Category Archives: Food + Wine

Chenin Blanc, Food + Wine, Gewurztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Tips + Tricks, Viognier

Wine Pairing Strategies for Thai and Sushi

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Let’s face it Asian fare is downright delicious, but it can be tricky to find solid wine pairing partnerships given the dynamic fusion of flavors, spices and otherwise exotic ingredients. In general, spicy themes beg for a wine that tames the heat with a touch of sweet (think German Riesling and off-dry Gewurztraminer). So, wines that carry higher levels of alcohol and lean heavily into oak, tend to overwhelm many of the innate flavors of Thai and sushi finds.

Wine Pairing: Thai

From super savory to feel-the-heat spicy green curries and creamy coconut milk textures to the full-on fusion of sour, sweet, salty and bitter found in your favorite Pad Thai, there is plenty of variety and culinary innovation busting out of most modern Thai dishes. When it comes to partnering up a wine, there are several things to consider.

  1. Sweet tames heat: for super spicy dishes, grab a wine that carries its own dash of residual sugar. This bit of sweet puts out the flames of hot red and green chili peppers quite well and fans the flames of flavor integration. German Rieslings at 9% abv or less are no-brainers for spicier curries.
  2. Bold flavors beg for less bold wines: Austria’s groovy Gruner Vetliner delivers savory flavors all wrapped up in rich fruit that won’t compete with the bolder flavors, but lighter weight of shrimp Pad Thai or more mild curries.
  3. Acidity is a good thing: when you’ve got moderate protein, a mix of funky flavors and exotic aromas and typically a starch base of noodles or rice, wines that deliver a dose of zesty acidity tend to highlight the flavors and carry the dish with added dimension.

 Quick Pairing Picks:

Wine Pairing: Sushi

Salty seaweed, wasabi, pickled ginger and raw fish. Not one of the easier pairings by any standards, but fully capable of showing fantastic potential with a handful of wine styles. As you increase the spice component, you want to decrease the alcohol levels or the alcohol will just amplify the heat and douse the flavors. For super versatile, tried and true pairings, you can rarely go wrong with off-dry Gewurztraminer or German Riesling (again). However, for more detailed menu matching, sometimes it’s easier to start with the protein for pairing. Let’s check in on wines for these ultra-popular rolls.

  • Crab Roll: The basic crab roll is picture perfect for pairing with an Alsatian Gewurztraminer or classic German Riesling, both teaming with mouth-watering acidity and forward fruit. These wines promise to play extremely well with the crab, cucumber and avocado that typically pack themselves into your everyday crab roll. Want to turn it up a notch? Give it a go with an off-dry Vouvray, based on the Chenin Blanc grape, that brings zippy acidity, round textures and lots of minerality that plays off the briny character of the crab meat.
  • Spicy Tuna Roll: The extroverted flavors and palate weight of the traditional spicy tuna roll call for a wine that shares many of the same characteristics. Enter Viognier. Highly aromatic, showing plenty of apricot and honeysuckle on the nose with more on display on the palate, Viognier echoes many of the characteristics of the roll itself – fresh, fuller bodied, complicated, versatile with rich silky textures.
  • California Roll: Avocado, cucumber and crab. Does it get any better than that? Well, with sushi, yes…often it does! But, the basic California roll is still loved by young and old alike, it’s a great introduction to all things sushi and provides a snappy pairing with everything from Alsatian Rieslings with their drier styles or the often herbaceous, topped with sunny citrus New World Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Tempura Shrimp Roll: The crispy, fried textures of the tempura make sparkling wines and Champagne a must-have glass for cutting through the yummy, fatty flavor profiles of your basic tempura shrimp roll.
  • Salmon Roll: Most salmon rolls show well with sparkling and still roses. The sparkling roses promise to cut through the fatty textures and clean the palate in one fell swoop.
  • Eel Roll (aka: Unagi or Dragon Roll): Earthy and briny, eel rolls work exceptionally well with the full-throttle aromatics and slightly sweeter side of Gewurztraminer, as does the snazzy, sweet, soy-based Unagi sauce that usually accompanies the roll.

 Quick Pairing Picks:

 

Food + Wine

Wine Guide: Best Wines with Seafood

When it comes to pairing wine with seafood, it’s easiest to start with the weight and texture of the fish or shellfish. The lighter and more delicate the fish, the more you’ll ask the same of the wine with crisp acidity, lean lines and well-managed fruit. For fish with heartier textures and thicker filets, the wine should bring its own weight in terms of body, style and flavor profile.

Fish Style: White, lean and flaky

Think striped sea bass, sole and tilapia. For the leaner lines and flaky, melt-in-your-mouth textures of mild, more delicate fish dishes, opt for a wine that shares many of those same parameters. Light, lean and dedicated to fresh acidity, these key wine components promise to bring out the best in the dish and not overpower the subtle flavors and savory seasonings.

