We are always interested by new and interesting wine pairings and when a local sommelier invited several of The Vines team to attend a Cigar (puros in spanish) and sweet wine tasting we couldn’t resist. Given that I am not a smoker, not recreationally, not even the  “just-when-I-am slightly-inebriated” kind of smoker, I was a bit fearful – but it seemed safe since my cohorts told me we were not to inhale.

We started off with an interesting lecture about the history, the “must- have” accessories, as well as what the proper techniques are for smoking a cigar. After trying, ineptly, to handle the cigar cutters, we all had the perfect flat edge for which to light our cigars. (No, no one EVER bites off the end and spits it out apparently) For purists you should light a cedar stick, which will not impart synthetic aromas into the cigar. Then the idea, some of us were more successful than others, was to evenly light the cigar in a circle, creating an even ring of ash. If you were unsuccessful, you could cheat and use one of the lighters you see in romantic 30′s films, where Humphrey Bogart effortlessly with a flick of his wrist lights a cigarette with a debonair flair. Ok I digress.

We learned that if a cigar from Cuba has a plastic wrapping, it is machine made rather than hand rolled and that first and most important decision for choosing a cigar is how long you have to smoke it. There are also many correlations that can be made between cigars and fine wines. Just like wines there are several fermentation processes and there is a rating system that is applied to denote the quality with 4 fermentations being the ultimate or ultra premium. The cigars and leaves also need to be carefully handled, always maintaining the proper humidity to ensure the essential oils of the tobacco leaves are preserved.

Wikipedia states: Once rolled, the cigars are stored in wooden forms as they dry, in which their uncapped ends are cut to a uniform size. From this stage, the cigar is a complete product that can be “laid down” and aged for decades if kept as close to 21°C (70°F), and 70% relative humidity, as the environment will allow. Once cigars have been purchased, proper storage is usually accomplished by keeping the cigars in a specialized wooden box, or humidor, where conditions can be carefully controlled for long periods of time.

There are many different shapes, grades, and manufacturers of cigars and each, like wine, imparts different flavors and aromas. The cigars that we smoked were from the Dominican Republic, rolled by hand and were spicy at the beginning but mild and a bit seductive in the mouth. We paired it with a port style wine “Oportuno” made by Bodega Domaine St. Diego and longtime winemaker Angel Mendoza. The pairing was perfect accenting the delicate layers of tobacco and leather in the wine, highlighting the black fruit and smoothing the acidity so that it coated the mouth evenly and softly. To be honest, we were all a bit surprised by the lovely integration of aromas and flavors that took place. We then tried another late harvest wine, unlabeled, brought by the winery, which was not as complementary as the Oportuno, so there is an art to creating the perfect pairing just like with food.

So now when you look at all the beauties lying in your perfect cigar humidor, think about what the wine pairing should be as well, it will add a new dimension to your smoking pleasure.