I was in a class the other day and tasted a few new wines we carry.  After class I decides to take home Champy Pernand-Vergelesses, a white Burgundy, and Stoller Pinot Noir, from Oregon. 

The first question I had to answer was:  what am I going to pair with both wines?  I was thinking of doing an appetizer and an entrée, but knew I just wasn’t that hungry.  So what pairs with this red and white?  Then I remembered… salmon!  What is more perfect than that?

I ran to the store, grabbed a pound of salmon (for my husband and me) with fresh asparagus, and headed back home to cook a great dinner with two wonderful wines.  It was so good I even tweeted about it later that night.  I started with the white Burgundy (even working with a glass while cooking and… wow!  Champy did not disappoint; this wine is barrel aged in 30% new oak for 10 months.  There was a nose of citrus and white flowers before sipping and getting that amazing mineral and slightly smoky finish that works so well with the body of the salmon.  I almost couldn’t put it down, but I needed to try the Pinot Noir.

Once I tasted the Pinot, I made the realization on why both of these wines were so perfect with my food—the slight smoke on the finish!  Both had it and both drank well with my (if I might say) wonderfully cooked fish.  The bright black cherry, spice note, and slight acidic finish cleansed and clung to the palate for each new taste of the salmon.  Both were wonderful additions to ABC.

So in conclusion, if you are looking for a red and white to serve at a dinner party, or a party for two, come try these wines to bring an interesting mix of old world charm and new world character!

Kathleen Anderson, Northwest Florida wine supervisor. Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekat.