Back from the annual sojourn up north to spend time with the family, carouse semi-politely, and play Christmas Present Hot Potato. You know catch a pair of socks, you toss them to a friend as a re-gift, and they toss it into the “Refund for Store Credit” pile in their closet. It’s that spirit of tossing that keeps the magic of the holidays alive!

Even beside the presents, we had a very eventful trip. J was off on foreign shores for much of my time off, but I still managed to have some fun experiences with food and drink. Highlights to follow in a couple posts.

S AND J PICK WEDDING WINES! Before J came back, my Dad and I made one last trip to Kermit Lynch to gather as many candidates as possible to try out as salmon-matching wines. We came back with four bottles: a 2005 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny, a 2004 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Selectionee, a 2005 Domaine de Reuilly Pinot Noir, and a 2005 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgeuil. We also got another bottle of the Rosso di Montalcino we had previously tried, the 2003 Castello di Romitorio. All in all, an impressive lineup. Livers around the world averted their eyes in awe.

How did the wines stack up against an actual plate of salmon en croute? On the whole, admirably. In the case of a few, exceptionally. The standout to me was the Salvard. When I think of bone-dry sauvignon blanc in the future, this is the wine I will think of. Despite its austerity, however, it had an aluring nose of pear and tropical fruit, a lovely acidity and a flinty minerality that made it a very nice wine to drink on its own, and an even better match with the salmon. And at less than $12 per bottle, it’s a real steal. A terrific wine at a terrific price, available locally in high quantities? Sold. Cross the white off the list.

The reds were all very different, despite the fact that 3 of the 4 came from France. The Kermit Lynch Cuvee came with a strong recommendation from the clerk at the store, which made me slightly suspicious of a conflict of interest, but not enough to prevent me from trying a bottle. It’s a decent red for the price ($13 or so), but other than a core of rustic country fruit like rhubarb and cherry, it didn’t offer much. With all the great wine that can be found at KLWM for less than $15, I can’t really recommend this one. The Reuilly was interesting - a pinot that had much more in common with a gamay than French Burgundy. It was a simple, fresh wine with a shy nose of flowers, some pleasant blueberry and strawberry notes, and a nonexistent finish. I could see getting this again - only $12 - but it wouldn’t stand up to the fish. At least it didn’t stand up as well as the Chanteleuserie or the Romitorio did. The Chanteleuserie (”place where birds sing”), made from cabernet franc, was a wine that I really loved, especially since I’m not all that wild about most cab franc - most of the stuff I’ve tried has been thin and vegetal. This wine, though, had a strong core of dark fruit, which made a great base for the notes of pepper and herbs to play off of. It seemed to have almost a hint of mint in there, which was better than it sounds. Better yet, it was a great compliment to the salmon - acidity, texture, and a nice finish.

A Rosso di Montalcino wouldn’t be a lot of people’s first idea when trying to pair a wine with salmon. Its trademark red-brick sangiovese grape conjures up images of braised meat and pasta with rich sauces like bolognese. But unlike its older, Ferrari-driving, waiter-stiffing brother, Brunello, Rosso still has a soft heart. Rossos can be very showy wines, expressive without being flimsy, structured without being overly oaked. And at a third of the price of Brunello, they can actually be bought more than once a year. The Romitorio is a terrific example of what Rosso di Montalcino can do. While it was very clearly an Italian sangiovese with an earthy, tannic center, it also displayed pretty notes of blackberry and plums. With the salmon, the contrasts in richness and flavor were damned good. I was worried that this wine just wasn’t going to fit with the food, but just like the Flowbee, sometimes two things go together in ways you never would have thought of. Score.

Up next: burger battle. And no more alliteration, I promise.