Any ideas on pairing these courses

John McIlwain

John McIlwain
Grilled quail maybe stuffed with wild rice. Early in dinner. Faurie St. Joseph VV '01, maybe?

Duck confit, not sure how it'll be plated? Considering sneaking in Boxler Pinot Gris Reserve 08 but not married to it. Don't mind going with a red.

Have some '89 Robert Michel Cornas Geynale and Georges Mugneret NSG Chaignots 1995 (thanks JW at Chambers) set aside for magret from Hudson Valley Farms.

Insights, comments, invective? Thanks in advance.

Kind disorderlies, you have the floor.

Best,
John
 
I think you're golden with any of the choices you've laid out, although with the quail appearing early in the dinner I'd entertain possibilities of something lighter and fruitier than a 11 year old St Joseph. Maybe a Cru Beaujolais, or something along the lines of Mondeuse, Refosco, or even an entry level Chinon would set the night off in an ascending note.

As for the confit, I like throwing a white wine in amid the reds, so the Pinot Gris is a good choice, particularly if you've gone with something lighter in the first course. If you've got a wine-savvy crowd and you want to fuck with them a bit, find a bottle of Au Bon Climat "Hildegard" and pour it blind. I've found it to enhance duck confit (and vice-versa). The wine ages well, so don't be shy of snagging a bottle with age on it if you're sure of the provenance. Otherwise, any plus-sized Alsace PG will thrill and delight.

-Eden (what sort of music are you planning to pair with each dish?)
 
originally posted by John McIlwain: Duck confit ... Georges Mugneret NSG Chaignots 1995

John, I like the idea of the St Joseph with the grilled quail. Then I would go with your NSG rather than switching to a white wine.

. . . . . Pete
 
no invective, but some small opinions:

originally posted by John McIlwain:
Any ideas on pairing these coursesGrilled quail maybe stuffed with wild rice. Early in dinner. Faurie St. Joseph VV '01, maybe?

given the rest of the plan, this is a waste. save the faurie for a time that a mature small wine suits, and open something young and vigorous. serving this here will only fatigue palates on the dimensions that should shine given the later plan.

given that you can't serve a light young remstal lemberger of any merit, i'd opt for a firm but fresh trousseau or gamay.

Duck confit, not sure how it'll be plated? Considering sneaking in Boxler Pinot Gris Reserve 08 but not married to it. Don't mind going with a red.

pinot gris is good, but it would work far better from high up in the local hills than down there in the rhine lowlands. again, the risk is that you fail to cut through the fat while overwhelming the palate with plumpness. the thing is to keep palates alive: given that my primary reccos will be unobtainable, find something young and pinot dominated like rollin's pernand villages (blanc), or else some chenin based loire with a good firm cut to it.

this ought to set you up nicely for this:

Have some '89 Robert Michel Cornas Geynale and Georges Mugneret NSG Chaignots 1995 (thanks JW at Chambers) set aside for magret from Hudson Valley Farms.

tongue is dry tonight.

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originally posted by John McIlwain:
Any ideas on pairing these coursesGrilled quail maybe stuffed with wild rice. Early in dinner. Faurie St. Joseph VV '01, maybe?
Vilmart NV rubis (rose) or vouette saignee de sorbet?
 
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