Meet Eduardo Rosales, who has been a sommelier on the m/s Paul Gauguin for the past five years. Each voyage he provides guests with suggested wine pairings that bring out the best flavors of the meal and enriches the dining experience. Here is a list of Eduardo’s wine pairing tips.

PGC:          Describe a typical day for a sommelier aboard The Gauguin.
Eduardo:   Every day, I make sure I provide five-star wine service to our guests, offering and suggesting wines that best complement their meal.

PGC:          What questions do you ask to help guests make their selections?
Eduardo:   The most common question is a simple one: what wine complements their meal best.

PGC:          What wines pair well with moonfish, wahoo, and other fish dishes?
Eduardo:   With moonfish, I highly recommend Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It has dry, crisp, light, and fresh character that best suits the firm texture of the fish. Puligny Montrachet goes well with wahoo.

PGC:          What wines pair well with meats such as steak, lamb, and chicken?
Eduardo:   For all meat selections, like steak and lamb, and even chicken, I recommend a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or a great Bordeaux, as the richness of the wine and its tannins can stand up to the full flavor of the meat.

PGC:          What wines pair well with pasta dishes?
Eduardo:   For pasta with light sauce, I recommend Pinot Grigio from Italy. For heavy cream sauces, I go for a heavy Chardonnay from California.

PGC:          During Heiva (Polynesia Night), what wines do you suggest to complement the special Tahitian menu?
Eduardo:   Premier Chablis or a 100 percent Chardonnay goes really well with broiled lobster. For beef, I suggest a heavy red wine like Tignanello from Italy, and for grilled wahoo, a beautiful Sancerre Generation from Loire Valley, France, creates a wonderful pairing.

PGC:          What’s your personal favorite dish and pairing aboard The Gauguin?
Eduardo:   My favorite menu selection would be the degustation menu from La Veranda, because of the unique and authentic French-style preparation. Seared foie gras and tuna sashimi go well with a glass of Chateau d’Yquem or a sweet wine. For escargots and mushrooms, a beautiful Sancerre Tuileres will make the difference. For roast lamb fennel moussiline, I’d suggest a glass of full-bodied Chateau Figeac 2nd Growth. Poulliy Fuisse from Burgundy, France, is the best accompaniment to our grilled mahi mahi. A glass of Champagne is perfect for any Dessert. That sums up the degustation menu dinner on board!

A smorgasbord of Eduardo’s suggestions:

To learn more about the dining experiences aboard The Gauguin, please click here.