Summer wine special

Matching Food and Wine When wine accompanies food it can enhance the overall enjoyment of a meal. It can increase the time spent at the table, encourage conversation-including discussion on the merits of the wine. The initial ceremony of opening the wine, appraising the wine and then sharing it among friends can form part of the occasion. One never knows what to expect from wine as often the flavour of the wine varies slightly between bottles of the same type. The flavour can be influenced by the meal, the mood of the group, the occasion, the time of day, the ambience of your surroundings, and the wine itself. Deciding on which wine to select for a meal can often be a daunting task for people who may think that only particular wines will complement specific dishes. The good news is that while great emphasis was previously placed on ‘correct’ selections the modern approach is that you should not be too concerned and select what you think your guests will enjoy best. Having said that, there are general guidelines to follow that will give a better match than if selecting the wine randomly. It will help you to select appropriate wine if you take into account the flavours and the heaviness of the food and then match these against the wine flavours and body. Here are some general guidelines that will allow you select a good match between the food and the wine. Try to match the weight and flavour of the food with the weight and flavour of the wine. Rich food with strong flavours demands a rich wine with strong flavours. If you are serving cakes or puddings then you need sweet wines such as Sauternes or port. If the food is acidic say with tomato flavours you can select a wine with good acidity or freshness in the mouth such as light Italian red wines. Other typical matches are meat/roasts with full bodied reds, fish and white meats with whites, fatty and oily food with crisp whites, spicy food with aromatic white wines such as Riesling and smoked salmon with Champagne.

Pick of the Month

Gran Sangre de Toro
Spain
€12.50
Freely available

Tasting Note: This red wine from Spain is a popular choice in Ireland. It is a rich full bodied wine which has a deep ruby colour and pleasant aroma. As it is aged in oak barrels it has a slight vanilla and toasty flavour with rich fruit flavours of dark fresh fruit like blackcurrant berries. This wine will accompany meat dishes, game and pies and any fairly heavy or hearty meal. Before serving ensure the bottle is not any way cold to the touch. Do not confuse this with Sangre de Toro which is a lighter version of this wine and less flavoursome.

Vinetime Wine Tasting Events for Corporate, Social & Private Parties Email: vinetime@gmail.com

Carol's Wine Column

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is an unfashionable grape at the moment. We’re all familiar with people who order white wine that is ABC – Anything But Chardonnay! Perhaps it is because chardonnay has virtually come to mean ‘white table wine’.

However a lot of people don’t realise that when they are drinking Chablis or Burgundy they are in fact drinking Chardonnay. Just because it doesn’t say so on the label doesn’t mean it’s not Chardonnay! Chardonnay is a favourite of growers and winemakers because it is quite versatile, the vines are easy to grow and have a high yield. As it is such a strong grape it is rarely blended with other varieties.

Chardonnay is a green skinned grape variety which produces a white wine that ranges from clean and crisp to rich, complex and oaked. The grape originally hails from the Burgundy region of France. In the late 20th Century, it quickly became the most widely planted variety worldwide. It is now grown in 35 of the 42 wineproducing countries and Chardonnay wines are among the most popular white wines in California and Australia. Common fruit characteristics of Chardonnay are green apple, pear, lemon, melon and pineapple. Flavours can be described as buttery, creamy, nutty and smoky. Chardonnay takes oak well and many higher priced Chardonnays are typically fermented and/or aged in oak barrels.

American oak is not as expensive as French oak and gives a sweeter vanilla flavour. French oak gives more subtle nutty flavours. Often wine receives oak contact in the form of oak chips in a “tea-bag” that is added to the vat. This is a much cheaper way to add oak flavours to the wine and can sometimes overpower and over flavour the wine, which may put a lot of people off. Chardonnay is also an important component of Champagne, along with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Champagne labelled ‘blanc de blanc’ is 100% made from Chardonnay.

Chardonnay grapes used in Champagne are usually picked before they are fully ripe while they still have high acid and understated fruit flavours. Wines made from the Chardonnay grape are usually served chilled. Chardonnay goes well with creamy sauces and lobster. To get the most from a good oaked Chardonnay, try it with smoked salmon.

Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay, 2005
This is a Chilean wine aged in American oak barrels. It is yellow in colour and has an aroma of tropical fruits such as grapefruit and mango with vanilla and hazelnut undertones. The taste is pleasantly acidic and similar to the nose with a sweetness of vanilla due to the oak barrels. It retails at €12.99 with an alcohol content of 14%. If you like oaked wines then this is a very good one to try.

J. Moreau & Fils Chablis, 2005
This is a pale gold wine from the Burgundy region of France. It is a good example of an unoaked Chardonnay and has a fruity nose with hints of golden apple and pear. It is fresh on the palate with flavours of citrus. This wine retails at €15.95 and has an alcohol content of 12.5%.

Carol Doyle, ESB Power Generation