Two wines with food

[Florida Jim]

Boiled shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce, Caesar salad and crusty rolls:

2006 Edmunds St. John, Gamay Rosé Bone Jolly:

As has been said many times here, this is a terrific rosé with fresh and intense raspberry/strawberry flavors, great acidity, a solid mineral backbone, and, best of all, its bone dry. I like it ice cold from the fridge and, depending on the weather, sometimes over ice. And its one of the very few wines in my cellar I will drink without food. In short, a very versatile wine.

I chose this bottle, with Diane’s help, mainly because of its cut and juicy flavors. Matching a spicy, horseradish based sauce is tough but we both felt that this would stand with it and not be so viscous as to cloy. Moreover, the horseradish would not be competing with lots of tannin or any kind of sweetness, whether RS or just the impression of sweetness left by alcohol or extraction (and while some spicy dishes are best served by a sweet or off-dry wine, I don’t think a horseradish based sauce is).

It worked about as well as I could have hoped because it refreshed the palate after the heat of the sauce, brought out the tomato flavors and was juicy enough to balance with the texture of the shrimp. And the fact that it was ice cold also helped offset the spice/heat.

This is a match we will both remember and likely extrapolate on with other spicy meals and certainly at times when horseradish is an ingredient in a dish. 13.2% alcohol and about $17; more than worth it.

Sautéed wild salmon (rare) with sautéed Portobello and truffle oil, and a side of fennel salad:

2004 Terres Dorées (J.P. Brun), Côte de Brouilly:

Much like Burgundy on the nose with black cherry, herb, mineral and cocoa tones; lightweight in the mouth but intense with flavors that echo the nose, good acidity, some tannin and the overall delivery softens with air; a dry, lasting finish. A high-toned wine that is a little disjointed but shows more complexity than at release.

I chose this because it is usually somewhat lighter than most of Brun’s other Beaujolais and the fish was to be done very simply. And although the wine did show that lightness, it never quite matched as the salmon/mushroom mix was earthy, rich and smooth but the wine seemed hollow when tasted with it and its flavors were jarring. I can’t figure exactly why this failed, especially since the wine was very pinot-esque but this is not a pairing I would repeat. Apart, both the wine and the food were agreeable.

12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $20 on release; I’d buy it again.

(Aside: the last several times we’ve had salmon with red wine (mostly pinot) I have begun to think that white wine may be a better choice. Something that might be closer in texture, say an aged chardonnay or fleshy new world sauvignon. I’ll try one of those next time. Suggestions?)

Best, Jim

[Rebel Rose]

I am now jonesing for some chilled rose' with boiled prawns, Ceasar salad and a crusty roll. What a simple but uplifting combination for summer weather.

I usually enjoy pinot with salmon, especially if the dish involves sundried tomatoes, wild rice, mushrooms, truffle oil or other earthy elements. I have discovered, however, that pinots with a mineralesque or gravelly finish do not go with those flavors and give me that "hollow" tasting experience you described. I'm not a fan of super-extracted Calipinot, but perhaps something not that far out? Just a little more muscular, like an Arcadian perhaps?

[Florida Jim]

. . . like an Arcadian perhaps?

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You know, I've never tasted one . . . and I hear such great things about them.

BTW, since you were kind enough to respond, what would you think about a white Rhone wine?

Best, Jim

[Rebel Rose]

I frequently serve a viognier or viognier/roussanne blend with salmon. Always a good choice, esepecially with salad. I make a mango/peach salsa with a mild kick that is great with salmon, and a slightly chilled Rhone white is a good pairing for that combination.

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I forgot to add tadik to my list of earthy things served with salmon. Salmon and basmati tadik are definitely a pinot noir moment, in my book.