During this summertime Petulant Parings conversation I connected with the fascinating and very knowledgeable Matthew Hartmann of Buzz Restaurant in dreamy St. Lucia! We covered a lot of territory!
Matthew talked about his formative experiences in the top fine dining establishments in the Caribbean which led him to then open his own restaurant, Buzz, near Rodney Bay Marina at the north end of the gorgeous island. The excellent food and service by Matthew’s team garner excellent ratings and rave online reviews. He’s got plenty of great stories to tell and you won’t want to miss his Petulant Pairing ideas – they’re thoughtfully crafted to combine flavours of the Caribbean with a nod to the BC-wine lover’s palate!
If you’d like the recipes, drop a message in the comments or send an email and we’ll set that up!
About Petulant Pairings:
…we all know what they say about “rules” – sometimes they’re better off bent!
What is a “Petulant Pairing”?
This is an expression that came to mind when I was thinking about unorthodox match-ups, pairings that may not be considered “proper pairings” to some because they don’t adhere to the traditional rules for pairing food with wine, or because they’re new.
Most often those pairing “rules” came to be because of common sense. For example, white wine with fish because many types of fish are quite light and you don’t want a powerful and magnificent Barolo walloping it beyond recognition at dinner!
We can use a pairing approach that highlights similarities in aroma, texture or spiciness (an earthy mushroom dish with an earthy wine like pinot noir). Another approach highlights the harmony of opposites (salty or spicy Asian food with an off-dry gewürztraminer). Then we have a regional pairing phenomenon where local food is simply eaten with its local wines “what grows together goes together” (a hearty beef brasato with the above-mentioned magnificent Barolo).
So, just as “official” wine pairing norms can be varied, we can encourage our tasting room guests to experiment with an open mind and guide them to listen to what their senses are telling them. Hopefully, this will make your guests feel more at ease, and trust you as their guide to discovering what’s good – for them. Ideally, a good pairing (at the table and in life!) celebrates both elements. But you can stretch those rules and still really enjoy your meal.
Petulant Pairings…the Series
With this series showcasing Petulant Pairings we aim to encourage an open-minded and adventurous approach to food and beverage pairing.
That’s precisely the foundation of Beyond the Wine:
Specialized training programs that coach tasting room ambassadors to make their visitors feel comfortable and at ease.
Teaching guests to trust their unique palates, free of intimidation or hesitation.
Guiding guests through the amazing experience of your wonderful wines!
Please reach out if you have a Petulant Pairing to share or if you’d like to talk about how we create tasting room rockstars that will turn your guests into enthusiastic fans and engaged, loyal members of your winery family.
