-FILE
Wine tasting is a personal issue, but at times everyone needs a little help or guidance, says Paul Hanworth from 1876 Wines, the Kingston-based wine club. Here are his suggestions for a few seasonal 'matches' for your Christmas dinner.
I BELIEVE you need to consider the flavour intensity of both the food and the wine as one can easily 'swamp the other'. Another general rule is to pair white wine with fish and white meat and red wine with red meat.
These are not bad rules, but as people's confidence in wine and knowledge of food and flavours grow, they have become increasingly challenged.
We have put together a few suggestions as to what wine should work well with a number of different dishes, and we certainly hope you have some great fun in trying these pairings and perhaps experimenting with a few of your own. At the very least, it's a great excuse to open up a few bottles -- in the interest of science of course.
AS AN APERITIF
You simply can't beat champagne which is wonderfully refreshing and uplifting on its own. However, if you want to pair it with food, try something delicately flavoured or slightly salty. You don't want to swamp the subtle flavours of the wine and salt has the remarkable ability to make wines that are crisp and acidic when tasted on their own, appear much fuller and softer when taken together. The same would apply for other great aperitif wines such as Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc.
TURKEY WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS
The classic combination is a quality white burgundy - such as a good Saint Veran - that shows some richness and complexity without being overpowering for either the meat or the accompaniments.
As for a red match, you ideally need something from a more classical area that is not too heavy in style such as a Southern Rhone wine. If you have a particularly richly flavoured gravy, try it with our own Crozes Hermitage, Domain de Remizieres.
I would tend to steer clear of a 'big new world' wine as this will tend to mask the complex flavours of this wonderful dish.
HAM AND ORANGE GLAZE
This is more of a challenge to match as the meat is very distinctive, but the final flavour is most likely to be influenced by the richness and sweetness of the sauce. With sweet dishes, even for a main course, I feel very comfortable in looking to match a slightly sweet-tasting wine - the sugar in the sauce has the impact of making the wine appear dry. I would not hesitate to look at some of the Loire wines or perhaps a full flavoured new world chardonnay from Australia.
If the sauce is not very strong or sweet then look for a lighter style red, such as a Chinon (Domain de Beausejour is outstanding) or perhaps an Italian Valpolicella or lighter Chianti.
LAMB DISHES
The classic accompaniment to lamb tends to be Pinot Noir -- Burgundy or from any of the new world areas such as New Zealand or Oregon. The acidity of the wine helps to cut through the fattiness of the meat, and the flavour intensity of both tend to be complementary. Again, the Domain Beausejour from Chinon can work very well here as the wine is from a relatively cool climate area.
If the 'jerk spices' have crept into the lamb, then you are looking for a much more robust and richer style of wine such as a young Argentinean Malbec, Australian Shiraz, or even a South African Pinotage.
Hot spices appear even hotter when consumed with high alcohol wines and the wine itself tends to taste even more pronounced and fruity, so make sure you enjoy the fruity taste of the wine before you make this combination.
TRADITIONAL BEEF ROAST
Bordeaux or Chianti Classico are classic matches with rich roast dishes. These wines can sometimes appear a little austere and even bitter when drunk on their own, particularly when young. However, when combined with a meat roast the wine immediately appears softer and much more luscious, if not distinctly fruity. Plus the savoury complexity of these two wines will complement the broad spectrum of flavours found with the meat dish.
MACARONI & CHEESE
Why not try something with an uplifting acidity and soft fruitiness such as our own Vernaccia di San Gimignano or even a Muscadet? Both wines show great refreshing acidity which will complement the floury nature of this dish without overpowering the delicate cheese flavour.
ESCOVEITCHED FISH
To complement these spicy dishes try a wine with some sweetness. 1876 Wines offers two from the Loire valley that would work equally well. If the spice is light, an off dry wine such as a Riesling will pair beautifully. The subtle sweetness of the wines contrasts wonderfully with the spice, yet the complex wine flavours do not mask the character of the fish in any way at all.
Whatever you try, we sincerely hope you have a wonderful festive season.
- Paul Hanworth, 1876 Wines, wineguy@cwjamaica.com
