. Sandwiched in layers of pressed seaweed, it is served with a lemon mayonnaise, Franschhoek trouts caviar over a cucumber gazpacho infused with lemon oil.
Jean-Vincent’s Pairing: With this rich texture, and the lemon touch being everywhere, a bone-dry Riesling from Stellenbosch has been my natural choice
The Dish: Seafood Paella
The Restaurant: Per Se Social Corner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Instagram: @persesocialcorner
The Sommelier: Leagh Barkley, Executive Sommelier, Acquafarina & Per Se Social Corner
Pairing: Reserve White Rioja or Okanagan Viognier (British Columbia)
Instagram: @leaghbarkley
Leagh’s Pairing: I love to serve Reserva White Rioja (Viura heavy blends, 2-3 year aged with slight oak treatment). Between the incredible texture and unique complexity, a world away from the more commonly consumed varietals here in North America, it continues to impress and surprise my guests. To keep up with our #SupportLocal movement I have to mention that I also use Okanagan Viognier (from Osoyoos specifically, the hottest part of the Valley) that also pairs very well.
About the Dish: Clams, mussels, tiger prawns, calamari, baby scallops, Pata Negra chorizo, saffron-lemon marinated free range chicken supreme, on Spanish paella rice with saffron.
Dish: Caramelized Duck Breast
Chef: Private Chef Bogdan Cozma
Instagram: @private.chef.by.bogdan.cozma
Sommelier: Florin Voica, President, Romania Sommelier Association, Associatia Sommelierilor din Romania)
Pairing: Feteasca Neagra
Instagram: @floreavoica
About the Dish: Caramelized duck breast is artfully served with a parsnip puree , garlic chips , baked vegetables, and a red wine jus with salted caramel.
Florin’s Pairing: My opinion is that a good culinary pairing would be made between the duck breast and Feteasca Neagra. Feteasca Neagra is a wine very well known all over the world, it is the Ambassador of Romania in terms of wine. A wine of a royal, ruby colour, with shades of purple. We find the same noble character in its fine texture, rich in aromas of black cherries and prunes, berries, blueberries, currants, blackberries, cinnamon, vanilla, well-baked bread crust, exotic spices. The velvety tannins, typical of the variety, the balanced acidity, the aromatic bouquet, the aftertaste is long and velvety and silky. Feteasca Neagra is known as a variety that results in red wines with aging potential, managing over time to develop a broader taste, with velvety, silky and fine tannins.