ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240012
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: The Wine List
SOURCE: BETH CRITTENDEN
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 25, 1996.
Wine columnist Beth Crittenden worked with Chateau Ste. Michelle
Winery through a public relations firm. Her relationship with the winery
was characterized incorrectly in Wednesday's Extra section.
As I was growing up in several East Coast states, my family occasionally ate fish sticks and I vaguely remember a bottle of Ripple in the refrigerator. Suffice it to say, my experience with both seafoods and wines was limited, at best.
My move to Seattle following my marriage in 1985 caused a culinary awakening. I found both employment with the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery and fishing boats docked with fresh-caught salmon and halibut for $2 per pound. It was a pairing made in heaven, and heaven is where I was.
Wine and seafood go hand in hand, but no one brand or grape varietal is the perfect match for every fish and shellfish. Choosing a wine to accompany seafood begins with the food itself, whether it is delicate or hearty in flavor, and how it is prepared.
The adage "white wine with fish and red wine with meat" is being challenged these days as seafood becomes more popular, its preparation becomes more creative and consumption of red wine increases. The baked cod and pan-fried trout of the past are being joined or even replaced by grilled tuna in a Pinot Noir and caper reduction, and pan-seared shark with a wild mushroom ragout. These two dishes would overpower most white wines, calling for a look to a fruity Pinot Noir or even a light Merlot.
One of my favorite fish recipes calls for red snapper or orange roughy fillets simmered in a thick, fresh tomato-basil sauce with black olives and capers, which I would probably match to a young, light Spanish Rioja or inexpensive Italian Chianti (both red wines) in keeping with the Mediterranean theme.
Even when the pairing is with a white wine, it need not be limited to California Chardonnays, though these can match beautifully to some preparations. Crisp Sauvignon Blancs match well with citrusy sauces, marinades or shellfish. Semillon and Pinot Gris are great seafood wines when grilling, and dry Rieslings and Gewurztraminers make nice pairings when oriental spices are incorporated. Switch these two wines to off-dry (slightly sweet) if your recipe calls for hot spices, to create more of a balance in your meal. For really hot spices, you may want to consider one of the increasingly popular micro-brew beers, served very cold!
Wine Spectator magazine's Harvey Steiman gives the following common-sense guidelines for choosing wines with fish:
"Lean, delicate, white-fleshed fish, prepared without adding strong flavors, is a natural with similarly light, delicate wines. Richer, meatier, darker-fleshed fish needs a little more oomph from the wine - more body, more flavor.
``[The addition of] sharp flavors, such as lemon or ginger, skews the choice toward leaner wine with higher acidity. Smoke flavors, from grilling or smoking, or hot flavors from peppers, call for richer or fruitier wines. Earthy flavors, such as mushrooms, or meaty flavors, such as brown stock, tilt the balance toward red, or at least a white with noticeable oak character."
I recently visited The Homestead's 1996 Food & Wine Spectacular, where guest chefs, winemakers, wine writers and winery representatives elevated wine and food pairing to an art form. The Homestead's chefs shared with me the recipe for Shrimp Sambuca (see Page 3), which was delicious matched with several of the rich Chardonnays poured, as well as a nonvintage Brut Sparkling Wine from Domaine Carneros, Calif. Admittedly, the chefs made it look a lot easier to prepare than it sounds here, but with all ingredients chopped, peeled and cleaned in advance, the whole process took only minutes, and it sure beat fish sticks. Cheers!
Suggested wine selections with seafood:
Alexander Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer, 1995 - $10
Robert Pecota Sauvignon Blanc, 1994 - $10
Wildhurst "Mackinaw" Chardonnay, 1994 - $10
Van Duzer Pinot Noir, 1992 - $12
Barboursville Vineyards Pinot Grigio, 1995 - $12
Recipe for:
THE HOMESTEAD'S SHRIMP SAMBUCA
THE WINE LIST runs once a month in Extra. Beth Crittenden is a local wine wholesaler as well as wine educator, writer and founder of the Roanoke Valley Wine Society, which meets for wine-tasting programs on the fourth Thursday each month. If you have a wine-related question, or would like more information on the society, call 992-3285.
LENGTH: Medium: 92 linesby CNB