Wine Pairings

[MissMissy]

I am trying to match a wine to a meal and would appreciate any opinions. I'm serving pork chops, green beans and wild rice. Okay so the wild rice is 100% wild rice, not the combo of long grain and wild you get from Uncle Ben. It's seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary and then added to the rice is a carmelised shallot, green pepper, and wine sauce. Wild rice has a nutty flavor and texture to me, especially the kind I get which is processed by hand in Minnesota. The amount of green peppers will give some spice without making it spicy, if that makes any sense. All in all it will be kinda earthy flavored.

I was thinking a Zinfandel might go well in my rice and also for drinking with the meal. What are your thoughts. I don't know alot about wine so I really appreciate any help to make this meal great! Thanks.

Missy

 

[Decodence]

I would go with a Pinot or Zin personally.

 

[John in Covina]

How are you doing the chops? BBQ, roasted, pan seared, braised? What spices are you using on the chops?

If not too spicy even a chilled Riesling would go with them.

If BBQ'd or spicy the zind will be good or even a shiraz from down under.

A nice cabernet sauvignon if not too tanic or oakey.

 

[DrSpeed]

How are you doing the chops? BBQ, roasted, pan seared, braised? What spices are you using on the chops?

If not too spicy even a chilled Riesling would go with them.

If BBQ'd or spicy the zind will be good or even a shiraz from down under.

A nice cabernet sauvignon if not too tanic or oakey.

I agree. Perhaps a Pinot Noir?

 

[MissMissy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm grilling the chops. I might top the chops with some of the sauce depending on how much I like it.

 

[John in Covina]

Pinot is fine but to find a good one can be tough. It doesn't lend itself to any shortcomings in fruit or production technique.

 

[MissMissy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've written them down and I will continue to check thread for more insight before I head to the wine store next week. Say, does anyone know a good wine store in the Fort Worth TX area? I did see a place called WineStyles in Southlake.

Again, I appreciate the help. I get kinda nervous about serving wine to people who know more about it than I do. I don't feel I need to impress but I want to show my guests that I put thought into our gathering.

Missy

 

[John in Covina]

Thanks for the replies. I'm grilling the chops. I might top the chops with some of the sauce depending on how much I like it.

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If you grill it then a red will probably go better. Try a Zinfandel from Dancing Bull or a Rosenblum if you spot one that is a good price.

 

[John K Stetson]

the wild rice is 100% wild rice, not the combo of long grain and wild you get from Uncle Ben. It's seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary and then added to the rice is a carmelised shallot, green pepper, and wine sauce.

What kind of wine is in the wine sauce? I usually try to server a similar wine for drinking that I use in the sauce, though perhaps several steps "better." That is, if I use a California Pinot for the sauce, perhaps I'll serve a Carneros (relatively small region in the southern part of Napa - Acacia is a pretty reliable winery) Pinot with the meal. Though that's when I use the wine for a sauce for the protein (but it sounds like you might do that)... I've used wild rices from Minnesota as well, they are great.

You can play with a couple of ideas: matching the wine to the flavor components or contrasting them.

If you're in Texas and it's hot, perhaps a big red would be fatiguing - so a Pinot, red Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, or a cru Beaujolais would work. I really, really, like dry Rose wines from France as well since they
are served slightly chilled and have fruit from (typically) Grenache, syrah and mourvedre, they stand up well to meat off the grill. Riesling was mentioned - and if you want the wine to be spicy, there's Alsatian (ie Trimbach, Zind Humbrecht) Gewurztraminer.

Hey - if there's a large crowd, get a red and white! Though I too tend to agree - grilling food, with the resulting char, really lends itself to a red.

 

[John in Covina]

Yes, you should echo the wine of the sauce with what you'll serve to drink.

 

[MissMissy]

The recipe says cooking wine? I'm not sure what "cooking wine" is but I assume it isn't great so I'm looking to choose a wine that will be good in the sauce and for drinking.

 

[John in Covina]

The recipe says cooking wine? I'm not sure what "cooking wine" is but I assume it isn't great so I'm looking to choose a wine that will be good in the sauce and for drinking.

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Most chefs will tell you to stear clear of anything labeled "cooking wine" from the market. They are the worst of the worst and often loaded with salt.

One cooking with wine comment was that using blended types of wine as opposed to straight single varietal wines gives the dish better, more even flavor. The French wines and those that emulate them tend to be blended wines.

 

[texasgirl]

Ft Worth?

You might see if there's a World Market near you. I always find interesting wine, beer and soda there. Actually, they have all kinds of neat stuff

http://www.worldmarket.com/home.jsp

 

[adamjaskie]

I almost always just use the same wine for cooking and drinking. Cooking rarely involves more than a cup or so of wine, and if I'm cooking for more than, say, three people, I'll have a second bottle on hand anyway. I'd rather not open a separate bottle just for cooking. I'll buy something separate for cooking if I'm serving a really nice wine, though, or if I'm making something that involves a lot of wine (like a stew or braise).

 

[John in Covina]

You might see if there's a World Market near you. I always find interesting wine, beer and soda there. Actually, they have all kinds of neat stuff

http://www.worldmarket.com/home.jsp

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We in Southern California know it as the first part of the name: "Cost Plus" and they have a fine selection of wine with a lot of fun stff. I got a wine there a couple of times called Doggy Paws or something like that which was pretty darn good for a fun named wine.

Also check out their selection of chocolates!

 

[MissMissy]

Oooh, yeah I seen a World Market or Cost Plus in Denton, so I know how to get there. lol I think I'll go check them out this weekend.

I appreciate all the great suggestions everyone, thank you. I'll make sure to post what I end up buying this weekend and of course how it turns out in the end next weekend.

Missy

 

[John K Stetson]

Cooking rarely involves more than a cup or so of wine

Unless, you are doing some personal "quality assurance" - for the benefit of your guests of course!

Who was it that said "I always cook with wine. Sometimes I even put in the food?"

Anyway, the advice to avoid cooking wine is spot on. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Don't underestimate the power of beer.


I would have a Biere de Garde, like 3 Monts with this, because of the herbal and spicy notes that would probably go well with rice. A Belgian Saison, or Abbey Ale (a Tripel maybe?) would probably go well with it too.

 

[adamjaskie]

Unless, you are doing some personal "quality assurance" - for the benefit of your guests of course!

Well, naturally. I was, of course, talking of the wine that goes *in* the dish. Typically it's barely one serving of wine that gets used in a recipe, if it's just a sauce. Often, though, it's a fairly important liquid in a stew or braise, and you use most of a bottle. I'll generally pour myself a glass, and dump the rest into the pot.

For the same reasons, I use 13oz of beer in my chili...

Oh, you might consider a Carménère from Chile.

 

[Staredge]

and if you want the wine to be spicy, there's Alsatian (ie Trimbach, Zind Humbrecht) Gewurztraminer.

This was my first thought when I read the OP, but Gewurz can be a bit offputting for some folks. I like it, although I seldomly drink it. (I don't nearly drink as much wine as I'd like)