Odd Pair: Strawberry Shortcake and Sauternes

• Well, in my view I'd rather get technical and pedantic if I'm calling someone out for incorrect information. So if you're going to pick nits and be a nerd, do it right. Don't foster continuing bad information about wine production it really annoys educators like myself that work really hard to make the public more open to wine and it's different styles.

• Yes, I know the partial dessication of Sauternes grapes is caused by botrytis, I just didn't want to be overly pedantic/technical; wasn't relevant to the distinction with fortified wines.

• Roast Chicken. Or fried chicken, think chicken and waffles. Try it, it's gorgeous Sauternes goes with a lot of different foods. Salty cured hams, stinky cheese, spicy foods. Sauternes particularly likes Habanero & Chipolte peppers.

• Well I'll pick some more, it's not "raisin-ed" either. The grapes are affected by a specific fungus, Botrytis cinerea that rots them on the vine without affecting the acid levels in the grape. Which grapes that are "raisin-ed" lose. It's a natural desiccant process instead of a raisin process such as used for Amarone, where Botrytis is discouraged and in Bordeaux Sauternes cannot be made unless the grapes are affected by the fungus. If the fungus doesn't attach itself to the grapes, a dry wine is made under the name Bordeaux AOC. Sorry to be so pedantic, but it's not cool to openly correct someone and still not have the accurate info.

• Atkinson farms is selling some of the freshest, juiciest strawberries in town right now. I grab them up every time I hit the farmers market.

• Not to pick nits, but Sauternes is not, strictly speaking, fortified. It's made from partially raisin-ed fruit, which results in a higher sugar concentration so that when the wine achieves the highest alcohol level the yeast can withstand, there's still some residual sugar left over. A fortified wine (such as port) is one that has some distilled alcohol added to stop the fermentation process prior to all the sugar being converted into alcohol.

• Lol. I use the same loophole!

• How is this an "odd pair?" What else would you serve sauternes with except for a fruit-based dessert... or pate foie gras?

• My new favorite food picture.

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