Patricia S ... 1998 Riesling-Kabinett

alt.food.wine ( Tony P.) ... Sauvignon Blanc (Cloudy Bay, Palliser Estate, Isabel Estate or Geyser Peak)

Art & Betsy ... a really nice Riesling

alt.food.wine ( Arno W.) ... Ludovico Antinori's wonderful sauvignon: Poggio delle Gazze

alt.food.wine ... You might consider a Sancerre, which will be more minerally than either California or New Zealand versions. I would steer away from a Poully Fume unless it was recommended

alt.food.wine ( Lester J) If you're talking an authentic Provençal bouillabaisse, you need wine with strength and structure to handle the strong flavours of the dish, but the wine should also refresh the palate. When enjoying such food in southern France I've found that Bandol rosés from Château de Pibarnon and Domaine Tempier have worked well. With bouillabaisse, the dish is the thing, and the wine is merely an accompaniment. Lots of Bandol rosé is my suggestion to help create the festive mood the dish deserves.

alt.food.wine ( Chuck ) While I strongly support the concept of 'to each his or her own', I cannot believe the recommendations for heavy red wines to be served with this quintessential seafood soup. In any event, in Marseille the wine for Bouillabaisse is Cassis, a white wine from the area east of Marseille and a perfect match. For those who must have a red, the earlier recommendation of a Bandol Rose was a good one. Have a heavy red if you must but expect it to overwhelm the delicate plain fish soup and the second course of the fish from the soup.

alt.food.wine ( Charles )With Bouillabaisse, either Cassis "Domaine du Paternel" or Chateau Thuerry blanc.

Howard B. writes .. Chinese Food/Sushi: Foods heavy in Soy sauce, x.o. sauce. Nebbiolo goes great, even with if the course is seafood. I was reading an article by Robert Parker and he mentioned that he is surprised every time about how well this grape works with chinese food. He attributed the soy sauce or x.o. sauce. I wasn't sure and tried it, and he was right! I would rather have red anyway so it was a great change from the Reislings I normally have with Chinese food. I then tried sushi with a Barolo and it was great as well.

Wine: I had the 1996 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato with the sushi and a 1997 Giacosa Barolo with chinese food and they both were great. But I would think that any decent Barolo or Barbaresco would do.

Bill B. writes .. Glenora Brut(NY State sparkler)

alt.food.wine ( James ) .. A few years ago I was asked by a sushi chef to match his sushi with wine. We must have tried 25 different 'wine flavors', but the only perfect match was sushi with a 'classic' (off-dry) MOSEL RIESLING KABINETT. No other wine/sushi combination really worked.

alt.food.wine ( Jeff ) .. The only wine I've found to stand up to sushi + wasabi + soy sauce + ginger is a good strong, young Alsace Gewurz, preferably Zind Humbrecht!!!. Yummy!!

alt.food.wine ( Christopher R.) .. Both Alsace whites depending on your preference: Either a crisp minerally Reisling: try Albert Zielgler (Orschwihr, Alsace), or if you are strong on the pickles, ginger and wasabi: try the incredible Gewurtztramminer from Pierre-Paul Zink (Pfaffenheim, Alsace).

Jean R. writes ... I will suggest a "Vouvray". It's a wine from the Loire Valley in France.It's made from Chenin Blanc, a grape variety not very well known. You can find it anywhere in the States. It cost less than $10, typically around $7. I tried it several times with catfish and it goes well.

Jack K. writes ...It depends on how you are preparing it. If you're having Cajun-styled catfish I would recommend a Chianti Classico.

John M says .. I would be inclined to suggest an Australian Marsanne (e.g. Chateau Tahbilk)... a great accompaniment

Peter P says .. Vina Alcorta 1993 Campo viejo ~ 8 $

John M. says ..I would be inclined to suggest an Australian Marsanne (e.g. Chateau Tahbilk)... a great accompaniment

Susan R. ... Last time I had crawfish etouffe I had it with a big Zinfandel. It worked. Sangiovese would probably work, too.

James D.... I think that a very cold Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect. I guess it really depends on how hot you make your etoufee. Mine are pretty hot and I would not even think about a red wine. I think you want something steely to cut through the sauce but also something to put out the fire, and that is why I would serve it very cold.

alt.food.wine ... I suggest something with a little more structure such as a Viognier or an Alsacian Riesling. The Viognier will offer a spicy character that will work wonders for the grilled flavors of these delicate seafoods. The Riesling will offer more body and roundness than the Sauvignon Blanc.

alt.food.wine ... Try a good Meursault.

alt.food.wine ... I would recommend a good arneis--ceretto, giacosa, marsaglia are all fine producers.

