FLY ON THE WALL

Notes & Thoughts on Food and Wine

from Ron Alonzo aka Don Merlot¹

Sometimes I do not listen as intently as I should. I was talking to my friend Ruben, a companion on my Marco Polo travels, it dawned on me that this was going to be one of those days and I should listen carefully and not challenge him or seem like I am talking back to him. Listen. Pay attention to what his views are & perspectives are; forget what my perspectives are. Do not give any indication that am trying to be contrarian to his conclusions. He has just told me that he does not like Cabernet Sauvignon with Steak. Period. He finds that the wine overwhelms the beef he is eating, and he prefers a wine with less tannin; his preference is other red wines – Shiraz & or Pinot Noir from Oregon. We are good friends, but so this is not a good moment to be a smart ass and get technical, so I retreat and do some homework.


I searched my memory cells to remember how I approached my experience with Cabernet Sauvignon and matching it with food and comparing it to matching it with food experiences. To me the Conundrum was Shiraz because that was an Australian grape derived from the Syrah grape which came from France. My experience when I started was slightly different because I preferred the Pinot Noir of Burgundy over the Cabernet Sauvignon² of Bordeaux of Medoc – so would that be comparing apples and oranges? That was at totally different argument altogether – the argument between Bordeaux and Burgundy (Cote d’Or). I began to wonder if this had something to do with the tannins. The best way to explain tannin I found is that tannin tastes like a cold cup of tea – a taste of the dark brew - cold liquid in a teacup that has a bitter taste and that is tannin at its worst- bitter taste. This is a taste found in red grapes as they are picked and have tannin in their skin and as they vinify and age, they become softer and mellow. A Great Bordeaux must age so 12 years + in a bottle before you pop the cork.

In Ruben’s case we do not know his tasting history, but Cabernet Sauvignon is known to have more tannin than Pinot Noir and Shiraz so at any sitting it would be more tannic than any of the other choices especially if the Cabernet Sauvignon is young. That accounts for Ruben’s experience. In the case of Bordeaux, if he had a Medoc that was young – under 7 years it was not mature and not ready to drink, it would taste bitter, and the tannin would be too strong. So, Ruben’s conclusion is right. By the way if you want to overcome that situation in a Business dinner or social situation – diplomatically - because you do not want to upset the host, ask for a rare / bloody Steak or bloody slice of the beef roast because this will offset the tannin; Another solution in France and or in the restaurant is ask for Dijon mustard and lather the steak or roast beef with the mustard to offset the bitter tannin of the young Cabernet Sauvignon. So, Ruben preferred other wines, so was the Shiraz ready to drink? He also liked Pinot Noir from Oregon. In both cases these have less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon. So matching is the issue in this case and that appears to be the critical issue going forward at all levels of the wine and food chain process. So, in conclusion Ruben’s taste is correct the young Cabernet Sauvignon detracts from the beef and the tannin does not mix well the beef.

For Red wines there has emerged some categories:



Dark Reds – Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah; Elegant Reds – Beaujolais, Pinot Noir (NZ) and Light Reds Gamay and Pinot Noir.³


For White Wines there are Oaked and unoaked. – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Albariño.

Shiraz comes from Australia and in France is called Syrah from – The Rhone region. Shiraz is called a “New World Wine” and Syrah “an Old-World wine” so what does that mean? This terminology goes back to Christopher Colombus – and the opening a western trading route to Asia in 1492 for the Spanish Kings. The New world started off as The Spanish Main and the Spanish settled in the Caribbean and the New World that became America – The Christian Church evolved and there was a Papal Bull that Spain and Portugal would divide America, and later Western Europe came over to pick up and claimed parts of the New World for themselves: Magellan found the Pacific and a way to Asia by continuing to go West. In terms of Wine, The Classical world remained France, Italy, & Spain: The Old World; and the New world as Europe expanded founded new markets in new the World created vineyards: Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, (New Spain) (today California) the United States of America, South Africa (as we know it today). So, Ruben ends up liking wines from the New World: Australian Shiraz and Pinot Noir from Oregon. Both are lighter in tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon of the old world. ⁴

Old world wine has a character that is subtle, delicate, a complex aroma, leaner, with multidimensional flavors; and New world wines are rich & fruit flavored, with aromas from warm climates (vineyards) – although that over the last few years is changing because there has been a lot of cross planting and exchanging going on between the old world and the new world in the last 50 years.



