Greek Wine Harmonies by Terry Kandylis

By Terry Kandylis

The question of how to best pair wine with food has been the cause of much debate among wine professionals, particularly Sommeliers. Master of Wine Tim Hanni dismissed the matter as 'bullsh*t' in an article that was published recently by Drinks Business; in this, he spoke passionately about the need to completely rethink the issue of food and wine pairing and questioned the reason for which a Sauvignon Blanc cannot be served with a Steak. On that note, he couldn’t find a better ally than Didier Dagueneau, who famously served his iconic wines with the ‘bloodiest’ steaks you could ever have. Of course, we could agree that Dagueneau’s Sauvignon Blancs weren’t, and aren’t, the most typical, as they have lots of weight, and a density and complexity that could withstand any type of food. And yes, I can agree with Hanni, to a certain degree, that it doesn’t really matter what one chooses to drink with the food eaten and vice versa. When my guests ask me what to have at home with a particular wine, I always say: “Your best friends and the people you love, the right moment and the ambience that will highlight this sharing of a great bottle of wine”. If we are about to drink a bottle of Pur Sang or Silex, it doesn’t really matter what we eat with it and I could easily have it with a T-Bone, roasted peppers, chimichurri and lots of garlic.