A Note from the Taliban: We apologize for interrupting the posting of yesterday’s
blog with our continued hostilities throughout southern Afghanistan. We will try to be more considerate of
the wine and food loving public in the future.
And now for today’s pairing. The pasta in this case is neutral in terms of flavor,
texture, nutritional value, and so forth, so the key element for the pairing is
the processed cheese food inside. Almost
acting like a compote, the dark cherry of a Central Otago pinot noir from New
Zealand will harmonize with and stand up next to the dense cheese in the
tortellini. With quality producers
here judiciously using proven winemaking techniques and barrels from this
variety’s spiritual home in France, the intense fruit will be balanced by spicy
notes and streaks of minerality reflective of the local terroir.
Desirable characteristics for a white wine pairing would be
acidity to cut through the fat in the cheese, yet with enough structure to
stand up to its strong flavors.
Such a wine can be found in northeastern Italy in the region of Friuli,
made from tocai friulano. Nutty
notes on the finish will serve to bring out the very best from this substandard
cheese.
Complementary Pairing:
Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
Try: Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir
[www.quartzreef.co.nz]
The production here mirrors a Burgundian model. The grapes are mostly destemmed, with a
small percentage of whole clusters depending on the vintage, and are then given
a cold soak before the start of a temperature-controlled fermentation. After the completion of fermentation
and additional maceration, the wine goes into mostly new barriques, and will be fined but not filtered prior to bottling.
Contrasting Pairing:
Friulano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Try: Schiopetto Collio Friulano
[www.schiopetto.it]
This classic expression of friulano comes from vines over 40 years old
planted on marl. In order to
preserve the purity of the fruit, aging is in all stainless steel tanks for
approximately 8 months. Look for
floral aromatics, with golden pear and almonds on the palate.
