Wine pairings show parallels between Old and New World

Master sommelier Patrick Okubo has selected wine from California and France to pair with the five-course lineup of the James Beard Foundation dinner.

Grape varieties grown in California are the same as those grown in France, he explained, and since the food is French-inspired, he wanted the wine to be as well.

“I’m trying to do an Old World/New World parallel,” Okubo explained.

He said the growing season is shorter in France than in California — “Flowers bloom later and grapes are harvested earlier” — so that wine from California, with its warmer temperatures, is more fruity and light. French wine, in comparison, “has more savory notes,” he said. “The earth shines through.”

He’s pairing the main course, Tournedos Rossini (beef fillets with foie gras, truffles and Madeira sauce), with a French syrah that boasts pepperiness, and rosemary and bacon-fat flavors.

“It plays off of the beef because you’d want to add rosemary and pepper to a beef fillet,” he said. “The savoriness of the French wine complements the savoriness of the beef fillet.”