How-To: Pair Wine and Brussel Sprouts

When thinking about a nice meal with a glass of wine, brussel sprouts aren't the first food to spring to mind. They're not everyone's favorite vegetable, but when prepared correctly, you can avoid that stereotypical whiff of sulfur. Still, no matter how the dish is prepared, you can always taste the brussels sprouts. Earthy, but sweeter than cabbage or broccoli, with just a hint of that funk: they are a great vessel for other flavors. Many people just simply roast them with a bit of olive oil or butter, maybe adding some balsamic vinegar, or...that favorite ingredient to fix a dish--bacon!

If you're looking for a wine to pair with brussels sprouts, look for a big wine, with some of those similar flavors: Earthy, funky, maybe a bit of sweetness.

• Classic Cotes du Rhone, with big flavors of herbs and spices
• Australian Shiraz (the same grape as the Cotes du Rhone) will give you just as big, but rounder, fruitier flavors.
• Italian Barolo will have some interesting earthy flavors, but might be even bigger flavors than the brussel sprouts
• Stone-y white wines like Chenin Blanc or some dry Rieslings can match the mineral flavors.

Wine Cheat Sheet: Chenin Blanc

Quick Review: Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc 2010

South Africa, Stellenbosch, Ken Forrester Reserve Chenin Blanc 2010

+ // Crisp // Apple, Citrus // Grapefruit, Apple // Light

Quick Review: Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2011

CA, Napa, Pine Ridge, Chenin Blanc + Viognier, 2011

/ // Fruity // Peach, Lemon, Apple // Unripe Apple, Grape, Peach // Light

The flavor was a little muddled, the apple of the Chenin Blanc never quite blending with the citrus and honeysuckle of the Viognier, although it did open up a bit by the second glass. It tasted as if the wine was made from very under-ripe fruit.

Pairing Wine with Brussel Sprout Curry

Pairing wine with food is mostly about history. Finding a wine to pair with a meat or fish is fairly easy, with the long traditions of wine and food in France and Italy. With other dishes, it can be a bit harder.

With a tofu dish, especially one with a curry sauce, there isn't the same depth of history to draw from, so you have to be a little more creative in your wine pairing. Tofu has little flavor of its own, while curry is a strong flavor tough to match with wine. In deciding to pair a tofu and vegetable curry, we looked to the most powerful flavor among the vegetables to find our match for the wine: brussel sprouts seemed the biggest flavor in the dish, providing earth, green vegetable, and a bit of funk.

Still not an easy match, but our thought was to search for a white wine. We decided to look for something with a bit of crispness to it to counter the richness of the tofu and curry. The earth and funk can be emphasized by a bit of minerality. With that in mind, we picked a Chenin Blanc. The younger versions from the Loire Valley can be bright, with a sharp, almost metallic edge. The pairing was pretty decent.

QUICK REVIEW: Wines from Mexico

Until our dinner at Casa Oaxaca, in D.C., Nate and I had no idea that Mexico had a wine region.

Part of adventure is trying new things. Surprisingly, these wines were very light. However, they had lost most of their fruit flavor notes (the heat will do that!). But still worth talking about, as we expand our wine knowledge.

Both wines come from L.A. Cetto winery.

Tina's choice:
Mexico, L.A. Cetto, Chenin Blanc 2009
/ Smooth // Old Peaches // Peach (almost no flavor) // Very Light
(This wine had probably been fruity at one point, but had lost most of that flavor. Hence, the "smooth" descriptor).

Nate's choice:Mexico, L.A. Cetto, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
+ // Earthy // Cherry, Leather // light
Went excellent with Nate's steak.
 
Perhaps in an upcoming Wednesday "Did you know . . . ?" post, we'll talk more about Mexican wine.

QUICK REVIEW: American Wine and Cheese Pairings

The delicious pairings we tried as part of the

2011 NYC Wine & Food Festival:

CA, Arroyo Seco, 'Grita Vineyard', Bernardus "Griva" Sauvignon Blanc 2009
+ // Crisp // Green Apple, Grass // Citrus, Green Apple, Herbs // Medium
Vermont Butter & Cheese Cremery "Bonne Bouche", VT
++ // Earthy // Stinky, Grassy, Salt // Medium-Full

CA, Napa Valley, Mumm Napa Brut DVX 2001
+ // Smooth // Toast, Grass // Apple, Oak // Light
Nettle Meadow "Kunik", NY
+ // Creamy // Grassy, Milk Cream // Light
Wine imparts a minerality, while the bubbles cut through the richness.

WA, Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc 2008
+ // Sweet (with a crisp finish) // Lemon, Petrol // Meyer Lemon, Vanilla // Medium
Bellweather Farms “San Andreas”, CA
+ // Nutty // Nutty // Medium
A very good pairing, the wine brought out some very herbaceous flavors with the cheese.

CA, Amador County, Terra D’Oro Barbera 2007
+ // Spicy // Blackberry Jam, Pine // Oak, Clove, Blackberries // Medium
Beehive Cheese Company “Barely Buzzed”, CA
++ // Nutty // Nutty, with Coffee, Mushrooms, and Lavender from the rind
This was an excellent cheese, and the coffee-rubbed rind added some amazing flavors, with brought out the fruitiness of the wine.

CA, Sonoma, Rutz Cellars, Pinot Noir “Dutton Ranch” 2005
+ // Smooth // Jam, Cherry // Black Cherry, Chocolate // Medium
Tumalo Farms “Classico”, OR
+ // Sweet // Caramel // Medium
Spicy notes of the wine pop with the cheese.
Sweet notes are enhanced with the Chenin Blanc.

CA, Amador County, Montevina Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port, NV
++ // Sweet // Caramel, Pine, Currant // Grape, Pine, Caramel // Heavy
Sartori Cheese Company “Bella Vitano Gold”, WI
++ // Sweet // Limestone, Grass // Heavy
This was a very sweet combination, good choice for dessert!

CA, Woodbridge Moscato, NV
++ // Smooth // Floral, Apricot // Apricot // Medium
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese “Grayson”
++ // Rich // Stinky // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine juxtaposed agaisnt the strong flavors of the cheese created an almost herbal combination, tempering both the wine and the cheese.

CA, Chateau St. Michelle, Late Harvest Riesling “Ethos” 2008
+ // Funky, Smooth // Honey, Stone // Honey, Grape, Mold // Medium
Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company “Unnamed Blue”, CA
+ // Funky // Mold, Mineral // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine come through.
A spicy note comes through when paired with the Zinfandel Port.