Page 253 - COMING UNSTUCK by Sara tuck

Long ago there were set rules about pairing duck and rare tuna. What? A red that goes
wine with food – you never served red with red meat (such as slow roast lamb, p129),
wine with white meat or white wine with game meat AND fish? It’s wizardry at work.
anything that once had hooves. But those
mantras harked back to a time when there Always have a ripe, roasty, creamy, tropical
wasn’t the smorgasbord of sensational wine chardonnay on hand when you’re serving
now available to us. Our palates have also classic roast chicken (see p102). There’s
diversified massively in recent decades so something about tender, juicy chicken that
when it comes to choosing which wine to pair can’t help but be brilliant with chardonnay.
with which foods, flexibility is key. There are
some combos that win and others that lose. The best match with roast pork and crunchy
crackling? It’s viognier – a luscious, full-bodied
There is nothing more triumphant than white wine that oozes spicy apricot, jasmine
a glass of quality Champagne or local and citrus oil characters, which pair incredibly
méthode traditionnelle with fresh, plump well with salty swine of any kind. Try it with
oysters. Whether freshly shucked and served pork & fennel pot sticker dumplings (see p126).
au naturel (see p38), fried in crispy tempura Sauvignon blanc is always sensational with
batter or grilled with a smoky Kilpatrick seafood, but is also brilliant with tomato-based
topping; oysters and fizz is always the shizz. white meat dishes and the delicious asparagus
& salmon tart (see p114). Cabernet sauvignon is
Avoid big red wines if you’re about to launch fab with tomato-based red meat dishes such as
into a really hot, spicy dish. The high alcohol slow-cooked beef cheeks (see p120).
and chewy, dry tannins in the wine, combined
with the heat from chilli, will cause a car crash When choosing a sweet wine to go with dessert,
in your mouth. Pair hot, spicy dishes with try to ensure the wine doesn’t overwhelm the
a wine carrying some natural, fruity sweetness, flavours in the food. Late-harvest styles or
especially if those dishes contain garlic, sweet, musky Asti-style sparklings are brilliant
coriander (cilantro), ginger, chilli and lime. with fruity, citrus-based sweet treats such as
I’m a huge fan of gewürztraminer, pinot gris, rhubarb tiramisu (see p213), but try richer,
grüner veltliner and riesling as they encourage toffee-like, botrytis or ‘noble’ style wines with
complement and those flavours – and soothe heavier, creamy or chocolate-based dishes.
taste buds rather than inflame them.
By Yvonne Lorkin, wine writer and Chief
Pinot noir is an incredibly versatile, softer- Tasting Officer for www.WineFriend.co.nz
styled red that works beautifully with lamb,

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