Alan ... it depends upon the sauce...I am a lobster purist, with lemon wedges and drawn butter as the only accompaniments. In my case I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc, of the more herbal style (New Zealand or Oregon/Washington), in other words a wine that will not be intimidated by melted butter. A dry Alsatian Gewurz would be great too.

Joker ... I recently had roast lobster with julienned veggies at a restaurant party and they served a delicious Sauternes with it (no, not Yquem, sigh...). It was pure decadence!!!

Ron ... The last time we had Maine Lobster was a few months ago (too cold here now - wouldn't feel right). We had a Vouvray and it was a wonderful combination. The wine was not sweet and not dry - hard to describe. But it worked very well with the sweet meat and salty butter. Also had steamers, corn on the cob, and fresh baguette. Not many Vouvrays in the stores (ours was from our trip to France), but I do see a bottle or two in the $9 to $15 range. An alternative would be a Cal. Chenin Blanc (same grape).

Jeff ... I like Chablis with lobster, mainly because I don't like sweet wines. The Muscadet that everyone raves about with shellfish just doesn't do it for me

Will ... Dry Creek dry chenin blanc is almost completely dry, and what little sweetness is there isn't too obtrusive - probably good fruit. Muscadets tend to be quite dry and do go great with shellfish, although not quite as nicely as a good Sancerres - Muscadets are more reasonable, though. I'm not fond of oaky chardonnnays, but lobster with a buttery sauce is one of the few foods they work OK with. There are also a lot of very dry, unoaked French chardonnays in addition to Chablis that also go great with seafoods - a Pouilly-Fuisse, for example, for around $15, or even more reasonably a Macon-Villages for around $10 - both excellent with seafood. Also hard to go wrong with a good sauvignon blanc such as a Pouilly-Fume or, again, a Sancerres.

Climbsrock ... If you can find one, Austrian riesling is amazing with lobster. Very dry wines with intense mineral flavors. Very much like GC Chablis. Look for Prager, Pichler, Hirtzberger, Knoll, or Weingaertner

Mark H ..For the shrimps I'd like a rich CA chardonnay, like Rombauer 97

Dale W. I'd go for a non-oaky California (or NZ) Sauv Blanc or a Sancerre with the shrimp, but reality is a big dose of cocktail sauce (assuming you mean a traditional catsup/horseradish) is going to kill almost any white wine.

Art & Betsy ... White Burgundy or CA Chardonnay

Marc P. .. I had monkfish earlier this week, matched quite well with two 96' Chablis. Quite good

Tom H. .. A good viognier (e.g., Pride, Arrowood, Kunde, Eberle) or the French version, a Condrieu. I don't know which Condrieu to recommend, but I'm sure your wine merchant or others here could help you. Flavors of viognier run from white flowers to honeysuckle, light peach to heavy apricot and even orange peel. It's generally a very "yummy" wine.

Lamb. .. I'd go for a fullish Chard, probably not Chablis but New World (Aussie, probably).

G .. Monkfish tails are a big deal in Venice, so why not serve something from the Veneto, like a Tocai or something. Of course in Venice you wouldn't get the creme fraiche sauce, or any other kind of sauce. That might make a difference.

alt.food.wine ( Ian H. ) .. Quite a number of people like an Alsace white - Pinot Gris, for example - with it. Otherwise, I'd look for something lighter. What I sometimes use veal for is to accompany a red Bordeaux that's beginning to fade with age.

alt.food.wine ( Chuck W. ) .. I'd think more in terms of Burgundy, especially from Beaune.

alt.food.wine - A Dolcetto or Barbera d'Asti will go very well with the carpaccio

maybe an Italian Pino Grigio or even a Vernaccia.

Michael H. writes .. Leg of Lamb - marinate in as much good balsamic vinegar as your budget can afford for as long as you can stand it (I like a 2-3 day soak). Roast or grill after studding with garlic and whatever herbs you like.

Best wines I have enjoyed with Lamb are Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. If you're going to curry the lamb, like another recipe did, I'd try an Alsatian Gewurztraminer.

alt.food.wine ( Chuck W. ) Hugh Johnson (Pocket Wine Book 2000) recommends Beaujolais Cru or a young red Navarra, or a S.W. France red (Corbieres, Fitouu etc.) or a Shiraz.

