Five affordable white wines that shine brightest in food pairings
The perfect match happens when the taste of the two results in a pure fusion of flavour
In celebration of impending summer, I’ve found five affordable whites perfect for porch or patio, as well as finally being able to dine with guests in your backyard.
These were selected from more than 100 new wines hitting Vintages shelves Saturday. My fab five can be sipped on their own if you are entertaining friends on the front porch. But all wines shine brightest when served with food.
Perfect matches of a wine with a special dish do not come easy. The wines change with each vintage, and so do your culinary skills.
To my palate, the perfect match happens when the taste of the wine and the food result in a third entity, a pure fusion of flavour that blows away the individual elements.
This is not easy to achieve but believe me, when it happens you will have an ecstatic moment.
Over the years, I have found perfect matches, such as broiled oysters Rockefeller (we use spinach and bacon bits) with New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc.
Red wine with fish? Not usually, but sometimes with oily fish. However, a fine pinot noir with smoky fresh planked salmon can be a marvel.
Aside from my best whites shown with full reviews and bottle images, a handful of luxury whites achieved amazing levels in this release.
From Napa, Smith-Madrone 2011Chardonnay (#363556, $39.95, 92-93) is a stunner. Lifted lemon, coconut, beeswax, melon, peach and baked bread aromas are amazing. Then the super silky flavours deliver citronella, vanilla, cling peach, golden apple and lime zest. Did I mention the undertones of limestone, such as a rain-lashed crushed gravel driveway?
Finding a perfect match of a wine with a dish is not easy. Your cooking skills change over time and wines change with each vintage
A second white is utterly amazing. Bassermann-Jordan Deidesheimer-Hohenmorgen 2008 Riesling Auslese (#377515, $54.95, 93+) shows gorgeous honeyed jasmine, ripe peach, petrol, apricot and quince bouquet and flavours. Auslese grapes hang extra late into the fall and the concentrated natural sugars makes for very sweet whites. I sip such treasures on their own, but with a dessert (peach cobbler, apple crumble, kiwi fruit flan) this would be gorgeous. I just realized I did not mention any Ontario whites. There are two in the release. Malivoire 2012 Pinot Gris (#591305, $19.95, 89+) is a bit light, with clover blossom, pear, beeswax and apple showing nicely. And Sue-Ann Staff Loved by Lu 2012 Riesling (#322636, $16.95, 89+) dishes up petrol, apple, lime candy and soft nectarine nuances. Lu has a soft, sweet finish. So fire up the barbecues! Let the summer food and wine matching games begin! stimmell@sympatico.ca