As thousands of wines from around the globe enter the marketplace and the American palate continues to adopt flavors from a range of cultures, the task of pairing wine and food becomes increasingly complicated. No longer is the choice simply red or white, or wines from California, France, or Italy. The typical shopper today has access to wines from those regions plus South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia. If that isn’t confusing enough, Asian, Creole, and Latin American dishes might find their way onto the same table. Perfect Pairings, by well-known Master Sommelier and respected restaurant industry veteran Evan Goldstein, provides straightforward, practical advice for how to pair wine with each meal. The quintessential resource for matching wine and food, Perfect Pairings acts as a guide to wine, wine terminology, and wine-growing regions as well as a cooking guide: this versatile coffee table book includes 58 companion recipes developed by celebrated chef Joyce Goldstein that showcase each type of wine.
Perfect Pairings combines in-depth explorations of twelve grape varietals, sparkling wines, and dessert wines with guidance about foods that enhance the wide range of styles for each varietal. Whether the Chardonnay is earthy and flinty, or rich, buttery, and oak-infused; whether the Pinot Noir fruity and tropical, or aged and mature, Goldstein explains how to match it with dishes that will make the wine sing. His clear, educational, and entertaining approach towards intimidating gastronomical questions provides information for all readers, professional and amateur chefs alike.
* 16 full-color photos
* Six seasonal and special occasion menus
* Tips for enhancing food and wine experiences, both at home and in restaurants
* Glossary of wine terminology
* Overview of the world’s primary wine-growing regions
* Recommendations of more than five hundred wines, ranging in price from everyday to splurge
Evan Goldstein, a four time James Beard Award nominee for “Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year,” has worked in the kitchens of the Restaurant Le Saintongeais and the Hotel Lancaster in Paris, Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley, and Chez Panisse Café in Berkeley, California. In 1987 he became the eighth American and youngest ever at the time to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier examination. He is the author of Five Star Service: Your Guide to Hospitality Excellence and has over twenty years experience teaching both professionals and consumers about wine and food. Joyce Goldstein was the chef and owner of the acclaimed Square One Restaurant in San Francisco. She is the author of numerous cookbooks, including The Mediterranean Kitchen, Back to Square One, Kitchen Conversations, and Italian Slow and Savory.
"The best wine and food pairing book ever written. Required reading for all who love to cook and entertain but are fearful of choosing the final ingredient of the recipe, the perfect wine."—Kevin Zraly, author of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course
"Inspired yet down-to-earth, this book will make your life easier, your food more enjoyable, and the conversation around the table more spirited."—Jacques Pépin
"I was crushed when the seminal California restaurant Square One closed its doors in 1996. The animated culinary dialogue between Evan and Joyce Goldstein—he with the corkscrew, she with the whisk—was always surprising, generous, and delicious beyond belief. Perfect Pairings revives that spirited magic so that any of us can learn to do it at home. I'm feeling better already!"—Danny Meyer, coauthor of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook
"It doesn't get much better than this. One of the most important wine educators of our time and one of America's most influential chefs conspire on the glorious subject of wine and food pairing. Perfect Pairings is valuable for the professional and layperson alike, with expansive information presented in straightforward terms. This book will be mandatory reading for all of my staff!"—Charlie Trotter, restaurateur and author
"Groundbreaking and very user-friendly. I really, really, like it."—Sara Schneider, Senior Wine Editor, Sunset Magazine
328 pp.7.5 x 9.5Illus: 16 color photographs
9780520243774$39.95|£34.00Hardcover
May 2006