Andrea Immer Dumbs Down

Generally speaking, I like Andrea Immer. She's approachable, friendly, smiles a lot, and makes wine exploration fun.

But from time to time, she dumbs things down on her Fine Living show that really surprise me.

For example, on a recent show on dessert wines and spirits, she tried to tell us that the "best" pairing with dark chocolate desserts is vintage port. But really, I challenge anyone who's paired a lush Banyuls with chocolate to agree with her.

Now, you might be thinking that Banyuls is too far off the traditional beaten path for her to cover, but in this show she covered everything from Sauternes (Chateau d'Yquem, no less) to Tokaji. Plus, she and her mentor spent a good 30 seconds talking about the contrast between malic and tartaric acids -- it's doesn't get more geeky or technical than that.

So why, Ms. Immer? Why didn't you bring the gastronomic equivalent of le petit mort to your audience?

Tags: Wine, Food & Drink, Andrea Immer, Dessert, Fine Living, Sauternes

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Comments

[sam]

I caught one of her shows the other day. You aren't wrong when you say she smiles a lot. I like the way she seems slightly uneasy in her tv roll - it makes her seem human, like one of us.

I like port and chocolate
i like banyuls and chocolate even more
i like brachetto and chocolate
AND
my latest discovery is a red sparkling sweet gamay from the savoyard region of france. It is good with chocolate too. It's just yummy.

Maybe she'll get onto some of these other more interesting choices in the next series?

you simply HAVE to come to our new local wine bar, yield and try it out.
we should get alder to come over too, I think you winos might quite like it.

the wine bar i mean - you don't have to drink the gamay, there are other good choices to be had too.

check out their wine menu here:

http://www.yieldsf.com/inside/wine_list.html

[Amy]

I love The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook. It goes into great detail about which wines pair with which desserts and sweet ingredients. It pairs Bayuls with chocolate, cherry, plum, and toasted nuts.