Wine
This episode takes place in local wine and beverage retailer Martha's Vineyard. Chef Angus discusses wine paring with sommelier Charlie Elkins. After a brief discussion of the state of the wine industry in the United States as compared to the world, the two discuss wine paring and the basic attributes of wine.
Chef Angus then surprises Charlie with five courses of food, and allows him to select wines for paring with the dishes. They begin with a smoked salmon appetizer, and several suggestions are offered including a pinot noir and a cabernet franc.
The next course is a pasta dish with a tomato sauce, and the importance and intricacies of wine paring for sauces is discussed in detail. In addition, the importance of selecting wine for digestion is also touched upon, in addition to wine pricing.
The salad course is next, featuring a tossed green salad topped with a champagne vinaigrette and Charlie explains the difficulty of selecting a wine to accompany salads. Recommendations include two savigion blancs and a sherry.
Chef Angus introduces the main course, a beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction sauce and Charlie offers recommendations for single wines that could follow through all five courses of the meal in addition to the consideration of the serving temperature. For the dish specifically, he suggests a bordeaux or a cabernet sauvignon. A discussion of decanting follows, including reasons and technique.
Finally, for dessert, a chocolate mousse dish served with a sauce of raspberries cooked in balsamic vinegar. The episode closes as Charlie recommends a port and a lightly-chilled sparkling red wine.
Cabernet Sauvingon paired with Fillet Mignon
Smoked Salmon Appetizer