Ian Hoare We discussed this about 6 months ago on a french language food/drink echo, and the consensus there was for a youngish quite rough red. I think it would be a real waste to serve a good Bordeaux with a Cassoulet. I.m afraid I don't know these four by taste, but I suspect they might do.

alt.food.wine ( Frank D.) I like the idea of a "Big Rhone" or some kind of Syrah with Cassoulet. The flavor is -big- and earthy. The idea of a good Bordeaux is interesting and might actually work but I kind of don't like it because of the mismatch between the elegance of Bordeaux and the rich earthy stew of the South. On the other hand, a really big California wine might fit wonderfully. There are some really delicious California Syrah's -- like the one from Truchard -- that would be really good. And your suggestion of Etude also could work well. Something you didn't mention -- the Australians are very fond of their "Shiraz" and that could also be a match for a hearty Cassoulet.

alt.food.wine ( Pedro D. )Perfect. Either a Gigondas or a Cornas are the right match, for my palate. Others on the thread seem to go with much lighter style reds, but cassoulet is actually a very rich and full flavored dish, and I'd think it would overpower even the best Beaujolais.

alt.food.wine ( Paul J.)Wall Street Journal wine writers have recommend a young sauvignon blanc. Other wine writers have recommended a Syrah. One suggests that the wine should have what the French call "rotie" or roasted flavor from the Rhone.

alt.food.wine ( Bill B. )Ideal is a Cahors - I recommend Chateau Eugenie if you can find it (they have their own web site). Of your own wines the Gigondas will be best as will the Coudelet de Beaucastel. Don't use the Bordeaux - the flavours of cassoulet will overwhelm them.

alt.food.wine ( Michael T.)I think you should be aware that if there is a problem with fresh tomatoes and wine, there is certainly a lot of leeway for tomato sauces and smoked or dried tomatoes. The problem with fresh tomatoes is all that watery acid that disappears when you dry the fruit or preserve it in a sauce. Pasta with tomato sauce goes very well with grenache, sangiovese, syrah or even zinfandel based wines. 60 million italians can't be wrong! Mind you, it must be a well prepared sauce, smooth, stewed long enough to erase the sourness of the raw ingredient, rich with olive oil and subtly spiced. If you don't give the sauce the time it deserves, it will taste metallic and kill your wine. In the same way, dried or smoked tomatoes will probably fare well with the same type of wines, let's say a Cote du Rhone. The pork and goat's cheese complicate things of course, probaly requiring a shift towards the stronger reds of the Mediterranean or even Australia.

alt.food.wine ( Will B. ) As has been noted, tomato need not be a problem if handled right. I think a good Chianti would work very well with that meal. BTW, I don't think of a '95 Oregon pinot as all that young. And, not to be all CA chauvinist, but I have yet to taste anything worldshaking in Oregon pinots, and I've tried quite a few. CA on the other hand comes up with some quite awesome pinot noirs. However, I wouldn't choose pinot noir for that meal. Aside from Chianti (and sangiovese), I'd consider a good Cote du Rhone or CA Rhone red blend, or a Rioja Reserva, or even a good CA zin. I've had great luck pairing all of these with good marinara-type sauces (and of course lacing the sauce quite liberally with the wine (or a lesser, similar wine), early on in the cooking process).

alt.food.wine ( Frank D. ) Pork loin is wonderful with Tuscan wines. A really good Chianti would work but what occurred to me is perhaps a Supertuscan, maybe with Sangiovese/Cabernet. I particularly like Avignonesi Grifi or Montevertine's Pergole Torte. It's hard to know what you'll find available in your area, but if you have a good wine shop ask what's good from Tuscany and they ought to have something. The Tuscan idea seems especially appropriate with the recipe you are using.

alt.food.wine ( Tony P. )... Zinfandel (a Ravenswood or a Cline)

Art & Betsy .. we just had this and served a Spanish red ( Alion '91 ) .. we've tried zins in the past and found them to be a bit too full for our taste.

alt.food.wine ( Arno )...Vino Nobile di Montepilciano from a good producer. I can recommand Raspanti '88 or '90

alt.food.wine ... For the main course, a lot depends upon the composition of the sauce. I'm not a great Ravenswood fan, but it would certainly be a good match for most sauces. If the BBQ is more jerk style, not so sweet, I might recommend a Vouvray. (This is assuming that the ribs are pork, if they are beef, ignore the white wine suggestion.)

