Pairing The Perfect Dish With Your Décor Style

The design of a room can largely impact how we experience a space, making the interior design crucial to its ambiance. Similar to the design of a room, the design of a dish can do wonders for how we experience and enjoy our food. We wanted to show you how to elevate your senses by pairing the perfect dish with your decor style. HomeFest, GTA’s newest festival-style home show launching this November in collaboration with Chef & Somm – Toronto’s only bespoke private chef and sommelier service – has put together a list of 2018’s common décor styles with a perfect dish and wine pairing to represent how the design of your home can influence your palate and vice versa.

No matter the size of your space, we want to ensure that your next dinner party has all the right vibes that will work off each other seamlessly.

Rustic / Farmhouse & Seasonal Vegetables Stuffed with Lamb

A rustic aesthetic is fundamentally rooted in nature, so naturally, the perfect dish will be fresh from the farm. A mixture of seasonal greens and vegetables stuffed with ground lamb and the untouched carrots with the leaves kept on brings out the untouched rustic edge from farm to table. A wine as natural as a wine can be — pair this meal with Leaning Post, The Natural, Unfiltered Gamay Noir, Ontario 2016. Rustic in the winemaking techniques yet refined in flavour.

Urban Modern & Deconstructed Black Forest Cake

Urban modern is a combination of minimalist, glamorous chic, and edgy experimental designs in a 21st-century setting. This contemporary, artistic design is a smart approach if you’re dealing with small spaces, opening up the room with a fresh feel. With its classic and modern twist, deconstructed black forest cake is the perfect pairing. As for wine, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Leone Rosso Orcia, Italy 2015 is the way to go. The wine is made with traditional Italian grapes, and the winemaker herself is a woman — a fairly modern concept in itself, as women winemakers were not accepted until fairly recently. Both the fruitiness of the Merlot and the low tannins of the wine makes it a great pairing with black forest cake.

Industrial & Falafel, Hummus and Tabbouleh

A rustic and mature style with a modern flare is both reflected in industrial décor and Chef Liebman’s dish. Falafel and hummus were foods of the working class in the Mediterranean, with the dark colour of falafel reminiscent of the exposed brick typically seen in industrial décor. Pair with Back 10 cellar Chardonnay, Beamsville, Ontario, 2015. Chardonnay is the most widespread and the most common grape variety in the world; working beautifully with the oiliness of the falafel and the spices of the tabbouleh.

Shabby Chic & Chocolate and Pistachio Dessert

Pistachio and mascarpone cream, milk chocolate whipped ganache and sable — this dish, along with the shabby chic design, both feature a soft, pastel colour palette with an elegantly chic finish. Similar to the variety that goes on with shabby chic, there is an abundance of flavours running through your palate with this dish, and somehow both the room and the dish come together cohesively. Now for the wine: Pair this with Château Doisy-Védrines 2004, Sauternes, France. The label designed for Sauternes wines usually has quite a vintage, “shabby chic” style. It is a classic, sweet wine that beautifully depicts the wear and tear of time (much like shabby chic décor), as this wine will only get better with age.

Scandinavian & Buttermilk Sorbet with Fruit

A simple, fresh, minimalistic feeling — both buttermilk sorbet topped with fruit and the Scandinavian design features simple grey and white tones with small pops of accent colours. According to recent research by travel giant Booking.com, Scandinavian simplicity is one of the top three-holiday interior trends that inspires Canadian travelers to redecorate back at home, and for good reason. This softly pairs with Moulin Touchais 1997, Loire Valley, France. A sweet wine with mango and guava flavours. This wine has a very modest and clean approach to its label, design, and flavor.

Guest Post: Tianna Goguen