Feasting,
Christina-Style

Patty Green Pinot Noir, Dunham Cab ducky for fowl meal

by Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor

Give me a bite of food and a sip of wine, and if it works together, I am like butter.

More than butter-I get weak in the knees. I can only describe it like the cartoon dog, who begs for a biscuit, and then floats into ecstasy, lingering on a cloud until he comes back to earth.

For those who enjoy food and wine pairing, the discovery can be a wonderful blend, taking on a life of it's own, like Tracy and Hepburn, Lennon and McCartney or salmon and Pinot Noir.

It fits, and sings and astonishes your palette. The result can be a primordial grunt, or a surprised outcry. For others, like my friend Valerie, it is an "ummmm," that sounds like a mantra. She closes her eyes and enjoys her pleasure while the rest of us have to suppress our smiles during her taste ritual.

I recently had such a food and wine discovery, along with Valerie and two other girlfriends, Christy and Lisa. We get together occasionally to create a dinner sensation. All of us love to cook, so we take turns, once a month. Had the evening been videotaped, our families might have committed us.

The main course was duck with an orange sauce. Two ducks were stuffed with oranges, onions and a few apple slices. Steam asparagus and a wild mushroom risotto accompanied the duck.

The four of us debated about wine. Lisa wanted a Cabernet Sauvignon, I wanted Pinot Noir and Christy wanted a Pinot Gris. Valerie just wanted to eat. We settled for the Cab and the Pinot, believing both would compliment the duck and orange sauce.

Each of us tasted Patricia Green Cellars 2000 Estate Pinot Noir, and Dunham Cellars 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines scored 90 points from Wine Spectator and came highly recommended. The Pinot Noir had berry flavors and a hint of nuts, like hazelnuts. The Cabernet Sauvignon was juicy, with blackberry and currant, followed by a stream of plum and black cherry. Both wines were scrumptious for sipping, and drinkable quite young.

But the magic came with the first bite of duck, drizzled with a low tart, low-sugar orange sauce. It is the most enjoyable part of the evening to watch such avid food and wine lovers savor their food. It is a joy to watch their discovery and hilarious to see their faces if the wine doesn't embrace the dinner.

Because we love this ritual, we stagger the first bite allowing everyone to share in each other's pleasure. Valerie went first and her ritual is my favorite. A slice of duck breast, a dip in the sauce and a sip of the Patti Green Pinot Noir first.

"Oh my," she said as her eyes started to flutter, then close. "Ummmmmmm. Oh, yes."

We joke that Valerie's food and wine ritual reminds us of the scene in the movie, "When Harry Met Sally," where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in a restaurant.

"We'll have what she's having," the rest of us respond in unison.

Valerie doesn't even acknowledge that we're in the room. She's on her second bite with the Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon. Her mantra continues and it is obvious that both wines score high with her and the food.

"I've died and gone to heaven," she declares.

Since I am the cook, I wait until everyone has had their first bite before I try the duck with the two wines. The food and wine pairing is a hit with Christy and Lisa, each trying to outdo the other with descriptive adjectives. Both are writers with large vocabularies. I knew we were in for a very long dinner.

"It's hard to describe how wonderful the Cab compliments the duck," said Christy. "There is a lot of fruit in the finish, and it blends well with the orange flavors of the meat."

Lisa also loved the wine picks, although said she preferred the Patti Green Pinot Noir.

"Oh my God, this is fabulous," she said, as her eyes grew wide as saucers. "Not only is there great fruit, but I can taste a little mint in the finish. This is better than sex."

I can't decide which wine I like better. The Dunham cab is outstanding and works with the duck and orange sauce, cutting the tartness and adding wonderful berry tones to the meat. And, I am a sucker for Patti Green Pinot Noir. The Pinot lingers long in the mouth, adding cherry fruit to the duck.

As our "Ya Ya Sisterhood" meal closes, each of us pronounces it as the best in a long time, including me, the cook. But, we say that just about every meal. It's hard to go wrong when you have good friends, an excellent meal and great wine.

And, it turns my thoughts to the holidays, when everyone struggles with what wine to serve with turkey or ham or a beef roast. We are so fortunate in the Northwest to have great choices. Washington has outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Merlots, while Oregon offers beautiful Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

But it's a lot more fun if you have groaners, moaners and those who die and go to heaven and back with that first bite!

XXX