alt.food.wine ... The sun dried cherry sauce would make me want to serve a domestic pinot noir. It should be fairly full bodied. Suggest Babcock from Santa Ynez or one of the wines from the Russian River. My personal favorite is '96 Robert Mueller Cellars Pearlesence but it is limited and will probably have to be purchased from the winery. Another great wine is the '95 Marimar Torres but it is difficult to find and the '96 has had mixed reviews. Avoid the light candied fruit PNs.

alt.food.wine ... If you can find french wines near your place my suggestion would be:Saumur-Champigny (serving temp.18°C) or Costières red (serving temp.17°C)

alt.food.wine ... A light, fruit, smoky red. Light to balance the pork, lightly smoky to balance the roast and red to find complimentary cherry flavours. A lightly barrel aged Spanna de Piedmont would be my pick. Valanna makes a good one, but watch out for consistency problems (I've heard tale of some bottling issue with them). Its a simple, low cost but tasty wine with good complexity and a nice finish.

alt.food.wine ... I've made that tenderloin with an almond - parmesan crust and the cherry sauce...I always served a Meritage or Merlot with it...That was a John Ash recipe I got it from a Fetzer bottle tag!

Amanda .. We found a perfect inexpensive wine for jambalaya quite by accident. Try Turning Leaf's Red Zinfandel, there's no bitter aftertaste, and it's not so strong as to overpower the meal!

Jason .. We've had good luck with Aussie Shiraz. Try Rosemount Diamond Label or Leasingham Clare Valley. Definitely go for something brash with a lot of fruit. The earthier ones just die with jambalaya.

Jack .. Just had a 1996 Rabbit Ridge Sangiovese with it the other day and the combo worked nicely.

Dan .. BIG, spicy Red Zin....or an equally big Shiraz.

alt.food.wine ... Wine with Jambalaya? Easy = ZINFANDEL, Big, unabashed, spicy just like the Jambalaya.

alt.food.wine ... Beside various Sangiovese, I like it w/ a good strong Riesling. For an unusal combo, try a good mild but fraqent Japanese sake serve chill !

alt.food.wine ... Dr. Kane One of my favorite challenges is to pair wine with Indian Food. Most recently I had made from scratch chicken curry made with with smoked chicken served over jasmine rice. I paired it with a Gewurztraminer. Wow! what a kick. The hot spicey curry was a great match for the equally spicey, ginger and clove laden Gewurzt. The wine was only slightly off-dry but had enough fruit sweeteness to quench the heat.

Raj P Writes .. New world style Unoaked or lightly oaked whites such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Sav' Blanc. Reds need to be fruity with low tannin such as Grenache, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Barbera. A heavy Shiraz will work well with some red meat indian dishes. Old world wines generally don't work with Indian food with the exception of some Alsace and Italy. I personally disagree about Gewurztraminer's suitability with Indian food.

alt.food.wine ... Roland M. I would recommend either a light Pinot Noir or Burgundy (perhaps the Leroy Bourgogne) if you like reds or an Alsatian Riesling (a Zind Humbrecht possibly) if your prefer whites.

alt.food.wine ...Yes, upfront Pinot Noir comes to mind first. Red berry, a bit spicy goes pretty well with smoke duck. A dry Gewurtz would work as well as a Riesling.

alt.food.wine ..Rob A. Would recommend a good Alasatian Riesling. An excellent one I had recently was produced by Albert Boxler and carried the designation Summerfield Vineyard. I had it a restaurant in NY with a good wine list, so I can't speak for its retail availability.

alt.food.wine ... Dale W. Obviously sauces, stuffings, and accompaniments can make a big difference. As can age of bird and origin. But as general guidelines I'd say for a younger, farm-raised goose I'd first think of a rather big chard - CA or a white burgundy. An older wild goose would make me check the cellar for a red with a bit of zest & character- maybe a syrah like a Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, or Aussie Shiraz. Maybe if you can tell us where you're gtting your bird, and what you're serving with it, some of the more experienced folks here could offer you better suggestions.

alt.food.wine .. Michael D. Riesling Auslese from the Rheingau or Rheinhessen. You need the acid to balance the fat in the goose. Choose a good one! I would stay away from the reds, good for Duck but goose, I feel, requires a different approach. Or if you prefer drier, Alsacian Rieslings or Tokay. Serve the goose a l'Alsacienne (Choucroute) and you exerience manna from heaven!

