The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Our wine expert matches some lovely tipples with veggie dishes
For wine and vegetable matches, these top drops are worth checking out, says Sam Wylie-Harris
When it comes to food and wine pairings, vegetables often get a raw deal.
Much is made of how that dusty, tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon will enhance your marbled sirloin steak by cutting through the fat, making the wine in your glass feel less bitter and that much more velvety and flavoursome. Or how that straw-yellow, oaky Chardonnay is a marriage made in heaven with a gourmet fish pie, or will go just gorgeously with eggs benedict at the weekend.
In fact, you’ll be reaching for the second glass in no time, as you wash down that last delicious forkful of runny yolk and toasted muffin.
But when do we lavish such attention on our vino and veggie pairings? With plant-based eating now so much higher on the agenda, vegetables are no longer just a side-note or afterthought; they’re often star of the show. So maybe we do want to know which top drops can elevate our legumes, really run with the beans, and spark a flicker of freshness in our fancy greens.
Where to start? If you match like with like – think wines and local foods from the same region, or seasoning your vegetable dishes with similar spices and herbs to those in your glass, with a little trial and error – the veggie box can offer rich pickings.
Here are seven wines to pair with veg-based dinners this spring...
Sainsbury’s Fairtrade Shiraz SO Organic 2018, Western Cape, South Africa (£6.50, Sainsbury’s)
At its best, Shiraz signals plums, blackcurrants, earthy fruit flavours and a twist of black pepper. Think vegetarian quiche – crisp golden pastry, eggs, cheese, broccoli, courgettes, herbs and peppers – and this ripe red with its fruity core, hints of spicy black pepper and smooth tannins has enough stuffing to marry well with the taste and texture of the tart.
Morrisons The Best Negroamaro 2018, Puglia, Italy (£7.25, Morrisons)
Generally speaking, a food-friendly Chianti mimics the flavours of tomato sauces and pasta bakes, with its soft fruitiness and herbal notes. But if you want to kick it up a notch and highlight the sweetness in this lipsmacking Negroamaro, with its sun-soaked black fruits and good acidity, this wine is a natural bedfellow with sweet red peppers in a vegetable lasagne, and its rich, fruitiness blooms with a tray of caramelised roasted veggies.
Co-op Irresistible Marlborough Pinot Grigio 2018, New Zealand (£7.50, Co-op stores)
This perennial favourite is a really good Pinot Grigio with plenty of freshness. In contrast to some bland, neutral Pinot Grigio, there’s a lovely floral intensity with hints of pear drops here, and full flavours of stone fruits and lychee with brisk acidity. This all makes it a delicious match with stir-fries featuring pak choi with a light soy sauce, or vegetable-based risottos with asparagus coming into season.
Vignerons Ardechois Viognier Gres du Trias 2018, Coteaux de l’Ardeche, France (£9.95, The Wine Society)
A rich, fragrant white from the Rhone Valley that’s versatile and food friendly, if you want to bring out the heady aromas of apricots, peach and honeysuckle, serve this full-bodied beauty with whipped mashed potatoes, creamed leeks or a classic vichyssoise (leak and potato soup). The roundness, gentle acidity and aromatics seem to work like a dream, essentially matching creamy notes with cream.
Adnams Claret Bordeaux 2016, France (£9.99, Adnams)
For those who want a break from leafy greens and fancy foraging for mushrooms, which can be stuffed, sauteed, sliced and diced, served as a vegetarian main course or layered into a mushroom terrine, try this Bordeaux blend. With its perfumed blackberry, plums and dark red fruits in a savoury style and firm but balanced tannins, it will perfectly complement the woodland earthiness of your favourite fungi.
Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2018, Central Valley, Chile (£10.30, Tanners Wine)
Fresh, grassy aromas teamed with vibrant tropical fruits, interwoven with notes of apple and fennel, and perfectly balanced by fresh, limey acidity. If the sound of this makes your mouth water, then you’ll find this Sauvignon Blanc irresistibly uplifting – pair it with herbaceous salads, fresh peas, avocado on toast, or a chunky guacamole laced with fresh coriander and red chillies.
Yealands Estate PGR 2019, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Awatere Valley, New Zealand (£14.95, Great Western Wine)
Focusing on the aromatics of three grapes which have been deftly blended, this wine brings everything to the party, with its exotic bouquet of orange blossom, spice and ginger. The palate offers a similar profile, underpinned with more citrus flavours showing lovely white fruit concentration, pristine acidity and a crisp, citrus finish – this is a delectable drop with vegetable Thai green curry, and if you’re entertaining, it makes a great choice for smart vegetarian or vegan dinners.