Guess Who's Coming To Dinner ?

Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

It was sausage as I remember, and I couldn’t quite figure out what the heck to serve with it. Noticeably, it was Andouille . . . I could tell just from the color alone that it would be a piquant, fiery ride with a sinewy headiness. Spicy food tends to vie with many types of wine, so I’m often choosy about deciding what‘s going to cool it off; if that’s even the case, but can wine and sausage raise an issue profound enough to dissect? Granted, there are too many food dilemmas that I have faced, but I question myself tirelessly about what one serves with items like “Mofongo” or that “Bacon Cheesecake” I once saw proudly fermenting under a glass lid; forgive that latter entrée though, the BBC appears to have a televised love affair with compounds of pork and Stilton Cheese. Ok, I’m venturing off the path here, but if I could choose anything to pair with each, I would go as far to say that a South African Sauvignon Blanc or a Semillon might work. I do not normally like to agree that one bottle, red or white, or one varietal itself could suffice over the other, but when it comes to sausage; boy howdy, I like to think that a chilly Portuguese Vinho Verde will have me wearing the badge of courage this summer.

What is “Food Wine” per se ? and for that question, who is to say that “Table Wine” is any different ? What’s more confusing is how the type we cook with seems to be held as a martyr among a pantry of simple ingredients rather than something drinkable. Truth for me, exists in a producer that can create an affordable, keenly nuanced bottle of wine. I seem to repeat myself at the risk of becoming nauseous, but I always explain to others that they should cook with what they drink and act naturally on the reverse side of this concept. Call it a twinkle in a small, undiscovered revolution, but most of what is viewed as table, cooking, or food wine, should be thought of equally in regards to everyday meals.

Usually, I refer back to a sort of mental rolodex of pairings that have been successful enough for me. So when people say, “Curry!” I say, “Viognier!” When wisecrackers say, “Soup. . .” I tell them to wait for the main course. However, my suggestion is to play the ‘Wine Game’ and pick a “Go-To” bottle for everything. I

L'Argentier

cannot recount how many times my favorite dispensable entry has actually been my most indispensable at the same time. I say that because I consistently pour glasses while realizing, when it’s all gone, how sore I’ll be without it. “L’Argentier,” which sounds to me like, “The Money-Maker” in French, is all Cinsault grapes and no frills. Pale red with accented notes of cherry confit and nutmeg, it’s proven itself to me enough times, that I’ve had to scold it like a ten year old son that thinks he’s brighter than I am. Roasted chicken, or even black-eyed peas in sofrito verde, have all tested well under its influence; a rare trait in my opinion, if not ridiculously good publicity for the Languedoc Region.   

Sometimes, recommending the “ideal” varietal has left me bitter in world of cuisine clichés. I insincerely apologize to all caviar enthusiasts, but you know, Champage actually shows more compassion for burgers and fries than it has for one-eighth lb. servings of sturgeons’ eggs. Imagine . . .starchy, semi-salted potatoes, toasted artisan buns, melted cheese and meaty veggie burgers with something like cold a beer, that’s not exactly ale or lager. I probably have a significantly lower mortality rate for saying all this, but it’s nice to see the smiles of Beluga whales without self- remorse.

It’s interesting, after all I’ve been learned about wine, it seems like the relationship between it and just about anything culinary, is that food remains the guiding principle behind the reality of grape harvesting. As cultural views on food change, I’m guessing that braised armadillo may one day call for something like a gamy Rhone Valley red.

I’m not saying they go very well together, but everyone’s tastes are in fact ...different.

Cheers !

-Brian K. Maniotis
 
Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

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