alt.food.wine .. Ken B. My preference would be a big red--perhaps a zinfandel or a syrah/shiraz.

alt.food.wine .. Bill S. Zin, big Burg, cabs, merlots, superTuscans....... In other words, just about anything that takes your fancy.

alt.food.wine .. Steve M. Assuming a simple goose or chicken gravy - A merlot, perhaps from Chile.

alt.food.wine .. Caspar I wouldn't drink red at all. It is not a game bird, therefore hasn't got a massive amount of flavour, plus it is quite fatty. I would drink a top-drawer 96 white Burgundy. I have just tasted the 96 Puligny Clavoillons from Domaine Leflaive and it is humming. Failing that, what about one of the full-flavoured champagnes? Bollinger 90? Krug 73? Comtes de Champagne 76? They'll all do OK.

alt.food.wine .. Andy P. You could try a mature German Spatlese or Auslese Riesling ( Probably a Rheingau would be better than a Moselle- usually more full bodied.)

Wine writes .. Roast turkey, or duck, with Leasingham's Classic Clare 1994 Sparkling Shiraz, from South Australia - gorgeous

alt.food.wine ... David J.. IMHO there is nothing better with roast turkey than Sparkling Red. As far as I know this is largely an Australian Invention. Yes you surve it chilled, but perhaps not too cold. Warning open in kitchen and not over the good carpets. Once in a while they go everywhere and I mean everywhere when opening. A wine where great glassware makes a huge difference, especially with older wines, I am a fan of the riedel prestige cuvee for these wines.

alt.food.wine ... Susan R .. I agree with the Zin recommendation, but then I like red wine with almost everything. Many people also enjoy Pinot Noir with roast turkey; for white wine fans try a good off-dry Gewurz or Malvasia Bianca. Beaujolais is often recommended, but I find I don't enjoy it at all with the usual turkey companions.

alt.food.wine ... Bob V .. I've enjoyed the following with the "standard" sort of roast Turkey Ruby Port (Fonseca Bin 27) Pinot Noir Gewurztraminer White Burgundy Merlot Champagne Riesling

John M writes .. (whites) Reisling, Gewürztraminer ( Reds )Pinot noir Light Rhone style (Chatue de Cornielus) Zin.

alt.food.wine ... John M .. Don't forget to consider the fixin's, especially if they include such traditional favorites as cranberry and sweet potatoes. These sweet dishes can clash seriously with drier wines, so consider either a (German) Riesling or Gewurtztraminer with a touch of sweetness or, for reds, a ripe, all-American Zinfandel.

alt.food.wine ... Wump .. The key to pairing food and wine is to match the predominate flavors - usually the sauce. Thanksgiving dinner is always a problem - trying to match a wine with not only turkey, but also yams, cranberry sauce, etc. Recommend a big, full-flavored chardonnay, a chenin blanc, or a medium-bodied zinfandel - all three should be able to stand up to all of those flavors.

alt.food.wine ... Dr. T .. When friends ask me that, I always ask them in return what else they're serving, because turkey can really go with many types of wine. My suggestions (your tastes may vary): Big family dinner, with ham as well as turkey: Rhone-style rose (Taval area, or Bonny Doon) Turkey with lots of gravy, savory stuffing, etc.: Syrah/shirraz based wines, although some prefer pinot noir Turkey with oyster stuffing & seafood side dishes: Viognier (unoaked, so not Rabbit Ridge) or gewurztraminer Turkey with lots of veggie dishes: Chablis or other lightly oaked chardonnays

alt.food.wine ... Dr. Kane You can adapt turkey to just about any style of wine with the dressing and sauces used. I suggest matching the style of the food with wine from the the country or region of origin. For example: Lemon and Herbs (Basel, Oregano, Rosemany) - Italian Pinot Griggio Dressing with chestnuts and a brown reduction sauce - French Burgundy (lighter vintage) or Pinot Noir from Oregon Deep fried turkey with cajun spices (very popular in Gulf Coast) - Texas Riesling or Gewurztraminer Conventional turkey with dressing and cranberry sauce - A good Australian Chardonnay.

alt.food.wine ... Last November we had a light Pinot and Reisling with the turkey both were enjoyed by all.

