Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food

by Evan Goldstein, Joyce Goldstein (Contributor)

As thousands of wines from around the globe enter the marketplace and the American palate continues to adopt flavors from a range of cultures, the task of pairing wine and food becomes increasingly complicated. No longer is the choice simply red or white, or wines from California, France, or Italy. The typical shopper today has access to wines from those regions plus South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia. If that isn’t confusing enough, Asian, Creole, and Latin American dishes might find their way onto the same table. Perfect Pairings, by well-known Master Sommelier and respected restaurant industry veteran Evan Goldstein, provides straightforward, practical advice for how to pair wine with each meal. The quintessential resource for matching wine and food, Perfect Pairings acts as a guide to wine, wine terminology, and wine-growing regions as well as a cooking guide: this versatile coffee table book includes 58 companion recipes developed by celebrated chef Joyce Goldstein that showcase each type of wine.

Perfect Pairings combines in-depth explorations of twelve grape varietals, sparkling wines, and dessert wines with guidance about foods that enhance the wide range of styles for each varietal. Whether the Chardonnay is earthy and flinty, or rich, buttery, and oak-infused; whether the Pinot Noir fruity and tropical, or aged and mature, Goldstein explains how to match it with dishes that will make the wine sing. His clear, educational, and entertaining approach towards intimidating gastronomical questions provides information for all readers, professional and amateur chefs alike.


* 16 full-color photos

* Six seasonal and special occasion menus

* Tips for enhancing food and wine experiences, both at home and in restaurants

* Glossary of wine terminology

* Overview of the world’s primary wine-growing regions

* Recommendations of more than five hundred wines, ranging in price from everyday to splurge

Genres: Wine, Food, Cookbooks, Food and Wine, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference

328 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2006

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upfront, Evan is a longtime friend and one of my favorite people in the wine business, and there’s no way for me to be completely objective about his books. And for those of you who are in woke mode about members of the Court of Master Sommeliers (totally understandable, given what’s happened), let me just say that he’s one of the good guys in the story. When it comes to teaching people about the basics of wine, Evan is one of the best I’ve encountered. He’s smart, funny, and likable, and he puts people at ease, whether they be beginners or pros.

His approach in this book it to take some of the better known grape varieties and wine styles and introduce readers to them, and talk about what makes them work with different types of food. It’s not in-depth, nor is it comprehensive, it’s not intended to be. It’s more a guide for those who want some tried and true advice, and enough information to not feel lost at dinner, be it at home or a restaurant. If you want something more in-depth and that strays from the basics, turn to another of his books, Daring Pairings, which does just that. A nice plus to this book is the inclusion of, the pairing of, recipes provided by his mother, well known and respected chef Joyce Goldstein.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on food and wine pairing! Lots of great and very helpful information on wine and the principles for pairing it with food. The author of the book is a sommelier and the author of the recipes in it are from a chef. The chef makes commentary on each recipe and then the author talks about why the recipe will go with the suggested wines. I learned a lot in this book and will return to it often as one of my top reference books on the subject. I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes and also looking forward to reading this author's second book on the subject which deals with less common grapes, called "Daring Pairings." Recommended!

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book and will continue to use it as a reference. My only hesitation is that I wanted more that I am familiar with regarding wines, wineries and recipes. Perhaps in the future the author, Evan Goldstein can do wines of the U.S. in regional sections... ahh, now back to decide what to serve with my roasted chicken.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a cookbook junkie, so this book is a perfect way for me to increase my pairing skills. Seeing the recipes alongside the wine sections makes this an interesting and practical book. It also makes me hungry.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for food & wine lovers. A must-memorize for chefs with a passion for wine.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great information here. I'm only interested in two of the recipes, so that part... not so much.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro de maridajes. Bien explicado y completo.