KEY POINTS:
As Cottage Block's winemaker, Tony Robb loves the creative aspect of his job and the challenge of taking what nature has influenced and still being able to realise his vision.
What does a good food and wine match do?
Each brings out the best in the other, with complimentary flavours and intensities, so the resulting experience is greater than the sum of its parts.
Best food and wine match you've ever had?
The seared duck breast with duck leg confit from Pacifica Restaurant in Napier, paired with Cottage Block Ruahine. This wasn't something we set out to do, but the pairing was tremendous, as the savoury elements in the food were echoed in the wine, and every sip of wine prepared the palate for another amazing taste of the duck.
What about the worst?
Anything I've tried with artichokes - an impossible match, I've since learned.
Are there any golden rules for matching?
Match intensities. Strongly flavoured foods need strongly flavoured or structured wines. Sweetness is also important, many Pacific rim-influenced foods have sweet components and may need wines with some residual sweetness, whilethe more savoury, European-influenced food styles tend to work better with drier wines.
What should you revert to when in doubt?
Stick with wines you know you like. If the food is good then the meal will still be memorable.
Do all these different wines over dinner make for a bigger hangover?
Only if you end up drinking more than usual. Typically, I end up with several part bottles at the end of the evening and will drink them over the next couple of days. Some wines can taste much better a day after opening, which could indicate they are worth cellaring.
You could end up spending a fortune matching wines to courses at home. Do you have a cost-conscious solution?
When you invite a group of good friends around for a meal, ask them to bring specific wines or styles of wine to match a course. The only thing better than a great food and wine match is sharing it with good friends.
* Until April 15, the fourth annual Cottage Block Chef Series is happening at restaurants nationwide, where menus have been prepared to match the range of Cottage Block wines. Tribeca, Sails, Euro, Bracu, Clooney, Rice and Molten are the participating Auckland restaurants. For info see corbans.co.nz
