Many consider the vegetable dish as the "side," complementing a meat or protein entree. But for many of us, vegetables are the main attraction, taking on a starring role as we seek out vegetarian and vegan choices.
Vegetables have the same relationship with wine as any other food. They just need to taste good together.
The rules for pairing vegetables and wine are dictated by how the vegetables are cooked. Raw, steamed or lightly sauteed vegetable dishes generally pair best with light-bodied white wines. Adding a creamy or cheese sauce calls for a fuller-bodied wine. But some vegetables pose special challenges.
Raw asparagus tends to challenge any wine pairing. Cooking asparagus and the seasoning or sauce is key to a successful pairing. Sauvignon blanc pairs ideally with asparagus that has been lightly drizzled with a low-acid vinaigrette. When the asparagus is topped with hollandaise, cheese or butter, a chardonnay is the best bet. With grilled or roasted asparagus, the flavors are earthier and a dry cabernet sauvignon rose makes a good match.
THE VALUE
2013 La Playa Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, Chile (about $9 retail)
THE SPLURGE
2013 Greg Norman Victoria Chardonnay, Australia (about $18 retail)
Raw onions on their own are tough on any wine pairing, but in a salad they blend with the other flavors. Dry rose wines are an ideal match to not only the onions but also most ingredients in salads. When the onions are grilled, caramelized or roasted, the dish calls for a fuller-bodied wine such as a tempranillo, grenache or merlot.
THE VALUE
2013 Rosa by Belasco de Baquedano, Argentina (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
2013 BV Napa Valley Merlot, California (about $27 retail)
Butternut squash when cooked in soups or roasted has a sweet and savory taste and needs a wine with body and character. Safe bets for white wine would be a full-bodied chardonnay, but with the savory flavors, light-bodied reds can stand up to the pairing. Consider a pinot noir, Dolcettto or Valpolicella.
THE VALUE
2013 Cellar No. 8 Chardonnay, California (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGE
2012 Point North Pinot Noir, Oregon (about $19 retail)
No matter whether grilled, raw or roasted, artichokes are notorious as a misfit with wine. The culprit is often not the artichokes but the choice of wine. Avoid red wines entirely and opt for a light-bodied pinot grigio, vinho verde or albarrino.
THE VALUE
2013 Broadbent Vinho Verde, Portugal (about $10 retail)
THE SPLURGE
2013 Martin Codax Albarino, Spain (about $18 retail)
Lorri Hambuchen is a member of London's Institute of Wines and Spirits. Contact her at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or email:
uncorked@thewinectr.com
Food on 09/03/2014