Pairings – @sommeligay

Rock out with your Hawk out

May 4, 2015April 21, 2020 by Josh

March 23, 2015

(Because, like, Alsace and rocks. And Hawksworth.)

Alsace as a person: some sort of plainly elegant freshly-shaven man – or a woman clad in some sort of colour-blocked dress – maybe something in-between? Possibly something cleanly cut yet bright that evokes images of Twiggy from the 60s, and maybe something equally as razor-sharp like a Polo and slicked-back hair with nary a thread out of place. Or like a United Colors of Benetton advertisement that shows five outfits that would all look disproportionately gross on me. (Truthfully, I’m an American Apparel medium and a Gap extra small, but I’m pretty sure my thighs set off fire alarms.) No oak, no malolactic, all vivid.

The brightness is no argument, because Alsace is literally the poster child-region for the dry and sunny climate that’s mentioned in every first paragraph that talks about the region.… read more

Tasting

“Il Veneto In Un Bicchiere”

March 25, 2015November 16, 2015 by Josh

A late post from December 30, 2014. I’m the worst.

Even in the winter, I shave my head every four days. I’m used to the brisk air and I sort of enjoy it, but there’s the unfortunate coincidence when Shave Day collides with a wine event, because that means I have to be judicious with how much I moisturize my head. The first rule of any wine event is to skip the cologne or perfume entirely – and I don’t wear cologne anyways – but sometimes I secretly break that rule, all in the name of male pattern baldness. Why are there no slow-motion hair commercials for guys like me with Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten playing in the background?

Thankfully, the wines of the Veneto are generally lively enough to pair with the subtle flowery scents of my head, and brisk enough to pair with a sunny winter day.… read more

Pairings

Wines to pair with people that you want to die

March 29, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

One of my best friends is convinced that I am a 30-year old stuck in a young adult’s body, but I’m pretty sure that I’m 75% bitter old man.

It’s a full moon. Perhaps I turn into a bitter old man instead of something crazy and cool like a werewolf. Instead, I’m a shitty Sirius Black. Thanks, God Rowling. Thanks for writing this into my book of life with all the other shits and giggles.

I swear, I’m actually pleasant. I swear!

In case you’re in an inescapable situation where you’re pretty much suffering, and all you want to do is curl up in a corner and hate people, have one of these wines on hand. No Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is too fucking happy.… read more

Pairings

Filipino cuisine and wine: adobo

December 24, 2012September 18, 2020 by Josh

UPDATE, August 7, 2020: I’ve recently begun to experiment more with Filipino cuisine and wine, including adobo. Click here!

If you don’t want to read paragraphs upon paragraphs of my thought processes, here are my straight-up recommendations:
– Rioja (Spain)
– Chianti or Sangiovese (Italy)
– Chardonnay (heavier and nutty versions – California, New Zealand, Australia)

I find it both odd and understandable that there isn’t as much information on Filipino food wine pairings out there. From what I’ve experienced, Filipino culture is all about the beer – and if it is wine, it’s off-dry plonk. I find traditional cuisine from traditional wine-producing regions much more focussed in terms of the food and flavours – or perhaps it’s just more figured out and precise, which is why it might be easier to pair with; on the other hand, a couple of Filipino dishes I can think of are littered with unique spices or strange ingredients with an influential cultural flair (Spanish, Chinese, etc.).… read more

Pairings

What wines pair with a zombie apocalypse?

September 29, 2012September 5, 2020 by Josh

So one time I wrote a cover letter. In the midst of it, while talking about my interest in wine, I half-jokingly stated that I could find wines to pair with a zombie apocalypse. Because why not? My major in university combines areas of science and art; wine itself combines science and art; so why not pair wine with brains, despair, and the rotting undead? (The cover letter was for some computer science co-op job. I’m such an idiot.)

And so I gave it serious thought.

Clearly, in a post-apocalyptic sitch, we’re gonna need to find a balance of delicious and practical. It’s inevitable. I mean – deliciousness is nice, but you’re going to have to really think – will the slender Alsatian bottle give me the best swing?!… read more