Tips and tricks for the right pairing of wines and food

Nothing new under the sun, I can hear you. Who is this man thinking he can teach us pairing food and wines? We know to do this pairing, there is no problem, there is nothing easier on Earth! Sorry to insist, but a normal intelligent man has always something to learn, and admits it. And I am sure you are such intelligent people!

You received even from myself some tips and tricks for the right pairing of wine and food on many other occasions. But, you know, taking part to so many professional wine tasting in Romania makes me to forget the normal wine afficionado as you are, and as I am ( I still hope that a wine afficionado is not alcohol or food addicted! At least we in Europe use to think like that!)

But let's go back to our sheeps! How would you pair a desert, a cooked liver, a salt cheese? These are open questions, applying to normal people who cellar more sorts of wine (this is the real wine afficionado in my opinion). And these are the tips and tricks:

1. Never forget that a red wine is richer and heavier than a white one. Keep the red for the heavy dishes, but keep in mind that this mix between good food and excellent wines leads to obesity, when repeated. So, always strive to live healthy and never forget your morning gym!

2. The sweet dishes are to be completed with an easy white wine, the best is the medium dry Riesling, and avoid the Muscat Ottonel, which is simply too sweet.

3.The cheese, if is salty and spicy, must be currently paired  with a medium dry Merlot. The saltier and spicier the cheese, the drier the wine, keep in mind.

4. The jelly duck liver is a heavy meal, but not the heaviest you know. This is in my opinion to be paired with a sweet red Cabernet Sauvignon.

5.Always pair the fish with a white dry wine, e.g. Aligote which is my favorite! About chicken (you guess, an easy dish must get is white) I recommend a sweet Chardonnay

I still have many other tips and tricks, but I keep them for another occasion (not for myself, as I wanna share with you from all my heart). A special mention: you get all the above named wines as presents when taking part to the wine tasting in Romania! And I am waiting now for your feedback, hoping that all these tricks are useful to you.

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The Big Romania Wine Tasting Tour with 10 % discount in May

I have worked out a big surprise for the wine afficionados: a bigger Romania Wine Tasting Tour. Comparing to my previous wine tour ( attention pls, April discount will soon be obsolete!) I added a few wineries, and I left the dinner to the option of the tourists! But I strove to keep further a good quality of services, wines and lodging.  So, it lasts longer, more wineries, costs cheaper. You have much for paying less! Special offers for honeymooners! This program takes 8 days / 7 nights and is designed for both the tourists and the specialists in oenology, because of the link between Romanian medieval art and stepping into the universe of Romanian wines.

