|
|
 |
| |
Successful wine and fish combinations require careful consideration |
What to drink with your salmon
Wine and food are a match made in heaven, but get the combination wrong and your meal can be ruined
WINE and food are made for each other and there are many cafés and restaurants in France where you can’t order wine without food. The notion that wine is a quaffable drink is considered peculiar.
Some time ago, it was gospel that red wine and fish were not compatible. Lately, this belief has become unfashionable and it’s perfectly acceptable to drink red wine with white fish.
But some truths are written in stone; a wine, enjoyable when drank solo, can, when consumed with the wrong food, lose its structure and balance and taste terrible or even completely overwhelm the food and ruin the meal.
So which wines go with which foods? Once it was fairly easy to decide. Eating saucy Italian food? Then drink acidic Italian wines. If served French regional dishes such as coq au vin or bouillabaisse, choose the wines of the region.
Recently we have tended to drink mass produced international-style wines that lack a regional identity, while at the time favouring increasingly authentic ethnic foods – Chinese, Greek, Mexican, Italian, even Lebanese and Thai. Our favourite food comes from one place, our preferred wine from another.
Writing in the latest edition of Hugh Johnson’s, the World Atlas of Wine, Jancis Robinson marvels at the way Californian and Australian chefs are adapting dishes to match the local wines. The Australians in particular are changing Asian dishes and creating an Aussie cuisine that compliments their powerful and fruity wines.
Australians, often portrayed in Britain as backward and beer swilling, are developing an advanced food and wine culture, while we’re still stuck in a wine drinking stone age.
The Wine Press guide to a better wining and dining experience:
Light, acidic whites, such as those made with Riesling, Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc grapes, have a high concentration of malic acid and a low alcohol level. They are the ideal partners for fish. The trendy Albarino grape fermented, in the Spanish Rias Biaxas region, is also good with fish but some might find its strong flavour slightly over the top. Pinot Grigio as sold in London will not add a lot to the eating experience but will do no harm when consumed with fish, chicken and light pasta.
Full bodied wood aged whites; include Burgundian and new world Chardonnays. Also wines produced with Semillon, Pinot Blanc and even oaked Sauvignons, from Australia, New Zealand and some Bordeaux areas.
Regardless of what it says on the supermarket shelves, these full bodied tannic white wines will not work with a simple fish dish, though they can go well with shellfish. Their high alcohol content renders them an unsuitable accompaniment to salty dishes. Creamy dishes that can cut through the tannins are the best choice.
Luxurious, highly Aromatic whites made with Viognier, Gewurztraminer and Muscat grapes are high in alcohol and low in acidity. Rich or fatty foods and mildly spiced, salty or smoky foods should hold their own when partnered with these strong, scented wines. Sauces and dishes that contain added fruit can also work. More adventurous diners can try Tex-mex and mild curry.
Next week, red wines and food, including the reds that really do go with fish.
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
