"If it grows together, it goes together" - this wine pairing maxim expresses the empirical observation that the wines grown in a region often go well with the foodstuffs grown there and the local preparations of those products (given sufficient generations of local winegrowers, other farmers, and cooks to work things out, of course). The colors of
last night's meal gave rise to a a different and more fanciful maxim: "If it
glows together, it goes together". In this case, it's true!
Green vegetable flavors like fava and green bean, and especially the more aggressive artichoke and asparagus, are tricky with wine. My top three pairing picks: (1) Ligurian white wines, including vermentino and pigato, (2) Austrian grüner veltliner, and (3) sauvignon blanc, especially from the Loire Valley. Besides the subtle green tint of each of these types of wine, they all includes aromas and flavors that echo those "green" flavors - in a subtle way of course; too much green-ness is obnoxious in wine!
(1) Ligurian white wines: Liguria is the home of basil, pesto, artichokes, and all manner of other greennees. The vineyards clinging to the rugged Ligurian hills are green. The bottles are green. The labels seem to feature green. It all grows
and glows together.
(2) Austrian grüner veltliner: It's a little like sauvignon blanc, but to my palate spicier, tangier, more multi-dimensional.
(3) Sauvignon blanc: I'm not particularly fond of the bell pepper - tomato plant - green bean thing that comes from a naturally occurring compound called pyrazine that's present in the sauvignon blanc grape variety and in some green vegetables. For that reason I drink more grüner veltliner and Italian white wine than sauvignon. But that's a preference rather than a pairing warning - a small amount of that assertive greeness in sauvignon is fine by me, as long as it's balanced by stronger mineral and maybe fruit flavors. Many people can tolerate a larger hit of pyrazine, and in any case, it indisputably makes for a good pairing with green vegetables.
And speaking of green, both the vermentino and the favas from last night's dinner were organically grown.
Wine lovers know Hungary as the source of Tokají, the legendary sweet wine made from botrytized grapes. But the country makes dry wines as well. After all, Hungarians have to drink something before they get to dessert! We just got a new dry Hungarian white in the store... now take a deep breath and say it with me: 2007 Matyás & Zoltán Szöke Mátrai Királyleányka. No, I don't speak Hungarian either, but as far as I can tell:
