A California Winery Blog

Last night I had the pleasure of working a fantastic birthday party that was held in the barrel room of the winery.  The space was rented out after hours for a four course casual pairing buffet.  I have to comment on the quality of the food brought in by their caterer and the superb choice of wines to pair with each course.  Tam Trinh was the private caterer who provided the menu to accompany the list of four wines that were chosen to pour. 

Her Vietnamese style cooking technique uses only the freshest ingredients and herbs.  She credits growing up in Saigon as the influence for this type of Farmer’s Market fresh cooking that is so popular here in Santa Barbara.  The best wines for Asian influenced foods are those with moderate alcohol content, soft tannins, and crispness.  A little bit of residual sugar works because Asian cooking is all about the balance of different flavors - for example, sweet and spicy.  Riesling is usually a popular choice because of this.  Sauvignon Blanc is another winner, as well as fuller bodied Viognier, as long as the dish is not too sweet.

The first course was a Green Papaya salad with peanut dressing served with our 2006 Sauvignon Blanc.  The tropical fruit flavors inherent in the wine matched the tropical fruit quality of the papaya.  Zesty acidity worked with the sweet spiciness of the salad.  Also, the softness added from the partial oak barrel fermentation used for the wine complemented the peanuts in the salad.

Next was a salmon spring roll with mint and Thai basil paired alongside our 2006 Santa Barbara Winery Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir.  All of the flavors were so well balanced in the roll and could only be complemented by a light red whose balance would not throw off any of the flavors in the dish.  Salmon and Pinot Noir are a classic “perfect match.” 

The third course was a sweet tomato soup served with our 2005 ZCS blend - a light, fruity and extremely versatile red.  Tomato based sauces are a perfect match with Sangiovese, which is an element of the blend.  A mid-bodied wine like ZCS does not mask any of the flavors in the tomato soup. 

The final course was Filet Mignon Skewers served with sweet and buttery yellow rice with sauteed shallots and toasted pine nuts.  This was served with our 2005 Primitivo, the Italian version of Zinfandel originally from the Puglia region.  The intense raspberry, brambleberry fruit qualities of this high alcohol yet balanced red worked seamlessly with the tenderness of the Filet.  I love this wine because it is a full bodied, fruit forward red with a lot of character and lingering tannins. 

Tam Trinh will be teaching a Vietnamese Cooking Class through the Santa Barbara City College Adult Education Program.  I will be signing up as soon as I can!

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery