Matching food with wine can be a tricky affair. Craig Butcher met wine pro Dawid Koegelenberg to learn how it’s done, seek out some accessible recommendations and pass on top food and wine-matching tips, including advice for those on a budget.
Meet Inspector Grape – the online persona of Dawid Koegelenberg, General Manager for the critically acclaimed Soho institution that is Richard Corrigan’s Lindsay House. Dawid has over 20 years’ experience in hospitality, vine-growing and wine-making qualifications, is a qualified lecturer for the
Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and also lectures for the
London Wine Academy.
But above all he is an enthusiastic educator with a great sense of humour and a good understanding of what diners want. “From working in a Michelin-starred environment I realised that once people leave the restaurant they don't necessarily spend the kind of money on wine they spent inside it. We’re all entering very tough economic times and people want to know what’s affordable and still good to drink, know it can be bought easily enough; know what to pair it with, and have fun with it.”
How did you get into the wine trade?
I
grew up in South Africa and studied Hotel Management as a foundation. I
won “Future Hotelier of the year”" and the prize was to go and live and
work in St Moritz, Switzerland all expenses paid. It opened my eyes and
I knew hospitality was for me.
What interests you about wine?
I
will never forget my first glass of wine: it was a glass of Alsace
Gewurztraminer from Domaine Hugel. It was handed to me by a Colombian
barman at the Ivy and I had never tasted anything like it. I had to
know more and a few wine courses wasn’t enough so I enrolled on a
two-year Vine Growing and Wine Making course at Plumpton College is
East Sussex. By the time the course ended, I realised that my love for
food matched my deep interest and respect for wine. The only way for me
to combine the two was to work for one of the most passionate people in
the industry: Michelin-starred chef Richard Corrigan.
What would you say to diners who find ordering wine an intimidating experience?- Never
be afraid to tell the waiter, manager or sommelier what your budget is
– it’s a tough time for all of us and is the best way to break the ice.
- Don't forget to say if you like fresh crisp whites or more fruity,
oaky whites, juicy soft reds or heavy and spicy ones. With those
guidelines, any sommelier worth his or her salt would be able to bring
you a bottle no matter what your budget is.
- Ask if
there are any bottles lying around that aren’t on the wine list which
the sommelier would like to get rid of – try it, you'll be wonderfully
surprised.
Are there any absolute no-nos when it comes to matching food and wine?
I
don’t believe in that but I think the most disgusting I’ve ever tasted
was blue cheese and sauvignon blanc – it’s so disturbing you want to
slap yourself. Also very light reds with mallard, grouse or hare – it
just disappears and you are left with a very gamey taste.
Do you have a good rule of thumb you use with unfamiliar labels?
When
in a supermarket and you are unsure what to buy just stick to classic
grapes from the regions they grow best in – learn those first and then
experiment with the same grapes from other regions. That’s how to build
your knowledge.
| Grape | Region
|
Chardonnay
| Burgundy
|
Chenin blanc
| Loire Valley or South Africa
|
Riesling
| Germany and Alsace
|
Syrah / Shiraz
| Rhone Valley
|
Sauvignon Blanc
| Sancerre and Loire Valley
|
Malbec
| Argentina
|
Pinot Blanc
| Alsace
|
Pinot Grigio
| Italy
|
Soave
| Italy
|
Tempranillo
| Spain
|
Dao
| Portugal
|
Sherry
| Spain
|
Pinotage
| South Africa
|
Pinot Noir
| Burgundy
|
Can you recommend three wines under £10 to go with three different chicken dishes?
Chicken curry recipe
Finca Las Higueras Pinot Gris, Argentina, £6.19 (Waitrose)
Fragrant chicken stew recipeSpier Chardonnay, South Africa £5.41 (Sainsbury’s)
Chicken and cashew nut stir-fry recipe
Domaine Gobelsburg Riesling, Austria £8.49 (Waitrose)
What are the hardest food and wine matches?- Very
oily fish, like mackerel, herring and sardines – go for crisp and
fresh, Sauvignon Blanc, new world Riesling, Soave and Pinot Grigio.
- Artichokes – now that's a tough one, try a big Chardonnay, nothing thin and crisp; it will taste metallic.
- Soft boiled or poached duck eggs – champagne or a dry cold sherry is all that helps.
- A
cheese platter – there simply isn't one wine that will go with all of
it, so have small glasses (100ml) of about four wines when in a
restaurant. Choose a Sauvignon for the goats, Chardonnay for the soft
strong cheese or Cheddar, sweet for the blue and juicy red for the
rest. It will cost the same as to get a whole bottle.
What are your top ten wine-matching tips?
- Salty sherry is delicious with hams, olives and antipasti.
- Crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc go well with any fish dish.
- Riesling is the ultimate must for oriental food and stir-fry.
- Oaky whites like Chardonnay go well with smoked fish or smoked meats or caramelized pork.
- Neutral whites (not too strong flavoured) like Soave and Trebbiano go well with oily fish like mackerel.
- Soft juicy reds like New World Pinot Noir go well with pink meats like veal, duck and lamb.
- Medium reds like a French Merlot will work with pork, chicken or red meat.
- Heavy reds like Cabernet Sauvignon are great with heavy red meat or stews.
- Try chilling a Pinot Noir and see what it does to duck and venison.
- Always have goat’s cheese with Sauvignon Blanc; it’s a match made in heaven.
Is there a time when wine and food just won't go?
Really spicy food -- your taste buds are dead, just drink beer!
Tell us about your interactive London Wine Academy workshops
I don't believe that anybody
should tell you how to taste your wine and what you should taste in it,
I merely give guidance and what I think is in the glass, then I open
the discussion and we all get in there and smell, taste and spit or
swallow together, it’s great fun. The thing people still want to know
is what is cheap and good in the high street.
Why have you started producing video podcasts?
It
all started at a barbecue one Sunday in June when I realised how useful
it would be to be able to download weekly wine recommendations to an
iPod or iPhone when you’re in the supermarket on the way home. Jean
Crous, the producer, studied a short course in film making, I have the
wine knowledge and that's how Inspector Grape was born. We’ve had over
2,000 downloads since we started and the numbers are growing daily.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I
get really angry when people tell me that they complained about a wine
in a restaurant and received attitude back from the staff. If you are
not happy with a wine that was recommended to you or one you chose
yourself, give it back. The restaurant will sell it by the glass or
will even give it back to their suppliers and will have no problem
getting a new bottle or even a credit note. Also, don’t be scared to
complain but do it with a smile and be nice about it – you might even
get a drink on the house if you do it with style.
Click
here to learn more about Inspector Grape and
here to see the Inspector Grape podcast.
Click
here to learn more about Dawid’s matching course with the London Wine Academy.