Celebrity Chefs Pair Wine with Food

Finding that perfect pairing of wine and food can be an exquisite experience. But, not all of us
have the natural culinary skill or the time to know which wine goes perfectly with  a particular
dish. It is better to leave it to the experts, and take a look at what some of the best-known chefs
in the world had to say on pairing wines with food. Their answers may surprise you, but they will
definitely leave you curious to know more.

                                                                                    Laurent Tourondel:

Known widely for his rebellious and out-of-the-box ideas in his kitchen at
BLT Restaurant Group, Tourondel does not disappoint when it comes to food. He often serves
kicky, young Spanish Rose wines with a lamb burger that features spicy merguez lamb. He
personally prefers wines from the Navarra region of Spain, for this delectable meal.




Tony Esnault: Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most satisfying. The former Chef
from Ducasse swears by the combination of Inniskillin, which is Canadian ice wine, and
dark chocolate. He prefers at least 64% cocoa. The cool ice wine is said to draw the berry
characteristics of the chocolate, adding a new depth of flavor.

Daniel Humm: The Executive Chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York suggests serving
mature champagne like Dom Perignon or Krug, with nutty flavors like those found in gruyere
cheese, aged in a cave. The nuttiness of the champagne resonates with the cheese, making for a
truly wonderful combination.

Wylie Dufresne: The chef credits his favorite wine and food pairing to a trip he recently took to
Milan, where he ate at Aimo y Nadia. A glass of Barolo Chinatto served with a dish of cocoasmoked pigeon, onions, and black truffles, he says, is a wonderful meal. The smokiness of the cocoa in the pigeon apparently gives the otherwise traditional combination an unexpected depth and richness.

Anne Gingrass: As the opening chef at Hawthorne Lane and Postrio in San Francisco, Chef
Gingrass is known best for her traditional dishes and classic flavors. Her favorite classic food
and wine pairing is a bottle of Bollinger Champagne Brut served alongside a plate of Osetra caviar.

Gabriel Kreuther: The Executive Chef from MoMA is also an avid collector of fine wines. He
says that when he is creating new dishes in the kitchen, he often plans what wine to serve with it
His favorite pairing, however, is not with wine - but beer. He claims that raspberry-flavored beer
with a dish of gently seared foie gras and litchis, will change the way you look at beer.

Michael Lomonaco: Chef Lomonaco takes the classic wine and beef pairing one-step further.
He recommends that any fine wine lover must try Sonoma Syrah with a spicy rib-eye steak. He
says that the pepper notes and the black-cherry nose stand out against the fatty chili-rubbed steak
and its strong spices.

So, the next time you plan a special meal, take hints from one of these chefs and make your meal
truly spectacular.