Over the last few weeks I have been challenged on a few different occasions as to how to find wines that pair nicely with a variety of different and spicy foods. There are a number of things that come to mind that are just plain HARD to pair with, try an artichoke or asparagus, what about things that you associate with other beverages like good beer or even milk.
On a recent trip up to the Chicago area I had a chance to eat out at two different Mexican locations; The first was the Frontera Grill, one of chef Rick Bayless’s hot spots in Chicago that is know for being 1st class authentic Mexican fare, and the second was a quaint little taco shop just minutes from Midway airport. Two very different experiences, but both lead me down this path of how do you find good wines to pair with unique food combinations.My first impression of Fronterra was definitely a good one; a great staff, exciting atmosphere and a very knowledgeable sommelier. Sharing dinner with another wine and food professional (one of Chicago's best wine distribution companies, Artisan Beverage Company) we were excited to try different fare and ordered up three different appetizers that were not similar in profile. We started with a Mexican ceviche as our first course that needed a wine with zip to balance the lime and acidic nature of the dish; our go to wine choice was a young Albariño from Spain, the Pazo San Mauro Albariño, Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain usually a very good value wine with enough acidity to balance the zest of the appetizer. The pairing was perfect, in this case, the green apple and clean un-oaked cut and balanced the spice from the habinero, orange, and limes in the Ceviche Yucateco. Good job, batting 1000 so far on the food and wine pairing’s but as we move on to our second appetizer it was time for a change.
Our second appetizer was Tamal de Chorizo "Manchamanteles” a corn husk-wrapped tamal of fresh-ground corn masa studded with homemade chorizo and bacon. Nut-thickened fruity red chile sauce (manchamanteles), grilled pineapple (description and details thanks to http://www.rickbayless.com/). A great appetizer, but it just did not fit with the Albariño. In this instance the food and wine clunked against each other like two young kids in their first ballroom dance lesson (it wasn’t pretty).We had previously ordered a bottle of the Albariño, (aka we had plenty left after the first course) and it wasn’t like I was going to pour it out just for not matching well with the delicious food (offering ½ carafe’s of wine is another blog in the future), but suffice it to say tasting these two together was not 1 + 1 = 3. Just when I had resigned myself to my water glass only during the second course, in swooped the talented Sommelier Jill Gubesch. with two glasses of Rhinegau Riesling Kabinett from Germany, Thank you Jill! (Balthasar Ress “Hattenheimer Schützenhaus” Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Germany)
Miss Gubesch offered a quick commentary that she thought that this wine would bring out the sweetness of the pineapple in the tamale’s and also compliment the richness of the Mexican Style Quesadillas that we had coming next! Wow, was she ever right… this wine fit well with both dishes and because of the touch of residual sugar in the Riesling and rich mid palate, it really complimented the cheese and pan fried aspect of both appetizers. Lesson well learned; acidic foods pair well with acidic wines, richer, fried foods need a richer more full bodied wine to balance out the flavor.
Our final part of the meal allowed us to enjoy an outstanding Crane Asada tacos with an elegant and soft red wine, the 2000 Bodegas Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva, this wine worked with the perfectly grilled meat because it was medium bodied and light on the palate, like a nice French burgundy. Made entirely of Tempranillo, the spices of pepper & clove came out as the wine opened up. Choosing a ten year old bottle in a restaurant might seem like a risk (or an expensive hobby), but this bottle rewarded us nicely and I must say that the last glass was definitely more complex than the first. Overall I believe this pairing worked because the dinner had the spiciness and complexity that played well with the Tempranillo, but that would have been overwhelmed with a BIG, young red. Too much tannin would have taken this part of the meal out of balance and called for a graceful and elegant red with a lighter body. The wine benefited from decanting and topped of a lovely meal.
One last note for the Frontera Grill experience, low and behold as we took our seats I glanced over to find Rick Bayless eating in his own restaurant for dinner. I was encouraged to see three wine glasses in front of him, two reds and a white because he realized, just as we did, that each dish he was having deserved a different wine pairing. I believe it is always a good sign to see the owner / proprietor eating in their own restaurant, yet on this occasion after receiving his two appetizers; he promptly picked up his seafood dish and headed straight back to the kitchen.