Wine Style: Look for a wine with decent acidity to bring zip and Astrolabelively engagement to the fish. Best bets include: Austria’s Gruner Veltliner, Spain’s Albarino, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Italy’s Pinot Grigio or its French cousin, Pinot Gris.

Quick Pick: The citrus-driven, lively acidity of Astolabe’s New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 

Fish Style: White, Medium-firm texture

These filets tend to be firmer in texture and thicker in cut. Classic (delicious) examples include: cod, halibut and mahi mahi. When a fish filet has a bit more heft in terms of both weight and texture, it demands the same of the wine. It’s no mistake that a classic pairing for halibut would be a Chablis. The mild, slightly sweet and savory profile of halibut’s filets make it a natural for the engaging acidity and natural soil-born salinity of Chablis.

Wine Style:  In terms of wine, there’s a bit of a range that will work well with the firmer flesh of cod, halibut and mahi mahi. From the contrast of high acidity, medium alcohol and stuffed with citrus Sauvignon Blanc style to the earthy minerality, rounder lines and rich viscosity of Semillon or Viognier this category of fish offers up a Burganslot of flexibility in the white wine range. If the fish carries higher concentrations of oil, then a wine with high acidity will cut through the fatty components and bring a fresh flavor factor to the meal. Keep an eye out for: the dry styles of Viognier, Sancerre, Chablis, Semillon or Albarino.

Quick Pick: The rich, round flavors of Burgan’s 2016 Albarino

Fish Style: Meaty steaks

Salmon, tuna and swordfish come to mind. With heartier filets that often carry intense flavors of their own, turn to wines that deliver rich, round textures. Consider Chardonnay with a bit of oak, or a dry style Chenin Blanc. If the Salmon is grilled or carries earthy undertones in the sauce, then opt for Pinot Noir.

Stephane AvironWine Style:  Best bets include California Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir and Beaujolais.

Quick Pick: Delights with old-vine intensity and firm fruit character all wrapped up in the yummy palate irony of this lighter-bodied 2015 Beaujolais from Stephane Aviron Moulin a Vent

Shellfish Style: Shrimp, Clams, Scallops, Oysters

With the briny, sweet textures of most shellfish, go-to pairings Rombauerinclude Spain’s Albarino – the local favorite for all sorts of wild and assorted sea life in northeastern Spain. Or check out the Loire’s Vouvray or Cava, Spain’s well-priced sparkler, both promise to partner up well with a variety of shrimp, clams, scallops and oysters. Got some serious butter drizzling on the lobster? Grab the creamy textures of California’s oaked Chardonnay to complement the scene.

Quick Pick: A Classic California Chardonnay, best with butter and cream sauce – Rombauer Chardonnay 2016

The Sauce: Why it Matters

While the texture and weight of the fish has a significant bearing on the wine pairing, the sauce is a partner that can’t be ignored. In fact, depending on the sauce’s intensity and ingredients it can become a bigger player than the fish itself. If the sauce leans into heavy butter and cream themes, stick with a wine that shares the same – namely a California Chardonnay with some oak influence. If the sauce steers light and herbal, run with Sauvignon blanc and Gruner Veltliner. Got some red onions or dazzling dill on that salmon? Grab something light and red like Beaujolais or Oregon Pinot Noir.

 

 

Food + Wine, Tips + Tricks

Pairing Wine and Chocolate – Tips and Tricks

Wine and chocolate pairings can be tricky when you factor in the sheer variety in today’s chocolate confections alongside the diversity in personal palate preferences.  Whether it’s chocolate themed desserts, artisan 80% dark chocolate bars or chocolate creations dotted with nuts, sea salt crystals, mint infusions, dried berries or simply caramel, there are versatile wine and chocolate pairings that can accommodate even the pickiest of palates. Continue reading Pairing Wine and Chocolate – Tips and Tricks →

Entertaining, Food + Wine, Holidays, Lists, Tips + Tricks, Trending

9 Ways to Make the Most of Your Party Leftovers

The holidays are a time for celebrating friends and family, giving to the ones we love and eating—a lot. This joyous time of year always seems to fly by in a whirlwind, but when the decorations are taken down and the wrapping paper is stashed away, there’s one thing that remains: leftover food.

During the holidays, we stock up on foods like ham and turkey, and an overwhelming amount of food goes to waste each year. In fact, according to a 2016 turkey study, approximately 1.78 billion pounds (about 35 percent) of turkey is wasted every year in the United States.

Instead of letting all that food go to waste this year, use your leftovers Continue reading 9 Ways to Make the Most of Your Party Leftovers →

Food + Wine, Dessert Wines, Fortified Wine, Holidays, Trending

Thanksgiving Wine and Pie Pairings

Dessert and fortified wines are one of fall’s most delicious wine treats. While many of these dessert-themed wines find happy pairing partners in the traditional blue cheese or salty seasonal nuts, many will shine exceptionally bright when partnered up with the season’s favorite pies. Check out some top pie pairing picks ranging from fortified favorites to late harvest delights, Banyuls and more.