Heirloom Vegetables and White Wines

Importantly, the key to a successful food-wine match is not based on the single ingredient, be it the main one – of meat or fish. The textures and flavours of the side dishes and the sauces must also be taken into account. To get back to the subject at hand – parsnips, turnip-rooted chervil, Jerusalem artichokes, root parsley, crosnes, salsify, endive… each has its own strong personality. These are rustic vegetables and can complicate the wine-lover’s search for the right match, for two reasons. First of all, all these vegetables, with the exception of the parsnip, have distinct bitterness. They also have a ferrous taste and can have very earthy tones. Each vegetable has its own style of wine … white wine that is, for red wines hit a dead end when faced with these vegetables. On the other hand, the great mineral bitterness of white wines plays off the rootiness of the vegetables with great panache.

To go with these timely pairings, I have chosen main dishes which feature white meat (poultry) or white variety meats such as veal sweetbreads. Here, I invite you to play with contrasting tastes. Choose white wines with a generous initial impact on the palate and a fairly mineral quality on the finish.

2001 Puligny-Montrachet
Let’s take the example of sautéed veal sweetbreads in light cooking juices and just-wilted salsify. This I would serve with a chardonnay from Burgundy, a 2001 Puligny Montrachet made by Anne-Claude Leflaive. This great white, which has attained a respectable age, will contrast beautifully with the softness of the sweetbreads. The mineral, crystalline weave of this wine will flatter the salsify.  A splendid match.

The Loire valley – home to the great dry white wines – also provides some outstanding suggestions. My thoughts go to the Savennières appellation, between Angers and Nantes. Powerful, with great mineral firmness, these wines are also great matches. Turn to the

2004 L’Enclos cuvee, by Éric Morgat. A beautifully-hewn diamond to embellish just this kind of dish.

Next let’s look at roasted poultry accompanied by a purée of forgotten vegetables. Once again let’s head to Burgundy and make a stop in Meursault. Give in to the 2007 Tessons 2007 by Jean-Marc Roulot. The terroir here has a frank and forthright personality which borders on the austere and is offset by the freshness of the 2007 vintage. Absolutely ideal with this dish.

One last example will be red meat – with a pot-au-feu made with old-fashioned vegetables. Here, the right match comes from Alsace. Try a 2008 Zellberg Pinot Gris from André Ostertag or a 2008 Hinterburg de Katzenthal from Meyer-Fonné. Both of these wines have the power and the stature required to behave themselves perfectly at the table bearing such a dish.

Enjoy tasting!