Couples Match

November 6, 2007 | by Jason Bordley | Pairings

bspn04.jpg Tonight I had a great pairing where the food and wine complimented the other perfectly, creating a balanced heavenly ying-yang effect in your mouth.

So what was this pairing? I found a recipe for Pork Au Poivre on epicurious.com. A very simple meal consisting of pork chops served with a creamy sherry and pepper sauce. For a side dish we prepared baked potato slices brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt.

Now for the wine…I was not sure what to pair the this pork dish with being I had never had it before. I knew it had to be something strong enough to hold up to the peppery flavor that I imagined it would have. Also, the recipe called for a heavy cream, so I knew it needed to have a good weight to it. And of the course the other question…red or white? When I entered the wine store I saw a display for Blackstone Pinot Noir 2004. It had good reviews (at least on the sign), and was going for only $10. Sold. I grabbed a bottle.

As soon as I removed the cork I was hit with aromas of cherries and berries. In the glass it had a medium intensity reddish-purple color and nicely pronounced legs. The mouth-feel was also a pleasant surprise, with silky tannins and a good medium weight. The berries and cherries come through with hints of jams in its flavor. The finish, well it had a somewhat short finish. I would have liked it to be longer, but this was a $10 wine. When I tasted the the pork with the wine I was very impressed. Like stated earlier, the two were perfectly balanced and complimentary of each other. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, low cost dinner with wine.