Yes, the owner headed straight through the kitchen doors with a Chef Ramsey style grimace on his face determined to get to the root of whatever problem he encountered (I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the back for that visit). 20 minutes later the nights head chef, all in whites, headed out with a replacement dish for Mr, Bayless, it passed the once over and was followed with a bevy of quick bows and apologies. An interesting encounter to witness, my hats off to you Rick Bayless for a fine establishment & for expecting only the best from everyone on your time.
During the second day of my trip after traveling all around the Chicago area I got a chance to drop into the Whole Foods Lincoln Park, and I must say, WOW… what a store! You can find almost anything in this store including a full bar downstairs so you can pick up a nice glass of vino or a $2.00 premium bottle of beer to enjoy during your shopping experience. At 75,000 square feet this is the third largest Whole Foods location in the world (right behind their Austin store and the London location).
As their flagship store for the Midwest region I can definitely tell Whole Foods may be in a rapid expansion mode, but they are keeping their eye on the details with their new store role outs. On sale now at this great store we have a nice display of Staccato Malbec / Cabernet ready for eager shoppers and are planning a great event at this location in June with our winemaker, Gustavo Caligiore making a visit up from Argentina. PS – This is also a free WI FI hotspot.
As the day of sales in Chicago wound down, we had one last culinary visit in store, Zacatacos, located just minutes away from Midway airport in the Cicero area on Pulaski. A small authentic Mexican walk-up with an open fire grill with Charbroiled tacos, great prices and a loyal following. Across the street from a pet adoption center, tattoo parlor and truck driving school, I walked up to the counter and put in my order, not knowing what to think of the fare, but the location came with a good recommendation. A day zooming across the city it was time to choose a wine from the Marquee Selections bag to pair up with Mexican fare… and see if I learned anything the night before.
We had been sampling the Old Hands old vine Spanish Monastrell wines from Bodegas La Purisima, and Argentinean wines from Caligiore Organic Vineyards with accounts all day and from my experi
ence last night I was keen to try out my taste matching skills. I got a lovely carne asda – char broiled burrito and paired it up with the Caligiore Reserve Bonarda., and BAM, I picked a winner! The red fruits and lower level of tannins in the Bonarda worked great with the burrito and the bit of extra spice from the Green Chile tomatillo salsa just helped to bring out the spicy pepper notes in the wine! Zacatacos, you may not have a very intriguing website, but you definitely find a place in my dinners, drive in’s and dives for the next visit… who knows maybe I will take that Truck drivers lesson I have been thinking about before grabbing lunch!A few fun pairing suggestions:
Artichokes -Gruner Vetliner from Austria or Portuguese Vino Verde
Salmon – Pinot Noir or Rich Chardonnay
Dry Sliced Parmigiano Reggiano – Barbera or Mourvedre / Monastrell
Scallops – Albariño or Sauvignon Blanc
Oysters – Sauvignon Blanc or Sparkling Wine
Burgers – Syrah / Shiraz or Bordeaux Blends
Tacos - Tempranillo or GSM Grenache/Shiraz Mourvedre
Pepperoni Pizza – Syrah/ Shiraz or Zinfandel
Next week I am off to Europe for a visit to Stockholm Sweden and Northern Italy I will hypothesize to have an even more intriguing set of tales for you next month… we shall see what pairs well with Swedish meatballs or Reindeer!
Till next month, have a wonderful day and for your next party, don’t forget the Marquee!
Email me if you have any other great pairing suggestions that you would like to share for next month!
Ciao!
Today’s Cribb Note – Just announced – 2007 Quattro Leoni Barbera D’Asti – 90 Pts. – BEST BUY - from The Tasting Panel Magazine!
Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - General Manager
Marquee Artisan Wines - http://www.marquee.com/
Email – cjcribb@marquee.com
Blog – marqueewines.blogspot.com
