Lets hear your wine food matchup story that didnt work?

Last Saturday a group of us got together and amidst the dishes prepared, the host cooked a terrific smoked duck breat (2 from Costco $60 Cdn). Stirfry vegetables and rice.
The wine initially chosen was the 1998 Barolo Segfesio La Villa.Decant one hour, 36 months in oak.Excellent wine but tad too old for the duck.Not a show stopper with this food. Aromatic, roses, tar, medium length but still showing mature earthy tones.
Overpowered the food which was a pity. Thought the lighter style of the Silver Wines I Ttre Figli was a better match as well as a 2005 Grand Mayne from St. Emilion.
Any thoughts or sim stories?

[David M. Bueker]

I haven’t been terribly specific about food/wine matching in a long time. My big pairing hurdle is about spice/heat. More than a few times I have misjudged the balance and had to either switch to a richer wine (e.g., grab an Auslese rather than the expected Spätlese) or go the other way when something didn’t turn out as hot as expected. That happens a lot with our takeout Thai place, as “medium” is quite variable.

Like David it's usually about misjudging spice heat. Recently I thought white Burg sounded like a good match with carrot risotto - I missed the part where is was carrot risotto with chili crisp.
I also remember thinking Beaujolais would be good with salmon burgers (I like Gamay with salmon, I like Gamay with burgers). but turned out the burgers had a lot of dill AND were topped with a spicy cucumber/onion/arugula topping (I should have done rose or bubbly - wait, maybe rose bubbly!).
Surprised by a 1998 Barolo being too old, but guess Seghesio was pretty modernista at that point.

To be honest I do not think a younger Barolo would work at all with the duck

[David M. Bueker]

I suspect the problem was the “smoked” not the duck or the Barolo.

I suspect the problem was the “smoked” not the duck or the Barolo.

Yeah, my go to with most smoked foods is an assertive white wine. Low-octane Gewurztraminer, Muscat and off-dry Rieslings I find are some of the best choices.

I suspect the problem was the “smoked” not the duck or the Barolo.

Yeah, my go to with most smoked foods is an assertive white wine. Low-octane Gewurztraminer, Muscat and off-dry Rieslings I find are some of the best choices.

I agree. With most duck dishes, Barolo would be fine, IMO.

I have had quite a few mismatches in recent memory, the most recent of which two days ago was a normally very enjoyable Domaine Pothiers Gamay from the Côte Roannaise with stuffed chicken and asparagus. It was already a bit too tangy and acidic to be ideal with the chicken and very much more unsuitable for the asparagus. I had to intersperse a mouthful of chicken after the asparagus for the wine to taste acceptable.

Pumpkin doesn't drink much wine so I end up not having much wine with dinner with him. When I'm alone, I pick the wine first and then put some appropriate food on the table. If I fail at that then typically I just get a dull pairing -- the wine and the food have nothing to say to each other -- rather than anything overtly bad.

However, I recall an occasion, early in my wino-hood, that I ordered up a plate of calamari fritti, hot, salty, red sauce in a cup, and a glass of Rosso di Montalcino.

Do not ever do this to yourself. The first sip after the first bite will plaster the entire inside of your mouth with tin can and overripe fruit and it will not come off for hours, no matter what else you eat or drink.

... then typically I just get a dull pairing -- the wine and the food have nothing to say to each other -- rather than anything overtly bad...

Yes, I think most of us on this site have been doing this for so long that we're unlikely to serve anything truly horrible. The worst it gets is something that isn't great synergy.

[Jenise]

Friends formed a monthly wine tasting group and the first time one of the other couples hosted, the theme was cabernet franc and the wife made shrimp risotto for their dinner. One of the worst matches ever, as one could imagine, made even worse by the fact that it was some housewife shortcut/hack that was just a stiff cheesy rice with shrimp in it. The hostess had no idea what real risotto was.

I really don't have many fails. Not every match is as good as the last, but like all of you I know enough to avoid tragic errors.

No horror stories

Most of the wine I have is there because I like it. For new ones I haven't tasted I bought them because I thought I'd like them, and from their description have them with food I think will go well.

Over the (many years) I have certain go-to wines for certain dishes.

I think it's one of the things new drinkers have to work out themselves, i.e. what they prefer to drink with a dish, but it's no big deal. We (enthusiasts) make too much of it.

On my many Viking river cruises I see many people drinking CocaCola with every dish. They don't consider whether it matches.