Wine lovers are lucky to have a whole world to explore in the pursuit of good wine. Many of us gravitate toward award winners and those wines that garner high scores and accolades.
There is always a time and a place to enjoy these, especially with others who share an appreciation of good wine.
My question, then, is whether you have also experienced the magic that can happen when wine is perfectly paired with food.
In such Old World countries as France, Italy and Spain, wine is typically served with food and has a regular place at the dinner table. Furthermore, just as each region has its own take on traditional foods, each has its own ideas about the kinds of wines to serve with each dish.
In the U.S. we have only recently started down this road. I’ve found it interesting that some wines pair well with a variety of seasonings.
This month we offer four wines that pair well with fish, seasoned in a variety of ways and with a wide range of cooking preparations.
The goal, of course, is to find a wine you can serve with fish at home.
» 2012 Birichino Malvasia Bianca (about $15): The grape variety here, malvasia bianca, is grown in the cooler Monterey appellation of California. The resulting wine has profuse perfume (with lychee and grapefruit nuances), giving the illusion of a sweeter taste.
It is not. This wine is dry, with a lightness and an edge of freshly squeezed lime that are sure to keep your palate fresh and alert between bites.
Have fun with this wine when pairing with Thai and Chinese, and even Mexican and Mediterranean preparations. This is a quintessential "food" white wine.
» 2012 Rudolf Furst Muller Thurgau (about $23 a bottle): I love this wine for its amazingly light, minerally and ethereal qualities and for its crisp, refreshing edge. You can therefore serve a glass with fish that is simply sauteed with salt and pepper, prepared Asian style or with a Mediterranean flair.
Since winemaker-owner Paul Furst was selected as 2003 Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year, this is also a stellar white at a reasonable price.
» 2012 Champalou Vouvray Sec (about $21): This minerally, riveting white comes from France’s Loire Valley, the general area where Joan of Arc crusaded and Leonardo Da Vinci chose to be buried.
Each time I take my first sip, I am amazed at this wine’s ethereal quality.
Besides pairing well with a wide range of ethnic foods, this wine is ideal just for sipping on especially hot days or while relaxing at home after a hard day at work.
» 2012 Dr. F. Weins Prum Riesling "Estate" (about $17): You don’t have to look far for this offering — it just arrived in the islands. My wife, Cheryle, and I were in the German vineyards tasting these grapes with winemaker-owner Bert Selbach.
Selbach’s masterful skills separate him from his peers, and the resulting wines are remarkably light, airy and delicious.
As an experience, sipping this wine really is like biting into a cold apple — it will help cool and soothe the palate between bites of spicy or salty foods.
This would be the first wine I’d grab for pairing with Asian fare.
Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.