alt.food.wine ... I had a Napa Ridge pinot noir at our last thanksgiving. For price vs performance you can't find a better pinot noir. Smells like cherries and really goes well with the bird. It won't last long so don't cellar it. If you by a case at safeway you get a10% discount. Great daily wine. Cost about 8 dollars when I bought it, prices have gone up no more than a buck since then.

alt.food.wine ... Last thanksgiving we had a '95 Jordan Chardonnay that was perfect with the bird. We use a spice rub on the turkey and cook it on the BBQ so it's spicy and smokey, and the spice of the J complemented it perfectly. Enjoy

alt.food.wine ... We took the advice of a few people and had a nice pinot (Marimar Torres). The wine actually complemented the turkey well, better than the Beaujolais I normally have with it.

alt.food.wine ... An off-dry Gewurztramminer, either from Alsace or from upstate New York, would also be very good. You might also consider an off-dry chenin blanc. I've become a real fan of Vouvray's, their mineraled, fruity sweetness is a great complement for pork, spicy food, and game birds.

alt.food.wine ( John ) ... Try an Australian Sparkling Shiraz (sometimes known as Sparkling Burgundy). Just terriffic with roast turkey.

alt.food.wine ( Dr. T.) ...A Taval is always a good choice, but some from California might be: Bonny Doon (Rhone-style) Zaca Mesa (the tartness might contrast nicely with the meal) Pedroncelli Zinfandel Rose (not their white Zin, this is sweet enough! -- still, this was much better than the Shooting Star, which tasted to me more like watered down Red Zin) McDowell Grenache rose (Rhone-style, although I personally prefer Bonny Doon) and Korbel also does an interesting sparkling red that might go well with Thanksgiving

alt.food.wine ( Chris A.) ...As one who "Weberizes" a turkey pretty much yearly at the request of the diners, I've run across something that alway seems to work. Pieroth (of all outfits) sells an off-dry red Ausbruch from Hungary that has this wonderful cedary nose that seems to work very well with smoky, BBQ'd foods. I plan to use it again this year.

alt.food.wine .. Bill S.... If it is any good, I would serve it on its own, ie with toast. I find that if it isn't fresh, warranting a great sauternes, that a modest Monbazillac or St. Croix du Mont works really well.

Art & Betsy .. Sauterne or Gewurztraminer

alt.food.wine .. Bill S....Foie gras when eaten cold on toast is generally an appetizer (hors d'oeuvre). We generally drink a special sweet wine such as an Alsatian Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives (or SGN) or a fine and reasonably old (read rich) Southwest wine such as a Sauternes, Monbazillac, etc. with it.

Foie gras is also served "sautéed" on top of a piece of steak as part of the main course. It can also be sautéed and served hot, on it's own, as part of the main course as well. If it is on it's own we tend to drink a sweet white with it... if it's on steak or on salad a rich, woodly red (St. Emilion, Pomerol, ...) goes wonderfully.

alt.food.wine .. John S.... I usually serve it on toast or crackers with Champagne - my personal favorite is Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Perhaps an unimaginative pairing, but it seems like a perfect match to me.... A nice, dry, lightly-oaked Chardonnay could work just as well.

alt.food.wine .. Steven Z.... With Fois gras, the classic is Sauternes. But I once served the 1993 Horton Viognier with Fois gras and grapes, and it was the hit of the night. On that night, there were 5 other excellent high end wines that lost because the match was so perfect. Including a Kistler "Mcrea".

alt.food.wine .. Robert B ... As previously noted Sauternes is the classic wine for foie gras. IMHO, the foie gras doesn't need all the sweetness of a great Sauternes, but I do prefer a sweet white wine with Sauternes. (Your taste may run to a rich red and that's enjoyable to me too.) In Gascony they're liable to drink a sweet Jurancon. A good Muscat from Beaumes-de-venise or one of the Appellations in the Languedoc-Rousillon area are fine. My personal favorite is a sweet wine from the Loire. Something like a good Coteaux-du-Layon. These are not cheap either, although you may find one for less than a good Sauternes. They have a lot of character in addition to the sweetness. Some of them have a real mineral taste and quite a bit of acid. A lot of them are not quite sweet enough for dessert, but most will do very well with foie gras. Unfortuantely these wines are just making a comeback and may not have very wide distribution. Although they're touted an some of NYC's best restaurant wine lists, I walked into what I have thought of as the most established wine store in NY and drew a blank when I asked for a Coteaux du Layon.

