12 Jun Who Needs Rules?
by Gina Gallo
The first rule of pairing wines with food should always be, “There are no rules.” You have to follow your palate, try different things, and decide for yourself: Do I want a wine that complements the flavors in this dish, or a wine that contrasts like a musical counterpoint to the melody on the plate?
Nowhere is this rule more important than in matching wines with seafood. We all have in the back of our heads “red with meat, white with fish,” but that’s a mantra from a bygone day when we had few choices in wine, and our recipes were kept on file cards, not computers.
Most seafood offers wonderful, soothing texture and provides an elegant platform for creative cookery. Subtlety is the keystone, and the variety is endless. When seafood recipes incorporate exotic flavors from herbs and spices, let those spices be your guide.
For the Sea Bass en Papillote with Sweet Chili Hoisin Broth, I look at the complex play of chili, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass, and my first thought is Pinot Noir. Look for a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with lots of spice layered in and a long, savory finish to carry you across the balance of citrus and salty tones. Try a MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Sonoma County , or perhaps a juicy Au Bon Climate Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County .
When I think of the Porcini Dusted Scallops with Enriched Mushroom Broth, I get the sweet scallop character embraced by the earthy yet ethereal flavors of mushrooms. Lime and honey in the recipe add contrasting notes, a highlight and a smooth, natural sweetness. To match the delicacy of this dish I’d look for a light bodied red like Chianti to act as a counterpoint to the sweetness, while complementing the forest undertones from the mushrooms that bind the flavors together. This is a marriage made in the Old World , where the mushrooms and the grapes share the same terroir. The DaVinci Chianti Classico would be a good choice.
The strong Asian spice rack in the Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce took me immediately to thinking about Pinot Gris, the rapidly emerging white variety that has Chardonnay looking over its shoulder. In Italy the wine is called Pinot Grigio and is typically very light and bright. In Alsace the Pinot Gris has a more substantial body; more complexity. In California we have our own style which matches the French body and adds bright fruit flavors on a nice firm acid structure, supporting a little impression of sweetness on the palate.
A California Pinot Gris is a great food wine because it has the character to stand up to the hot, spicy Asian flavors, and the nice acid and smooth mouthfeel to complement the main ingredients. Our own Gallo of Sonoma Pinot Gris might be a good place to start.
Just a few more thoughts on this month’s recipes: Another “rule” of wine pairing is that you can’t match a wine with salad, because vinegar ruins the flavor of the wine. If you want to serve a special wine with the starter course of Celeriac and Proscuitto, try a classic California Zinfandel. Zinfandel can be a real chameleon: savory to complement the saltiness, with an herbal, minty character that responds to the lemon thyme and rosemary.
With the Grilled Romaine with Creamy Lemongrass Dressing, I’d go for a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc with some luscious tropical tones. Two good choices would be something from the Russian River Valley here in California, where you’ll get the a zingy, racy palate to balance the dish, or a New Zealand bottle that’s likely to give you more grassy, minty, eucalyptus flavors.
Think about wine as food, with texture, body, flavor, and nuance. Keep trying new wines and new pairings. If you miss, you’ll still have fun and enrich your learning in the kitchen.
Photo: Kelly Cline
Gina Gallo is the award-winning third generation winemaker for Gallo of Sonoma.