Looking to celebrate a lucky hand or a big payout with a nice meal and a great wine? We make it easy to select the perfect 
bottle, no
matter what’s on the menu.
Once it was simple to pick a wine for your meal. Enjoying a nice cut of steak? Pair it with a red, such as a Zinfandel or maybe a Cabernet. Eating seafood? Go with a nice Chardonnay. But over the past few decades, the American palette has grown more sophisticated, and our awareness of the broad range of quality wines has deepened. Today, we enjoy a wider variety of great ethnic cuisines, as well as more subtly flavored foods. Our casual familiarity with wine has matured into a more intimate and complex relationship—and that’s better for everyone. But this does make it a bit more difficult when you’re deliberating over a 300-bottle wine list.
What we hear from experts and sommeliers today
sounds more like suggestions than hard-and-fast
rules. That said, there are some simple guidelines.
For instance, when serving more than one wine,
start with lighter-bodied selections. Delicate foods
tend to go better with delicate wines, yet spicy
dishes often play well with their opposites, such
as sweet dessert wines. Finally, as a rule, there
are no rules: Just experiment, and you’ll
discover what most appeals to you.
If you find yourself celebrating
with friends and family at Council
Oak Steaks & Seafood, the flagship
restaurant at Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino in both Tampa and
Hollywood, you can make your great
meal even better with the perfect wine.
After all, Council Oak recently received<
the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Follow our easy tips for wine pairing, prepared
with the help of Dave Miller, senior vice president
of operations for Seminole Gaming.
Still can’t decide? “My rule is drink what you
like,” Miller says. “That’s what I do, and that’s what
I recommend. Wine is all about enjoying.”
GOOD GRAPES
WINE PAIRINGS Perfect partners for your favorite foods.
COUNCIL OAKS CRAB CAKES
Robert Mondavi FumÉ Blanc, Napa
Pine Ridge Crimson Creek Merlot, Napa
“Our crab cakes come with a mustard sauce, and you want the wine to stand up to the rich taste.
The Fumé Blanc is aged in oak and has a strong character and structure. The Merlot is a softer red,
so it won’t be overpowered easily. In some ways, the red makes a more exciting pairing.”
OZZIE’S SPINACH SALAD
Jekel Vineyards Winemakers Collection
Riesling,
California
Sauvion Rosé d’Anjou, Loire Valley
“The Riesling is offdry, so it will drink a little sweeter but will balance against the dressing
with its acidity. The Rosé d’Anjou from France has a little sweetness and a little acidity also
that will pair nicely with the cherries in the salad.”
BROILED FLORIDA GROUPER
Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay, California
La Crema Pinot Noir, Los Carneros
“You need a richer wine to stand up to the grouper, and this Chardonnay is the top
of the mark, with lots of fruit and acidity that matches a meaty fish. The Pinot Noir is
fruity and very dry but not overly structured, so it won’t overpower the fish.”
LONG BONE COWBOY RIBEYE
Mumm Napa, DVX Carlos Santana Reserve
Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Syrah, Napa
“When’s the right time to drink champagne? Before, during, and after every meal! The DVX has lots of fruit and body, and the carbonation helps it stand up to a good piece of meat. For a red, this Petite Syrah is full-bodied enough to go head-to-head with the caramelized meat flavor.”
COUNCIL OAK 151 VOLCANO DESSERT
Peter Lehmann Semillon, Australia
Graham’s Six Grapes Porto, Portugal
“With all that sugar in the ice cream, you need a wine with plenty of sugar as well, and the Semillon also has the acidity to cut through all that sweetness. And the port, of course, will match wonderfully with the chocolate in the volcano.”