The tour covers the main vineyards in Romania and offers the opportunity to taste its most famous varieties, recognized worldwide: Muscat Ottonel, Feteasca Regala/Alba, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/Noir, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grasa de Cotnari, Tamaioasa Romaneasca. The tour can be scheduled in any period of the year, by car/ minibus/ bus/ coach, covering the main tourist areas of Romania. Day 1Departure from Bucharest . Transfer Bucharest – Murfatlar (3 hrs). Wine tasting program and visit to the Murfatlar vineyard - these wineries, with total capacity of processing and storage over 350.000 hl wine/year, are famous thanks to the joining of the valuable grape varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Neagra, Muscat Ottonel, Babeasca, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot with the modern equipment and technology, plus the professionalism of the specialists. Optional, lunch. Transfer Murfatlar – Constanta city (1 hr).Lodging at Best Western Savoy Hotel **** in Mamaia - an international famous sea resort near Constanta Day 2 Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Mamaia . Transfer Mamaia resort – Niculitel vineyard, passing through Tulcea town. Wine tasting program and, optional, lunch at Niculitel vineyard - one of the pearls of the Romanian wines where the climate is a factor determining the successful vinegrowing and high quality of the noble wines in this region.You will taste sweets of wines. Visit to Niculitel Basilique is the oldest building of this kind in Romania and its architecture is unique in Europe.   Transfer Niculitel – Focsani city. Lodging at Unirea  Hotel *** in Focsani Day 3  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Focsani. Wine tasting at Odobesti vineyard Odobesti vineyard  It is the first vineyard in Romania - since the 17 th century. Its royal vinery hosts one of the biggest vinacoteques in Romania.Panciu vineyard this is the only place in Romania where the wine is processed after Champagne method. Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Panciu vineyard .Transfer to Iasi city . Lodging at Traian Hotel **** in Iasi Day 4  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Iasi . City tour of Iasi, visiting The Palace of Culture it is an impressive construction built in Neogothic style between 1906-1925, on the ruins of the ancient palace of the Moldavian Rulers. It hosts in 365 rooms one library and 4 museums: of history, ethnography, art & polytechnics. Three Hierarchs Monastery built as the French architect Lecomte de Nouy said this is 'one of the most interesting and curious religious edifices in Europe'. Built between 1637-1642, it is famous for its beautiful stone decoration and The Metropolitan Church . Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Cotnari vineyard it is famous for its high quality wine, confirmed by numerous medals. According to the legend, the first vine stocks of this vineyard were planted in the 15th century by the Moldavian Ruler Stephen the Great. One can taste in this region the following sorts of wine: Grasa de Cotnari, Catalina - Voievodal, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Francusa, Feteasca Alba  Transfer to Piatra Neamt - a touristic town in the valley of Bistrita river, one of the most picturesque areas of Romanian Sub-Carpathian hills .Lodging at Ceahlau Hotel *** in Piatra Neamt .                                                                                    Day 5  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Piatra Neamt . Transfer to Poiana Brasov resort (235 km), crossing over the Eastern Carpathians through the spectacular Gorges of Bicaz . On the way, optional, stop for the lunch at The Red Lake – a beautiful touristic resort nearby the only natural dam lake, moulded because of a mountain fall in the 19th century . Lodging at Casa Viorel Hotel **** in Poiana Brasov resort Day 6 Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Poiana Brasov . Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Dealu Mare vineyard . Arrival in Bucharest Pax Rate / pax (EUR) 2 - 3 pax 881 € 4 - 7 pax 638 € 8 - 15 pax 592 € 16 - 22 pax 519 € > 23 pax 493 € For booking mail at dorugiu@gmx.net and keep in mind that spring is the best season for visiting Romania.

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The Decalogue of a trained wine taster (10 Commands for really enjoying the wine)

1.Wine is really a living drink. Avoid moving too much the bottle before opening. Don't drink the wine immediately after bringing it from the cellar. Allow him some time to relax, in order that all its component come back to their natural state.

2. Don't hold the wine longer than two hours in the refrigerator, and never forget him near heating sources.

3.Avoid the  contact of the wine bottle or wine glass with your hands; due to the temperature of your hands the wine loses its flavor.

4.The young wine is to serve colder than the old one. If one wine is too cool, keep it 10 minutes in a heated room and it will be ready to serve.

5.Serve a red wine usually to the room temperature (18 degrees Celsius), and a white wine cooler, at 8 Degrees Celsius. On the contrary, an easy red is to serve at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

6.Pair the white wine with appetizers, fish, sea fruit, or the spicy heavy dish and keep the stronger red wine for special occasions. If you have more several dishes on your list and want using only a sort of wine use a dried rose and you won't be wrong.

7. Keep in mind that only a few selected wines are becoming better as the time goes by. The normal ones have a limited time to be drunken.

8.Before serving a red wine keep it a few days at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

9.Don't mix the wine with juices, soda, ice, water as it will lose everything he has to say to your taste.

10.Never boil the wine.

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what to do with a red wine?

I personally find red wines a little bit more recommanable than the white ones. Really feel the reds more genuine, harder, but nevertheless tenderer. Drink red wine with a sour goat cheese, with a red meat, with spaghetti. Drink it two glasses at the second dish, and you will enjoy better the wine, as also the dish itself! Don't swallow at once, let the wine go throughout all your mouth, and specially through all the region of your tongue, in order to feel all the hidden taste. I would underline the exceptional importance of the tongue as the carrier of the tasting papillae. Train your taste, and you will be amazed how fine can it become, and try to maintain your tongue in a good shape through avoiding too hot or too cold, or too spicy dishes. Don't smoke, unless you will be not able to feel the richness and the bouquet of the wine.
Don't neglect to smell the wine, and don't forget to watch it carefully observing its surface and the forming pelicula (which must be continuos)
I usually drink medium dry, and I suggest fr the men to do the same; on the contrary, the ladies could prefer the sweet ones!
Drink anything, if it is red wine! drink it responsible and with moderation, and tell me how you drink Red Wine

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