Shafer’s vegetable matches
Annette Shafer of Shafer Vineyards says some vegetables and herbs pair well with wines. She offers these suggestions:
▪ The earthiness of mushrooms with an earthy pinot noir or a fruit-forward merlot
▪ The high acidity of tomatoes with the crisp acidity of a pinot gris or sangiovese — even a fruit-forward syrah
▪ The sweetness of corn or sugar snap peas with the off-dry fruit of a chenin blanc or a well-balanced chardonnay
Spring arrives this week and with it the annual transition to lighten up our fashions and our foods.
Coats give way as capris come into play, just as hot soups are replaced by refreshing salads.
As chefs welcome warmer weather with new crops of fresh ingredients, their menus begin to morph with brighter notes and lighter fare.
Spring’s fresher flavors also call for wines with fresh flavors.
This week’s High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, in its 21st year as a fundraiser for the High Museum, has restaurants and wine lovers focused on outstanding vineyards and vintages and the best ways to enjoy wines in the context of a meal.
“More white wines and roses emerge in the spring while chunky reds are not as much in full force,” said Michael Bryan of Vino Venue and the Atlanta Wine School.
Offering more than 200 classes a year on food and wine, Bryan’s team of wine and culinary experts presents guidelines for pairing. “The goal, he said, “is to find the right balance like able dance partners.” For instance, Bryan says a halibut dish presented with a mango, lime, jalapeno chutney would partner well with a New Zealand sauvignon blanc because the wine has melon and fresh tropical notes.
Veggie-friendly wines
Most of the time wines are chosen based on the meat, chicken or fish entree served with a meal. But Annette Shafer of Shafer Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley offers advice for vegetable-focused menus.
“Certain vegetables and herbs virtually always complement wines, such as shallots, leeks, corn, peas, fava beans and mushrooms. Among herbs and seasonings, good choices are thyme, sesame oil, and a hint of lightly cooked garlic,” said Shafer, the wife of winemaker Doug Shafer and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who also works as a wellness coach.
How vegetables are cooked can change things a bit, too.
“Roasting vegetables in a hint of olive oil adds a rich quality that makes wine a good partner,” Shafer said.
One of her favorites is roasted butternut squash. “Finish it all off with a bit of shaved Asiago or manchego cheese and you can enjoy any wine in the gamut from a lively chardonnay to a rich, bold cabernet,” she said.
Red wines pair with vegetables, too. Since grilling vegetables creates toasty caramelized flavors, Shafer says they match deliciously with merlots, syrahs, zinfandels and even less tannic cabernets.
Bryan says the char created when grilling foods requires more intense wines.
Said Bryan, “You need a bigger dance partner.”
