Aldo Sohm's Guide to Holiday Wine Pairings: Wine Simple

Mastering Wine Pairings for the Holidays

• 💡 Aldo Sohm, wine director at Le Bernardin, aims to demystify wine pairings with his book, "Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings," making the process practical for home cooks.
• 🎯 He believes wine enhances conversation and emotional responses, creating a "relationship" with food when flavors complement each other.

Avoiding Poor Pairings

• ⚠️ Pairing blue cheese with big red wine is discouraged due to the clash between the cheese's saltiness and sharpness and the wine's tannins, leading to an unpleasant, sour taste.
• ❌ Similarly, chocolate (especially milk or white chocolate) and champagne is a difficult match, as the chocolate's sugar can overpower the champagne's delicate flavors.

Recommended Holiday Pairings

• 🦃 For turkey with stuffing, Pinot Noir or a dry Riesling (like from Finger Lakes) are recommended for their complementary flavors.
• 🌿 When dishes feature aromatic ingredients like thyme, onion, and rosemary, the sauce is the key driver for wine pairing, not necessarily the protein itself.
• 🍋 A brighter, more acidic green bean dish with garlic and lemon might pair well with white wine, while sautéed garlic could lean towards red wines.

Understanding Wine and Rules

• 🚫 Sohm advocates for ditching rigid wine rules, emphasizing that eating and drinking should be fun and inclusive.
• 🥂 He highlights champagne not just for toasts but as an excellent food-pairing wine, versatile enough for various dishes.
• 🗺️ The approach to learning wine should be experiential, encouraging tasting and discovery rather than strict adherence to guidelines.

Exploring Wine Characteristics

• 👃 Aroma is what we smell before tasting, while flavor is perceived during tasting. Many perceived flavors are actually smells detected upon exhalation.
• 💧 The weight of a wine is akin to its texture, ranging from light (like water) to heavier (like milk or cream), helping to understand its body and mouthfeel.
• 🧊 Chilled red wine can be fun, though it may mute certain flavors, emphasizing that personal enjoyment is paramount.

Specific Wine Recommendations

• 🧀 For goat cheese with fig jam, crisp and refreshing white wines like a Chablis or Sancerre are suggested.
• 🍷 Chianti Classico is recommended for its value and versatility, though drinking it daily might be like drinking Coca-Cola every day, suggesting variety.
• 🥂 Sparkling wine or champagne is a safe and broadly appealing choice to bring to holiday parties when the host's menu is unknown.
• 🇪🇸 Regions like Jura (for alternatives to expensive wines), Austria, and Germany are highlighted for exciting, high-value wines that don't break the bank.