As a sommelier, I am constantly confronting dilemmas of pairing. Involved in this is the unvanquished sense that it is my duty to come up with some novel, unexpected or obscure pairing. “How about a glass of Mondeuse with your Ginger Beef?”   This notion, of course, is complete garbage: it is my duty to come up with functional pairings — pairings that make both the food and the wine function together, that make them elevate one another — regardless of whether the variety is uncommon and the dish is from a region that isn’t (yet) known for quality wine production.

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Sommeliering is, without a doubt, a sensory discipline, but it’s also more intellectual than one might assume. By intellectual, I don’t mean to paint the picture of some old codger sitting in front of the brazier and pontificating on the merits of a glass of ancient Claret from his birth year with his chap, Anselm. I mean that in order to pair effectively, you have to not only understand what’s on the plate and in the glass, but also the origins of each.

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Here we come to the question of regionality. Let me say first that there is no doubt in my mind that certain wines show terroir . But how does the terroir that is exhibited in wine make its mark on food? Does traditionally made goat cheese from the Loire Valley taste different than traditionally made goat cheese from Sonoma, and if so will a terroir-driven Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc necessarily be a better pairing for chevre than a terroir-driven Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc?

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It was recently suggested to me by a cheese maker that chevre pairs so beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc because both contain methoxypyrazine, the chemical compound that gives goat cheese its funky tang and Sauvignon Blanc its aromas of “cat’s pee” and green pepper. I have no idea if the two are in any way connected — I’m no scientist — but in the midst of telling me this, the cheese maker pointed to his Billy goat, who was in rut, and who happened to be peeing on his own Billy goat beard. A life of wine leads one to great heights. Mr. Cheese explained that this is part of the mating ritual, and that soon the female goats would be contributing to Billy’s yellow beard. Weird. I wonder what happens to the grapes . . .

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Ahem. OK, done with the potty talk — you may peel fingers off eyes and out of ears. Thanks.

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There are inherent similarities between things grown in the same place.

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While it may be easy to poke holes this statement, it is difficult to deny that Nebbiolo does wonders for the wild game and truffles that live in and around the Piemontese vineyard. It’s exceedingly difficult to find a better pairing for oysters than Muscadet. This may have more to do with the way tradition dictates what we eat and drink, and in what combination, but whatever you chalk it up to, there are regional pairings that have become etched in our collective gastronomic conscience.

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So what are sommeliers doing when they suggest a particular wine with a particular dish? Think they’ve tasted every dish with every wine they pair with it? Nary a chance, unless they are pouring the wine by the glass or have a foolishly massive wine budget. They are, most likely, thinking at least about whether the wine was produced in a way that reflects the traditions of the region — likewise for the dish, and if not, then considering how the wine and the cuisine varies from that tradition. There are certainly considerations that may be affected by things other than regionality — acid, tannin, fruit, alcohol, etc. in conjunction with proteins, fats, spices, sweetness, saltiness and something called umami (all of which may be greatly altered by winemaker or chef), but behind it all is the idea that the flavors and aromas of what we eat and drink are largely determined by what the food and wine is nourished on (which brings to mind a host of additional considerations, not the least of which is the micro-climate in which these things are grown).

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Don’t get me wrong — I am anything but a traditionalist, and I believe that there are plenty of traditions, such as the Spanish proclivity for oxidized white wines (outside of Sherry), that have been broken for good reason, and to great effect. And I’m also all for pairing wine with food from regions that have no wine making tradition — I ran a wine program at a Vietnamese restaurant, and have memories of rich claypots paired with perfectly balanced (and equally rich) ausleses that will last a lifetime.

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I am sure there is someone at Geisenheim or UC Davis who has studied the question of regionality in reference to how food and wine pairing works at great length and has more specific and more scientifically sound things to say than I have here. So bring it.

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I’m just sayin . . .