Category Archives: Food & Wine Pairing

Trader Joe’s Tuesdays: Alsatian Style Onion Tart and Fetzer Gewurztraminer

Something simple this Tuesday night. I love the sweetness of onion tarts and while, I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of Gewurztraminer, my hunk-of-man-meat is a fan. I figured the overt aromatics of the wine would be a welcome accent to the simple onion tart.

Plus ‘what grows together goes together’ and Gewurztraminer is one of the noble grapes of Alsace…

Kinda like a flat savory pie…

About the dish
Sooooo…we had some mechanical difficulties with the tart. We bought this right from the freezer of our local Trader Joe’s and had it in our freezer within 60 mins of purchase. Yet, when we pulled it out of its wrapper, it was covered in a thick layer of frost. I couldn’t chunk off the ice without taking out the filling so I left it on and hoped for the best.

Well, that sucks.

That ice was clearly not supposed to be there.

We cooked it as long as directions said and then cooked it some more since there was no browning in the crust (and that’s the best part of the tart!)

Flavor-wise, it was as simple as expected: vaguely creamy with wonderfully caramelized onions held together by a (still slightly under cooked) tart.

About the wine:
100% Gewurztraminer from Monterrey County, California.

Fetzer ‘Monterey County’ Gewurztraminer

Medium yellow color (Gewurztraminer is a pink-skinned grape, so no surprise there). Complex aromatics but the intensity was not as pronounced as I thought it would be given the grape and the origin. It gave generous citrus and tropical notes (like an elegant fruit cocktail, if there were such a thing) and classic lychee & rose petal Gewurztraminer markers.

The wine is full bodied and I sensed some CO2 on the palate (to help lift Gewurztraminer’s relatively low acidity?). Flavors were sweet pineapple (actually refermenting pineapple) and green apple with juicy acidity and moderate finish including a parade of those tropical/pineapple flavors.

That sweetness scale on the back label is so helpful (even if I disagree with their rating)!

It was not quite bone dry (very helpful back label shows a scale and calls this medium sweet – perhaps it had a sweet attack but I thought it finished relatively dry). Maybe call it fruity. I looked at the Fetzer website for more information but they have tech sheets for a Gewurztraminer called ‘Sandy Loam’, which does not appear to be the same bottling that Trader Joe’s carries. Still, that ‘Sandy Loam’ wine has 3.25g/L RS, so that one is definitely dry.

About the pairing:
It sort of worked. I mean, my man was happy to be drinking Gewurztraminer and sometimes you have to pair the person to the wine.

He makes me eat salad.

This pairing was a play on contrasts with the wine displaying overt fruitiness and and complexity relative to the simplicity of the tart. The caramelized onions echoed the fruity sweetness of wine, but otherwise the tart played the role of ‘palate refresher’. The tart was more robust than delicate (perhaps because we never got it quite thoroughly cooked?) as was the wine, so that worked out well too.

I might have to try that tart again to see how it was meant to taste…

Austin Food & Wine Festival Tasting Session

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Not only did I have the chance to attend this amazing event, but I helped host a food & wine pairing event on behalf of Santa Margherita USA (full disclosure: that’s my employer). For “Mangia, Mangia, Y’all”, we partnered with Chef Michael Paley of Cafe No Se & Central Standard and sommelier Mandi Nelson to introduce guests to a selection of wines from Italy paired with bites from one of the best chefs in Austin!

Mangia, Mangia, Y’all!

Our tasting session was held on a Sunday and they told us to expect 80-100 participants — but about 130 people showed up! Here’s what worked best with the pairings below:

That’s a lotta people…

Torresella Prosecco NV with Sweet Potato Beignet
Why this works: Three things going on here: contrasting texture, acid to cut fat and echoing sweetness.

1) The bubbly texture of the Prosecco is an excellent contrast to the warm, soft texture of the beignet. I love using sparkling wines for their textures to contrast again soft foods (think soups and soufflés).

2) The acidity of the wine helps to cut through the fat of the deep fried beignet (this acid/fat theme will come up a lot in this review). Bubblies are always great for cutting through rich dishes.

3) Torresella Prosecco is Extra Dry, which in bubbly speak, confusingly, means it has more sweetness than a Brut (which is essentially what wine folks refer to as dry). This one is only 13g/L (many proseccos on the market are around 20 g/L), so this wine is ever-so-slightly-sweet and sweet potatoes are also ever-so-slightly sweet. It was interesting how these two echoed each other in that respect.

I haz talentz, see?