A quick history on the development of wine, as it came out of the Western expansion part of the world and development of Europe. Early Agricultural traces go back to 7000 BC: grapes in Georgia; Armenia, Egyptian, Mycenae, Greek, uses of Amphora; The Greek are traced to early civilization cultures then as development progressed – Dionysus; and then the Roman Culture and its Empire– Red Wine, White Wine, Wooden barrels, glass bottles and glass drinking vessels, the cult of Bacchus, Mediterranean vineyards expanded into Europe -vineyard expansion to Spain and France; Roman Emperor Domitian stopped vinification in to grow wheat for bread for his army in Italy and focused on vinification in France and Spain; and the evolution of the Christian religion and the Christian Wine ceremonies: the Christian Eucharist (red wine symbolizing Christ’s blood – (& bread his body) – has helped the wine growth that was critical as the church expanded in the New World). It was Charlemagne who preferred white wine because red wine turned his beard red & it was he who codified the Burgundian vineyards; And the Cistercians Monks were strong in Burgundy and created a base in Germany; Elinor of Aquitaine and Henry II of France married, and their son Richard the Lion Hearted based out Bordeaux gave that area an English tilt for 300 years.⁵ The English went on to influence many oenological dimensions (by 1350 England consumed 50% of the Bordeaux wines) – (once France re-took Bordeaux and English Parliament banned French wines; Portugal supplied England with red wine – the inception of Port wine). Another personal observation I pass on is that the English made great contributions to wines with their preferences: Sherries, sweet wines, madeira. True in my case, if I went to Spain with my Spanish mates, I would have a Manzanilla or a Fino at a Tapas bar, (but in England before it became the UK and they still called it that), I remember the ex-pats giving me delightful Amontillados and or Olorosos. Even in Spain or in Puerto Rico with old time Gallego friends we would have a Duque de Alba – wonderful experience. Or a Lepanto was a treat too.



Since it is the beginning of Summer I wanted to comment on the thrill of thinking of Rosé Wines, matching meals with these wines, trying new wines that are new to the market and available because now that it seems that we are opening up a little and maybe socializing a bit, this a perfect time to look for new horizons. Recommended Rosés: Baron de la Ley – Rioja Rosado, Bodega Peñalba Lopez Ribera Duero Rosado, Vitiano Umbria Rosato 2018. ⁶


I am sure tradition will be cold ice beer, but I will be watching my carbohydrates and wine is ok and Rosé for me fits the bill. It goes with shrimp, crab, crab cakes, gumbo crawfish. But Rosé is adaptable enough to cover a menu of Louisiana specialties as well as Lobster rolls, Peruvian Ceviche’s, Shrimp Remoulade, guacamole, grilled garlic chicken, and garlic shrimp skewers.


Some additional thoughts about matching wines with food. Do not have a fine red wine with blue cheese. Do not have fine dinner Bordeaux wine with Stilton cheese or Roquefort cheese. Do not serve wine with Salad (that has vinegar). Leave the vinegar out and substitute the wine instead. If you are having a starter course do not serve the same white wine that you plan for the First dish – Start with a dry Sherry (chilled) – Manzanilla or Fino. If you have appetizers serve olives and almonds with sherry. No peanuts. Peanuts and wine do not go well together. For dessert make sure the Dessert wine is sweeter that the dessert. Germany has lovely sweet wines. France & Italy does as well. Not all Champagnes or Sparkling wines are dry, and some can be sweet.



Another thought is serving the Beaujolais chilled – like the white wine. Or the Sparkling wine. This June wine journey takes me in to 2020 and all the luscious wines that are now available.

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1 Ron Alonzo is a Chevalier of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin ; A Professionnel de la Table of the Chaine des Rôtisseurs ; and a CFSP level I of the NAFEM (Certified Food Service Professional)

2 P.27 Wines of the World consultant Susan Keevil Metro Books – Sterling Publishing.2009

3 P 93. Wine Spectator Dec 2019 -Jan 2020 M Shanken Communications.

4 Op. cit. pp 14 – 15. Wines of World.

5 Ibid. PP. 16 – 19.

6 Op. cit. Wine Spectator PP 88, 90, 93, 94, 95

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