Food and Wine Pairings

[Cook456]

I'm well aware that asparagus is not wine friendly.  I will go with the Australian Gruner Vetliner  and a Zinfandel for the rest of the meal

asparagus salad

manicotti  ( we're italian)

Leg of lamb roasted with lemon jiuce, baby artichokes and yukon gold potatoes ( no garlic)

Fava beans sauteed with prosciutto, garlic and mint

Easter wheat pie

←

Austrian gruner veltliner. This is one of my favorite wines, if you see any schloss gobbelsburg produced snap it up, its great.

←

"Austrian..not Australian"

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be sure to look for it.

Edited April 6, 2007 by Cook456 (log)

[Cook456]

Thanks to all for your help!

[russ parsons]

i think to a certain extent asparagus' reputation is overblown. it's true i've never hit a home-run with asparagus, but it's not as tough as artichokes. the trick is getting a wine with good acidity, which seem to be in short supply today. last weekend i served a big platter of jumbo asparagus by itself as an appetizer, steamed just until tender and then marinated in a vinaigrette. I served it with a good high-acid Riesling (German--dr loosen), and a good high-acid Gewurtz (Mendocino--Navarro). i thought both worked well.

[Cook456]

I've served Dr Loosen with artichokes and it seemed to be fine.

[JohnL]

i think to a certain extent asparagus' reputation is overblown. it's true i've never hit a home-run with asparagus, but it's not as tough as artichokes. the trick is getting a wine with good acidity, which seem to be in short supply today. last weekend i served a big platter of jumbo asparagus by itself as an appetizer, steamed just until tender and then marinated in a vinaigrette. I served it with a good high-acid Riesling (German--dr loosen), and a good high-acid Gewurtz (Mendocino--Navarro). i thought both worked well.

←

I agree. In fact, I believe the whole food and wine pairing issue is overblown. One rarely eats a big bowl of plain asparagus. They usually are a side dish or are part of a singular dish/appetizer/starter such as prepared with a vinaigrette or sauce and/or wrapped in prosciutto or with crumbled bleu cheese etc. finding a wine that will not obliterate or be obliterated by the asparagus dish really isn't that difficult.

I also think that the food and wine pairing issue is often forced. There are plenty of foods that simply work better with beer or sake or sherries etc. utilizing one of these beverages is often pleasantly suprising and satisfying.

You are correct IMOP-in looking for a white with "acidity." However many wines can have relative high acidity and yet not work because that acidity is balanced by other attributes. I usually note that a white should be "crisp." I disagree that it is difficult to find wines with "good acidity" these days. There are lots of them available from many different varietals and blends.

[MattJohnson]

I also think that the food and wine pairing issue is often forced. There are plenty of foods that simply work better with beer or sake or sherries etc. utilizing one of these beverages is often pleasantly suprising and satisfying.

←

I agree completely. I also find that its fun to go this route because its a bit unexpected for your guests and can be a welcome surprise. A local wine store I go to had a sherry open once and I was shocked how good it was. I had thought it was mainly used for cooking prior to this. I always keep it in the back of my mind as an option. I don't know if it is customary, but I thought it would be great slightly chilled with some grilled shrimp/seafood - but that may be crazy taboo omg i can't believe you'd drink it that way you freak. YMMV.

I lived in Japan for a 1.5 years and discovered that I like beer with most Japanese food rather than sake. Just seems right to me. Sake on the other hand I like to enjoy by itself.

[Brad Ballinger]

I realize this is after-the-fact, but for whatever future reference this may provide. . . I also had to pair a wine with a chilled asparagus and roasted bell pepper appetizer/salad drizzled with blood orange vinaigrette. I served a Vouvray Demi-Sec that went very well.

[Rebel Rose]

This week the San Francisco Chronicle presents a trio of articles on matching Indian wines with food:

On selecting wines to pair with Indian food:

The Chronicle Pairing Guide: The Spice is Right, written by SF columnist and eG Society member Jon Bonne

It will not be found with Gewurztraminer. That varietal's spicy profile can work every now and then, but it usually collides with the nuances of Indian food. Almost every Indian dish begins with a blend of spices, so our challenge was to find out which spices warm up to which wines.

A list of SF Chronicle wine selections:

Wines to Pair with Indian Food

And a list of Wine-Friendly Indian Restaurants in the SF area.

[MattJohnson]

That was a great article Rebel. Thanks for posting it. I would have loved to experience that tasting.

[Don Giovanni]

White Merlot 4% RS will go with a nice spicy food...

[nikkib]

Thai wine goes nicely with Indian food too as it tends to work well with the spices, Monsoon Valley is a very cheap and chearful easy drinking label. Interestingly i also tried some Chinese Wine recently, couldn't tell you the grape varierties unfortunately but both white and red had a weird hubba bubba after taste! An experience but not worth repeating.

[bobferdon]

Thai wine goes nicely with Indian food too as it tends to work well with the spices, Monsoon Valley is a very cheap and chearful easy drinking label. Interestingly i also tried some Chinese Wine recently, couldn't tell you the grape varierties unfortunately but both white and red had a weird hubba bubba after taste! An experience but not worth repeating.