Arno W ... A verry good compagnon of pasta (lassagna, macaroni, spaghetti etc) is Orvieto Classico. It is a white wine out of the region Umbrie. Mostently they are owned by Tuscan Winerys. Try the orvieto classico from Pietracollata. 1996,and 1997 are verry good. price ca $ 7 An other good recomandation is Refosco out of the hils of Friuli (arround Gorizia)

Mike C. writes .. dry french rose such as tavell

Dana writes .. Horton Vineyards (Virginia) Marsanne

Daniel R writes .. Even though Caesar salad was first invented in the United States, French wines are most appropriate with it. Consider especially a dry or semi-dry Gewurtztraminer (ideally from Hugel or Trimbach), or if you lean to reds, perhaps the more "serious" wines of Beajolais (Chiroubles, Fleurie and Chenas are good candidates).

One of the best matches I had with this salad was a sparkling dry Fendant while dining at the restaurant at Parc Mon Repos in Geneva. Alas, like most Swiss wines, Fendant does not travel well.

Frederick L writes ... well, it all depends on what the salad is made of and the sort of dressing you are planning to do. I don't know this receipe but for composite salads the Sylvaner (Alsace), "Coteaux d'Aix" (Provence Rosé), "Cotes du Rhone" red,usually marry quite well.

Art & Betsy write ..We've found ( for our tastes at least ) that a chard will wash out under the strident tastes of a ceasar dressing. We've used reislings nicely for this type of combo in the past

The recipe is simplicity itself.Split the morrels down the middle,usually a neccessary precaution. Wash thoroughly and let soak in salt water for as long as you can keep your hands off them.Heat a good quality oil we used soy oil,to about 350. Prepare a light egg wash and a light breading, Corn flake crumbs ground to a consistency not a powder but finer than they come in the box is good. Bread the mushrooms to the desired thickness. Drop in the fryer and serve with various dips. We stuffed our larger ones with a good quality camenbert,brie would work also but be careful as the subtle flavours are easy to overpower. Cheers Mark

alt.food.wine ... For a Chardonnay, I'd recommend anything from a Jarlsberg to a Brie. Stay away from sharp cheeses (like cheddars) and go to mild cheeses. Actual matches can vary with the style of Chardonnay but a general rule of thumb would be to match cheeses with higher fat content (Brie, St. Andre, etc) with Chardonnays that have higher levels of malolactic fermentation (those with a 'buttery' nose and flavor) and firmer mild cheeses (Jarlsberg and others) with Chardonnays that have either not gone through malolactic fermentation or those that have only partial malolactic.

alt.food.wine ... Vouvray is a little sweeter or more of a desert style than chardonnay. with sweeter wines you want something with more acid. I like a good goat cheese, havarti, brie, try small amounts of different cheeses and see which ones you prefer. Try cheese from a real cheese shop and not the plastic wrapped stuff

alt.food.wine ... Follow your taste buds - but remeber the Italian rule of thumb - if it is a hard cheese, such as parmigiano or asiago, or a very rich cheese such as stilton or cheddar, or a very salty/mouldy cheese such as roquefort, stay with really great reds - bordeaux, burgundy, barolo. Of course, the British will always drink port with almost any cheese. Try sauternes with brie, camembert, etc. Try it all out. Some of the lighter white dessert wines from US such as muscat canelli go well with lighter cheeses that go with fruit.

alt.food.wine ... By the way, my most memorable experience was a glass of 71 Mouton Rothschild with an assortment of Parmigiano, Camembert, and Gouda....heavenly!

alt.food.wine ..Blue cheese and shiraz, very high tannins required.

alt.food.wine ... Try Roquefort with a Maury or Banyuls. Much like a Stilton and port. In Perpignan, on a tasting menu, I had a blue cheese served in bowl with desert wine. I don't remember if it was Roquefort or if the wine was Banyuls or Maury.

