Monday
September 25, 2023 
The instant when you take a bite of great food and a sip of fabulous wine and realize they have combined to create an exquisite culinary experience is the “Aha!” moment of food and wine pairing.
Members of the Solebury Township Historical Society are hoping for many of those moments during the second annual Perfect Pairings fundraising event set for Oct. 12 at the Solebury home of Pearl and Chuck Mintzer.
In anticipation of the event sommelier Pamela Burrell sampled 40 wines, then narrowed the selection to four that will go with a variety of cheeses and small plates of food.
“Some guests will come for the tasting experience, while others will come for the learning experience,” Burrell said. By the time they leave, they should know a great deal about each wine, she added.
Burrell said she likes to choose wines that are not well known, and that come from a variety of origins. There will be whites as well as deep and light reds, each chosen for their versatility, including a Txakoli from Spain that is poured from an elevated height to maximize the bubbles.
A series of stations will be set up where guests will sip their wine, tasting it with cheeses and gourmet dishes created by Chadd Jenkins, chef at Poppy’s Greengrocer in New Hope.
Jenkins will use artisan meats and local produce in season such as beets, apples and squash to create the tasting dishes. He will offer lamb skewers, crab with tarragon and preserved lemon, salmon toast and a surprise tartare to accompany the wines.
Wine pairing is always fun, Burrell said. “Some wines are enhanced by food. You can taste a wine and not like it, then take a bite of food and find it tastes so much better.”
The key to pairing food with wines is in the body of the wine and in the tannins, she said. Tannins add bitterness and astringency as well as complexity to wines, so it’s important how they mesh with foods. They provide texture and mouthfeel to wine as well as a sense of weight and structure. A crisp, acidic wine pairs well with seafood, she said, while hearty sauces require a wine that can cut through the richness.
All these mysteries will be revealed at Perfect Pairings, which Burrell called “a fun, great event.”
The society is looking forward to the pairings.
“We are excited to open our home and support the Solebury Township Historical Society and our wonderful community,” said Pearl Mintzer. Society chairperson Jill McGlone added, “It’s essential to continue supporting Solebury’s rich historical preservation.”
Tickets for Perfect Pairings are $125 per person. They can be purchased online at soleburyhistory.org.
PERFECT PAIRINGS
wine pairing event
Hosted by Solebury Historical Society
Time & date: 5 p.m., Sat., Oct. 12.
Location:
Mintzer home, Solebury.
Cost:
$125
Tickets:
soleburyhistory.org.
susan.yeske@gmail.com
