These Are Unexpectedly Delicious Flavor Combinations According to Top Sommeliers
Parma ham and Pinot Grigio, lobster and Champagne, oysters and Chablis; they are classic combinations that fit together like a glove on a hand. But what are some completely unexpected yet equally fantastic combinations? According to these top sommeliers:
Dennis Blaaser, sommelier Le Hollandais
“Nachos todos with guacamole and dry Gewürztraminer… Da bomb!”
Maaike Kauffman, sommelier Héroine
“Champagne with McDonalds.”
Isabel van Bueren, sommelier The White Room by Jacob Jan Boerma
“Tom kha kai with Riesling from Wijngoed Thorn in Limburg.”
Erica Verweijen, sommelier Aan de Poel
“The old Bordeaux wine Château Lynch-Moussas 1966 with bell pepper chips.”
Nabil Touires, sommelier Graham’s Kitchen
“I find tea with cheese a surprising combination. And guests still find chilled red wine with fish very exciting and surprising!”
Bram Faber, sommelier Wijncafé Lefebvre
“Nasi with satay sauce and a white appassimento (a full-bodied, slightly sweet wine made from dried grapes) from Italy. Great with the peanut flavor, but also with the spices and the heat of the sambal.”
Imil Ayoub, sommelier The Harbour Club
“Spaghetti vongole with hot peppers and a young Aglianico Bio, simply available at Albert Heijn. The tannins in this wine become softer and rounder thanks to the spicy peppers, and the wine becomes more elegant. Delicious!”
Julian Cleton, sommelier Wijnbar VinVin
“Old Bordeaux with gourmet dining!”
Laurence Reintjens, freelance sommelier
“At Orientaals Restaurant O&O in Sint Willebrord (North Brabant), I once drank Ximenez-Spinola Exceptional Harvest (an unfortified wine made from sherry grapes) with satay. You would never expect them to taste good together, but it works wonderfully. I recently ate there again and, as tradition dictates, received the same combination once more. Fantastic.”
Wouter van Essen, sommelier Wijn- en Eetbar Most
“We once served Muscaris from Nijkerk (Wijngaard Aan de Breede Beek) with carpaccio of beetroot/hazelnut/px/gorgonzola. It was heavenly!”
Ruth Engels, sommelier INK Hotel Amsterdam
“Auxey-Duresses ‘Cuvée Rosé’ from Domaine Dupont-Fahn paired with… practically everything! Seriously. This is a wine that can be paired with anything—it is truly one of my favorite top wines!”
Sabas Joosten, sommelier De Librije
“The former sommelier of two-Michelin-starred restaurant Ricard Camarena in Valencia once served me a dry Syrah with a dessert of cherries and eucalyptus. I thought this could never work, but it was beautiful—unbelievable.”
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