Search for the perfect match

The dish seemed basic enough: thin fillets of petrale sole accompanied by a fennel, watercress and grapefruit salad.

The pairings, however, were all over the map - literally.

Joanna Breslin chose a Viognier from Eventide Cellar in South Africa. Philippe Gardelle chose an Alsatian Gewurztraminer. And Paul Einbund? He chose a Belgian beer.

The three were among six sommeliers and wine directors asked to participate in The Chronicle Wine department’s pairing challenge. Their task was simple - each was to take a recipe created by Chronicle Pairings columnist Lynne Char Bennett, and come up with what they believed to be the best matches for that dish. Three got the fish, and the second group of three got Pork & Mustard Stroganoff. The contestants were limited to two bottles each - one “safe bet” and a more unexpected choice - and each was to be under $40 retail. On a recent Tuesday, the six contestants came in two separate shifts to The Chronicle for a blind tasting, armed with wine totes, paper bags and chilled bottles.

Two dishes, six sommeliers and 12 wines. A panel of Chronicle judges - including Wine Editor Jon Bonné, Executive Food and Wine Editor Michael Bauer and Bennett - would determine the winners.

The stage was officially set.

The participants are among the Bay Area’s top sommeliers. On a daily basis, they change and develop wine lists based on their restaurants’ menus. With incredibly fine-tuned palates, they spend hours each day tasting wines against the dozens of dishes that emerge from their kitchens.

Read the entire article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/29/WIBTV6ICF.DTL