"En Luteniére" Bourgogne 2009 & Brie

Hey everybody! Welcome to my first episode on wine and food pairing! This is something that I've become totally fascinated with just a short while ago, and I think it's time that I start to manifest this interest in writing! Wine and food are partners in crime, and when you get the right pairing of the two together, something pretty spectacular happens. I previously underestimated the magic of pairing the right wine with the right food- but never again. One day I'll write about the pairing that changed my wine life for good, but not today. Today we'll begin with something pretty simple and traditional that never disappoints.

Wrong vintage, but whatever...

The wine of choice is a pretty decent red Burgundy (which would be a pretty awesome wine compared to most others,) the Aurélien Verdet "En Luteniére" Bourgogne 2009. I wish I spoke French so that I could properly pronounce those names! At any rate, it comes from the Côte D'or region of Burgundy. As always, the wine is 100% pinot noir.

On its own, the wine is a light ruby in terms of color, light in nose, and light in flavor. You can tell from its appearance in the glass that the wine is going to be very elegant and refined. In the nose and in flavor, I could pick up some mild black cherry and red currant berry notes, along with a very withheld earthy barrique component. It has an elusive mouthfeel that quickly coats your palate, and the high level of acidity begs for some food to go along with it. Without food, I score this wine an 84/100. With food, I give it a 90/100.

Since I'm new to pairing wines and foods together, the way I go about pairing is choosing foods that are native to the area that the wine comes from. Simple enough actually, and it seems that that is all you need. Eventually, with more practice, you can begin trying more exciting pairings (like chinese food and Sauvignon Blanc*!)

The food of choice is some classic, creamy, brie cheese. Brie cheese is a traditional Burgundian ingredient. Brie is awesome fellas.

Mmm... Brie, looks like a slice of cake!

When you eat brie with some bread, this wine becomes a completely different animal. As you're chewing the cheese-covered bread, make sure the food makes contact everywhere inside your mouth. If you do that and then take your sip of vino, you'll think you just opened a different bottle of wine. A smokiness appears, along with a new balance and a type of creaminess (not California Chardonnay creaminess, I mean real creaminess) that made my heart sing! The flavors transformed seamlessly and beautifully. No longer was this your average red Burgundy- this became a standout tasting experience.

 I'm sure you've had wine and cheese before, but the next time you go for it, get a cheese from the area that the wine comes from. It makes a world of a difference, trust me.

This Food & Wine branch of the Wine Noob is a bit of an experiment. Obviously wine and cheese goes well together, but I'm pretty confident that I can figure out some more interesting ones. Hell, I have already, and I'll tell you all about them soon. For those of you that don't really care about the food and wine pairings, don't fret! The regular wine posts will still be coming out, I just want to see how this Food & Wine thing pans out. Let me know what you think!



*I have not tried nor have I ever heard of chinese food and Sauvignon Blanc going together, but who knows? It might work, right?