←

Commercial Post...

Sula Wines - India - Sold in the USA

[augustine]

I recently had some Niepoort's Tiara which I think may be a world beater when it comes to complimenting spicy food. The Tiara started out as a portugese Riesling but I think it has ended up in pinot blanc slightly gewurtz territory. Nobody with me enjoyed but I got really carried away with it, perhaps it was the balls in trying to produce a portugese riesling.

[Raj Banerjee]

Greetings,

To add my tuppence to the general discussion, whilst I agree with most of what has been said regarding pairing Indian food with wine...the honest answer has to be that, in general, wine simply doesnt work with Indian food. Neither does beer, not from the point of view of matching tastes.

The synergy between wine and food is complex and multi-faceted. Ppl far smarter than me can get into discussions ranging from "if it grows together, it grows together" to comparing GC-MS profiles of different wines and therefore what foods they are likely to pair with on a chemical-matching level.

However, whilst some wines may "hit" with Indian food, I have to reiterate that overall, pairing one with the other is unlikely to enhance ones enjoyment of either. Same goes for beer. Traditionally, in my household and where my family is from in India, only water is taken with meals, and that too usually after the meal is finished, so as not to occupy space that could be filled with food!

Hope your party went/goes well!

Raj

[dabstar]

I've been challenged to pair wine with a four course menu a chef friend of mine is preparing in a couple of days.

I'm having troubles with the second starter which will be porridge of oats with a piece of (probably) grilled sea bass or similar fish.

I'm normally work with pairing beer and food and my wine knowledge is limited.

With beer i'd definetely go with something dark. Either a Schwarzbeer or a light Porter with significant bitterness..

But with wine i'm a little lost. I'm thinking maybe a nice Pinot Gris/Grigio for the mineral flavor and acidity or maybe trying a good very light champagne.

Any other comments or suggestions?

Thanks,

David

[MattJohnson]

I'll start with a disclaimer that I'm no where near as experienced as some of the other regulars here, but I'll give you what my thinking would be.

I'd try to find a white that can stand up to the porridge in terms of mouthfeel, but have enough acidity/fruit/mineral to contrast. Perhaps an unoaked/lightly oaked chard? A Burgundy perhaps?

Is that offbase?

Edited August 17, 2007 by MattJohnson (log)

[Florida Jim]

David,

I'm stumped.

I have never had a dish that remotely resembles the one you're describing and I have not the faintest idea what I'd try with it.

But please, tell us how it works out, no matter what you choose.

Best, Jim

[MattJohnson]

I had the same thought, Jim. But when they are throwing strikes, go out swinging, I say. I'd be interested in hearing more about the meal when its done too.

[StevenC]

I'm similarly stumped, but just talking off the top of my head...

Maybe a slightly oaked, richer example of a Chardonnay from a warm-weather climate, perhaps from Sicily or (be careful about too much oak) California or Australia, or even the Maconnais? The grilled sea bass would be rich, and (I'm assuming) the oatmeal would be creamy from starch; the butteriness of the Chardonnay might complement both. As for flavors, the slight oakiness would help the wine to stand up to the smoke from the grill, and the vanilla and tropical fruit flavors might go well with the oatmeal.

Again, just a shot in the dark...

[MelissaH]

Here's a question: why not pair the dish with beer? Especially if you have something in mind that you believe to be perfect?

Oh, and welcome to eG, dabstar!

MelissaH

[toweringpine]

I agree with Melissa. If you have a great beer in mind then go with it. Wine has long held dominance in pairings with food but it is time to let beer shine in its own right. Maybe go with wines for the rest of the courses but take this opportunity to indroduce the concept of good beer with good food.

[dockhl]

(An oatmeal stout?)

[dabstar]

Thanks all for your suggestions.

MelissaH: As I normally work with beer it would be a no-brainer to match it with beer. But it is part of a challenge to test my wine-pairing skills.

Jim and Others: I can understand your "Stumpedness" but I'm from Copenhagen, Denmark where neo-Nordic food is the big hit and we actually have several gourmet restaurants who would serve something similar: Noma and the newly opened Geranium whose headchef is the bocuse d'or '07 runner up Rasmus Kofoed. Rasmus Kofoed is know for his many porridges made with different cerals (Cream of wheat, oatmeal and many many more)

But thanks again for all your suggestion. I'm on my way out the door to my local wine store to see what they have and i'll let you know it works out.

David

[jackal10]

I'd agree with Pinot Gris - a nice Alsace one.

With Oatmeal Porrdge Whisky is traditional. Usually there is cream or butter involved - what is the sauce?

Are you sure the porridge is wet? It would be more usual to coat the fish with the dry oats instead of crumbs and then shallow fry it, so the fish is the major component and the oats minor. In which case any good white winem and back to a nice Alsace Pinot Gris...

[jayt90]

A sturdy, nuanced riesling, such as Penflold's McClaren Vale, or Annie's Lane, will hold up to the creamy but somewhat fishy dish.