Kettmeir Pinot Blanc 2015 with Jonah Crab Toast
Why this works: Weight and freshness.

By ‘weight’, I mean that the intensity of the food and wine match each other; that one does not overpower the other in terms of flavors or body. Kettmeir Pinot Blanc is a semi-aromatic wine that can acts as a great alternative to unoaked, cool-climate Chardonnay. Being more clean and pure in its fruity lemon and apple flavors allows the delicacy and the sweetness of the Jonah Crab to shine.

In the same vein, they both echo a certain freshness. Kettmeir Pinot Blanc showing its mountain air freshness (being from the Alto Adige in Northeast Italy) and the Jonah Crab showing its saline/ocean freshness.

Sassoregale Sangiovese 2014 with Deviled Egg with Wild Boar Salami

Sassoregale Sangiovese is AMAZING with BBQ!

Why this works: Ok, first? This was a very cool pairing if only because there is a wild board on the label of Sassoregale. Beyond that, this pairing really highlights the power of acid cutting through fat.

Sassoregale Sangiovese is a fresh, unoaked red wine from southern Tuscany. It has a great black cherry profile and Sangiovese’s naturally brisk acidity is able to cut through not only the fat in a deviled eggs and the wild boar salami, but this wine did incredibly well with many of the meat-centric dishes served through the whole weekend at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. This was clearly the crowd favorite.

Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico Riserva 2012 with Waygu Beef Tartare
Why this works: First, the wrong wine was sent; this was supposed to be Lamole’s basic Chianti Classico but we scored the Riserva (!) that sees a little more aging. Not only did that allow for a sharper contrast against Sassoregale Sangiovese (as Sangiovese is the main grape in Chianti as well) but I think it was even better for the pairing! Back to the pairing – we see some more action from acid (is it any wonder why high acid wines are among somm’s favorites) as well as how salt plays with fruit.

Waygu beef is famous for its intense marbling, so like the last dish, Sangiovese’s high acidity was there to balance the beautiful fat in the tartare. Further, this classic steak tartare preparation includes the addition of brined capers and anchovy, and salt in a dish will showcase the fruity side of a wine (the topic of a future blog post!) So what I loved about this was even though the Riserva has some bottle age (and fruit begins to fade/dry out as the normal process of aging a wine) the salt components of the steak tartare highlighted the remaining fruit in the wine (there is still plenty of fresh fruit in the wine – it’s going to age for a long time).

I hope you found that helpful! Definitely put this event on your calendar for next year.

Austin Food & Wine Festival!

Trader Joe’s Tuesdays: Spelt Risotto and Panilonco Chardonnay/Viognier Reserva

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A number of my students have asked me what I think of the wines from Trader Joe’s and honestly, I had never even walked into the store despite living about a five minute walk away from the 14th Street Manhattan store. Too crowded.

Now I’m living in south Florida with my man who loves the stores (and not just because his name is Joe). We went to our local one down here and I was surprised by the wine selection (it’s not Two Buck Upchuck afterall!) Encouraged, I started perusing the grocery store and was impressed with their own-branded foodstuffs as well.

The idea struck me to pair one of their value wines with one of Trader Joe’s own meals. We started with Spelt Risotto with Vegetables and Chickpeas, and Panilonco Chardonnay/Viognier Reserva 2015.

Trader Joe’s Spelt Risotto

About the Dish

Spelt, before

So it turns out that spelt (aka farro) has something to do with wheat. Of course, my wonderfully athletic boyfriend knew that and was already familiar with spelt – I’m not sure I’ve ever consciously had it. Unless this is the stuff that they make Honey Smacks out of. Am I right?
So we went with the stove top instructions (microwave instructions were also available).

Out of the bag it’s an interesting blend of pumpkin, zucchini, turnip greens, chickpeas and provola cheese. See those big chunks? That’s the cheese. In a traditional risotto, the rice starch released during the cooking helps to make the risotto amazing creamy. Spelt, which is a species of wheat, has the chewy texture expected in an excellent risotto, but doesn’t release much liquid on its own. Enter: cheese. The chunks melted into a sauce that glued the ‘risotto’ together without completely overpowering the veggies. Brilliant.

Spelt, after

Despite the title, there were only a few chickpeas in the mix, but those little guys played the important role of adding a more tender texture to the chewy bite of the spelt. The chucks of veggies also provided a (slightly more watery) point of difference from the chewy spelt.