Art & Betsy .. Merlot

Wino writes ... Morris Show Reserve Tokay (or perhaps the Muscat), from Rutherglen in Victoria, Australia - magnificent, rich and deep - perfect for a serious chocolate session

Willem R. writes ... Banyuls, a fortified wine from the south of France, made from red grenache grapes

alt.food.wine ...Orange Muscat, or an Irish Stout Beer

alt.food.wine ... Port -- vintage Port goes great with chocolate desserts like chocolate decadence. Especially good with raspberries and chocolate.

alt.food.wine Bill L.... The greatest pairing I have ever tasted was chocolate and J. Fritz Late Harvest Zinfandel. It is absolute magic. Try a port.

alt.food.wine Hillary G.... I like big zinfandels with chocolate, myself.

alt.food.wine Katheryn O.... A good Cabernet Sauvignon from California is a good choice. I also like Pinot Noir with chocolate. If your taste is towards the sweet, try a late harvest riesling or other dessert wine.

alt.food.wine Mark M.... I guess I'm in the minority here, but one I'd vote for a good Bordeaux or Californnia Cab. One of my best memories is of Christmas Eve in 95 when most of my family was snowed in at my house and we had a couple of bottles of 82 Les Forts de Latour and several bottlles (I can't remember how many) of 85 Mondavi Reserve. After a dinner of grilled tenderloin, potatoes au gratin, saute'ed mushrooms, etc. I raided my annual gift to my wife of Godiva chocolates and we finished the above wines with the chocolate. With the wind howling and snow blowing, we all sat by a roaring fire in the fireplace, drank the wine and ate chocolate until the early morning hours. I've never had a more enjoyable combination with chocolate. Brings a smile to my face even as I type this....especially now in this sweltering summer!

alt.food.wine Roy G. ... Port, bittersweet chocolate & walnuts, Yummmm

alt.food.wine James D ... This may sound strange, but the wine tasting group to which I belong has found that really big up-front Aussie Shiraz goes really well with "serious" dark chocolate. The sort of wines I'm talking about are E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, Ebenezer Shiraz &c. As an alternative - I remmeber a neck label on a bottle of Quady's Elysium which had a fantastically rich chocolate cake recipe on it, so presumably they think that combination would work. I reckon it would just make the wine taste even more like Fry's Turkish Delight.

alt.food.wine Nelson M. ... I'm not a big fan of wine with chocolate - good chocolate is so complex on its own, pairing it with wine is awkward. But a classic wine for chocolate is a dessert wine known as Maury. It's a French sweet red wine, not very well known in the States. It tastes a bit like a light vintage port, but with a somewhat oxidized/raisiny taste like a sherry. Quite tasty, not terribly expensive ($20 for a good bottle at my wine shop), and said to be perfect with chocolate. An Orange Muscat can also be nice.

alt.food.wine Erling M. ... Actually, I find that some white dessert wines go well with chocolate -- just follow the rule that the wine be sweeter than the dessert (otherwise it tastes horrible, dry and bitter). I have especially enjoyed rich chocolate tarts (dark & bitter) with Bonny Doon Muscat made from Frozen grapes, as well as Australian Noble One (nice vanilla flavour complements chocolate) or a Lenz Mozer TBA.

alt.food.wine ( Tony P. ) ... Quady's Elysium Black Muscat or Brown Brother's Orange Muscat & Flora

Art & Betsy ... a brut rose champagne

alt.food.wine ( Arno ) ...a good Vino Santo or a moscato di Pantelleria or (but hard too find and verry expensive) Picolit out of Friuli

alt.food.wine ... I'd recommend going with the Quady Black Muscat, or possibly a demi-sec champagne.

alt.food.wine ... I think a Muscat de Rivesaltes (serving temp.10 °C ) would do fine.

alt.food.wine ... I have found the "Ice wines" from Washington state to be a very good accompaniment to cheesecake. They are very sweet and should stand up to the lemon if you don't use too much.

alt.food.wine - Will .. I've always enjoyed a super dry Champagne with salted nuts. I think this combination is a great opener for a dinner party.

alt.food.wine - Robert G. ..Tawny Port.

alt.food.wine - Try a Ruby Port, or a decent Tawny. Either should work decently. A Vintage would be overkill.

alt.food.wine Tim -I'm partial to a hearty red like a good Red Zin or Cabernet with nuts. Try for a spicy wine if possible.

alt.food.wine Edwin -The classic match would be port as many points out. Try an australian tawny. An amontilado would go well with nuts since it is pretty nutty itself... If you clean the nuts membrane, which has plenty of tannins before you eat them, then a big red like zinfandel would work. I don't know about champagne....

alt.food.wine Brian C. -I would have a Tawny Port, preferrably from one of the Portuguese houses, which go for a softer style which works very well with the salty, nutty flavors your speaking of. Try one of the older ones from Barros or Rocha -- very nice wines and not too expensive. If you want to keep it cheap the Presidential Tawny is very good for the money.