Good Taste with Tanji - Wine, food and fun with Tanji Patton.

Can raw oysters really improve your sex life? I have no idea, (sorry) but I do know when you pair the right wine with the right food, every meal becomes an adventure. The perfect match is bliss, but sometimes a lot of the fun is the ‘investigative’ process.

With all the fabulous fresh seafood available now at the new Watermark Grill (have you tried their King Crab!), I thought it would be fun to explore some wonderful wine and seafood combinations. For the ‘research’ on this project, I sought the expertise of Sommelier Adam Spencer. Adam works at both Watermark Grill and Brasserie Pavil, and has a wonderful wealth of knowledge about wine.

For this adventure, let’s start with the raw oysters. There are six different East coast varieties to choose from on any given day at Watermark Grill. Some of the more popular wine matches for the half shell delicacies include Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc and Champagne. (There’s something festive about champagne and oysters!) Adam says to try Chablis…that the un-oaked Chardonnays from Burgundy are a great compliment to the delicate flavors found in fresh, raw seafoods. At Watermark, he says the ’07 William Fevre Chablis is his choice by the glass. It’s nice, crisp and dry – it goes well.

To continue your ‘work’ on this project, order a leg or two of King Crab and try it with a Viognier. Viogniers are known for their beautiful fruit aromas like peach, melon and pear, but they’re not sweet. Adam likes the ‘Hermit Crab’ Viognier (easy to remember) from Australia, and I do to. It goes great with the sweet, meaty crab.

If you love fresh, tender lobster, pop the cork on a good champagne. Adam likes to serve the Taittinger Champagne— Brut ‘Cuvé Prestige’ to be exact. I’ve always been a big fan of the Taittinger champagnes since visiting their winery in France many moons ago. Personally, I enjoy champagne with a lot of different foods. It pairs wonderfully with almost anything, and the lobster/champagne hook-up is delightful.

Okay, the most intriquing choice will complete our seafood pairing adventure. Watermark Grill has a beautiful fresh sashimi dish that’s served on a Himalayan salt block with soy caviar. (You’ve got to see this.) The tried and true wine pairing that you can never go wrong with if you’re a sushi fan is Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, fresh and clean it’s a nice mate to the sashimi. Adam suggests the ’08 Spy Valley from Marlborough.

Enjoy everyone! For more for wine and food ideas, including recipes from many of San Antonio’s top chefs, head to my website.