Difficult food/wine matches

[Joanbunting Profile]

It is a fact that certain foods - even quite luxurious dishes - are notoriously difficult to match with wine(or anything drinks come to that)

My list would include eggs, anything with vinegar and, most disturbing at the moment, asparagus.
Chocolate and acid fruits come to mind next.

Tonight I am making what should, in theory, be death to any wine - an asparagus tart. Eggs and asparagus in one dish.

M has just put two white wines in the fridge so we can have a bit of an experiment. One a Sylvaner from Alsace (my usual choice for asparagus) and the other last years white from our nearest wine maker - traditional southern whites grapes but made in a modern way.

How do you match wines to food? Any suggestions? Do you rely on the folk in the supermarket/wine merchant?

Perhaps it would be an idea to have a thread like this so anyone with problems/questions could ask for help/ideas/suggestions?

[cooksalot Profile]

Hi Joan, how did you get on with your wine choice for the asparagus tart?
I agree about vinegar and wine. We generally have our salad after the main course, which helps. Americans often have salad as a starter - does that kill the palate for wine with the main course? Curry (and other spicy food) can be tricky with wine. I find that a sweeter wine (like a white Zinfandel) can work but usually beer, soft drink or just good old water works best.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Many years ago, Safeway(remember them?) did an inexpensive dry Gewurztraminer from Germany

My wine of choice for many spicy foods - light, easy drinking, just the right amount of bite, I haven't really managed to replace it

I don't find eggs such a huge issue for my personal taste, but then there are meals with which I drink wine, and meals that are largely egg, and they don't really overlap much, and for asparaus I tend to go for new world sauvignon or dry semillon or even the South African Chenin Blancs

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Sue.

Yes I remember Safeway - still using the Doulton plates Mum and I collected using tokens from our weekly shop!!

We often serve an Alsatian pinot gris with spicy food, offering beer as an alternative.

Hi Cooksalot.

We thought both went quite well but the local white was rather better. The other day at a friends house he served a vigonier with asparagus and hollandaise sauce - didn't float my boat.

Chocolate?

In the "olden" days I always went for Brown Bros orange muscat and flora - light and lovely. These days I red vin doux from Rasteau more of a kick but wonderful.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I'm with Hugh Johnson, the great wine writer - why drink wine with chocolate? Coffee or rum goes so much better!

If pushed, mavrodaphne or the heavier tawny ports

[Tatihou Profile]

Many years ago, Safeway(remember them?) did an inexpensive dry Gewurztraminer from Germany

I'm a Gewurtztraminer and Tokay Pinot Gris fan for a lot of foods. Often Reisling too. I think they are very versatile - but I go for full-bodied reds in the right circs and find that the dryer, more elegant whites just don't have enough personality to go with the very well-flavoured foods I tend to cook.

Around here - and I think we've discussed this before, Joan - a surprising number of people happily drink a lighter, dry red with desserts. I think the combination is horrible but hey...

For a rich, chocolatey dessert, especially a cold one, I don't think a cup of strong, good quality coffee can be beaten. The combination of hot, cold, sweet and bitter is wonderful. Imo. However, and to keep it local to me, for alcohol I'd probably serve a glass of chilled Pommeau.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pommeau

[Joanbunting Profile]

Today I had lunch guests.

I made what I make about once a year for the main course - Phil Vichery's Strips of beef with asparagus and black bean sauce.

M and I pondered, as we usually do, but ended up with one of the top of the range reds from our local co-op. A classic Ventoux it worked wonderfully - so relieved!

Here's their site - even if you don't read French you can see where we live and how interesting the wine is - a million miles away from our first visits (1980) when the wine was fairly dire and was distributed from petrol-type pumps into ancient demi-johns

http://www.sylla.fr/

[jeral Profile]

I have my favourites, usually red, although I wouldn't argue with a white Macon if I could get it these days. As an anecdote, I asked for red which I was asked to taste. (It was OK, i.e. not corked.) It was offered around the table of 12 and one diner said, "No thanks, I saw her face when she tasted it!" Should stop wearing heart on sleeve and keep a poker face.