About the Wine

Panilonco Chardonnay-Viognier

80% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier from Colchagua Valley, Chile; 13.5% abv; $3.99

Viognier can show some pretty exotic aromas and is relatively full-bodied, which is what I had in mind to a) contrast against the fall vegetable mix and b) match the weight of the spelt.

Pale yellow color with an expressive nose of peaches, apricot, and exotic musk (like ginger and maybe cheese rind). It really had a fuller body with round acid well-integrated 13.5% alcohol and a moderate finish of fresh, ripe orchard fruits. Overall it was more expressive on the nose than on the palate, but the clarity and freshness of the fruits made this a pretty darn good wine for $3.99!

About the Pairing:
I don’t want to brag or anything, but this pairing worked out pretty well.

The dish on its own is a bit woodsy overall, with some bitter bites from the turnip greens. If anything, it was lacking a bright (acid) note. Interestingly, the acid in the wine (likely due to the climate and addition of Viognier) was only moderate at best, but that moderate was just enough to play nice with the dish. What I mean is if the acid was any higher in the wine, it would have been too much of a contrast with the dish. As expected, the relative full body of the wine really echoed the toothsome chew of the ‘risotto’.

My original thought for pairing was an Alsace Pinot Gris, but that fresh, fruity contribution from the Viognier was just what this dish needed.

Note:
As a girl from the Midwest, I pretty much require an animal protein at every meal. We tossed in lamb merguez from Smitty’s, which I thought would pair with the exotic Viognier and veggies in the risotto. The merguez was spicy (exotic) and spicy (heat!) and while amazing on its own, it did stick out in terms of its concentration of flavors relative to the risotto and wine. I think I would crumble the sausage and incorporate like that next time (or really, find a more mild sausage).

Food and Wine Pairing Basics

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I think of wine as its own food group like vegetables or meats. It can certainly be enjoyed on its own between meals, but wine really belongs on the table with other food. When paired appropriately, a wine partnered with a particular dish can elevate the meal to taste even better than when it was on its own.

That said I don’t believe there is one SINGLE perfect pairing for any given dish. I don’t always pay meticulous attention to pairings and who has time and brain space available to follow rules!

Eat what you like and drink what you like! I’m all for it…except there might be a better pairing out there.

For instance, I love rich dark chocolate…the more silky and bitter the better. And I love scallops…tender, slightly caramelized and sweet. But while I love both of those foods, I just can’t picture that chocolate and scallops would make really good…pairing. Granted I’ve never tried it, but I have a feeling that there may be a better recipe out there than dark chocolate-covered scallops.

So now what? Let’s keep this simple. Here are two basic guidelines for more harmonious food & wine pairings:

Match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine
Echo flavor characteristics of the food and wine

Matching by weight

This is easier than it sounds, intuitive really. When choosing a wine, aim for matching delicate to delicate and robust to robust. Hearty food like braised short ribs paired with a delicate aged red Burgundy would make the wine seem thin and watery. Similarly, a lightly poached salmon would be flattened by a massive spicy red Zinfandel.

Hearty dish…full-bodied wine.

Delicate dish…light-bodied wine.

But be careful to identify the dominant character in the dish – hint: it’s not always the protein. The old culinary claim of red-wine-with-beef doesn’t apply when the beef is part of a creamy stroganoff (in this case I might reach for a full-bodied Alsatian Pinot Gris or richly-styled Chardonnay). Similarly, chicken does not always mean white wine if that chicken had been charcoal grilled and slathered in a BBQ sauce.

Echoing the flavors

Paying attention to the dominant flavors of the dish will also guide you to a more delicious pairing.

So let’s consider two different chicken dishes: chicken Marsala, which is sautéed chicken finished in a dark Marsala wine sauce with browned mushrooms and onions, versus a plain chicken breast simply poached in a creamy lemon sauce. The caramelized, earthy flavors of the chicken Marsala can be echoed by the earthy notes of a red wine made from Pinot Noir. The zesty citrus flavors of the latter dish would be harmonious with a refreshing citrus-driven white wine like a Pinot Grigio.

This shrimp could work with red wine here if that sauce has some Cajun spice to it.

Now don’t get stressed about getting it ‘right’. No pairing is not going to make you enjoy a despised dish any better or vice versa (but you don’t really have any wines you hate, right?). I hate tripe and as far as I can tell there is no wine on planet earth that will make that mess of a dish palatable.

But let’s start there. I hope these two basic guidelines will help you start to take the mystery out of wine pairings. We’ll dig into chemistry of food & wine in a future post – stay tuned!