My response was that perhaps it needed to breathe... Some do of course. - and not just by having poured it into a glass Temperature is a whole other ballgame...

[Joanbunting Profile]

I have my favourites, usually red, although I wouldn't argue with a white Macon if I could get it these days. As an anecdote, I asked for red which I was asked to taste. (It was OK, i.e. not corked.) It was offered around the table of 12 and one diner said, "No thanks, I saw her face when she tasted it!" Should stop wearing heart on sleeve and keep a poker face.

My response was that perhaps it needed to breathe... Some do of course. - and not just by having poured it into a glass Temperature is a whole other ballgame...

Fact is jeral, everyone has their own take on wine. I think it does matter what food you are having it with though i know others would disagree, though i wouldn't want to be drinking a lovely Chablis with kippers for instance. Some folk are still very unsure about rosés - but is this perception (strictly not or experience?

We rarely drink reds in the summer here - too big, too alcoholic and just don't go with summer food if we do serve a fruity local red with eg a barbecue then we follow the makers suggestion and chill it a bit.

[jeral Profile]

On food and wine combos, undoubtedly agreed - I found a good writeup on taste trials a while back, e.g. whether say rare or well done steak was relevant (it was). I'll try to find it again after the midnight hours. The wines tested were a bit out of my price range and some I'd not heard of, but the differences remarked on were fascinating.

As to rosé wine, some of the South African ones are worth checking out. I suspect candle-wax covered ubiquitous Matteus Rosé bottles did a lot for giving rosé the image of being a girly wine in the UK

For glugging in the high heat of summer (summer? What's that?), chilled cider or fizzy water suits me. Which reminds me, I should check out some of the good non-alcoholic cocktails on the Net...

[jeral Profile]

I think this might be the article I remember which compares wines with different types of steak and the effect that sauces can have on the combined flavours: http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news ... 0071019_1/

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi jeral.

Interesting article - I think the telling bit refers to the sauces you have to be really careful with anything with the least hint of vinegar and cream does funny things too.

I don't like steak but if i cook it for a treat for others then I tend to stick to a herb butter.

What shall i serve with rare roast beef on Sunday I wonder?

[jeral Profile]

Good luck deciding, Joanbunting. I imagine your M will have some input, perhaps including whether the rare roast beef is to be served hot or cold (temperatures are "very acceptable" here just now).

[Joanbunting Profile]

Good luck deciding, Joanbunting. I imagine your M will have some input, perhaps including whether the rare roast beef is to be served hot or cold (temperatures are "very acceptable" here just now).

Very perceptive

Hot with Yorkshire puds etc but probably in the garden. Special request from our lunch guest who doesn't drink wine!!

Usually M tends to go for a Bordeaux with simple beef - sure he has some somewhere

I did a Chinese - style stir fry with chicken and vegetables and a touch of sweet chilli on Wednesday and we found that an Alsatian Pinot gris worked really well.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

At my first Food Festival, 4 years ago, I was stationed across the passage from the Caracas Sommelier's Society.

Dead and gone to heaven!
Everything they tried; I tried.
One day I asked: "What goes well with spicy/Indian Food?"
"SYRAH!", they chorused, so I promptly spent the next day imbibing every Syrah in sight ( there were about 15, all South American).
I found one particular brand, called "Doña Paula", which was my perfect match, and began to use it every time I had a Curry Course.

The next year, I met two guest sommeliers from Chile.
I asked: "What goes well with spicy/Indian Food?"
"SAUVIGNON BLANC!", they chorused,"ESPECIALLY A YOUNG ONE!", so I promptly spent the next day imbibing every Sauvignon Blanc in sight. Fewer this time; but I looked for a 6-10 month old wine. Fresh green chiles, grass, slightly acid fruit - worked perfectly.

These days, I use both.