|
Rhubarb and White Wine | Article published on 07 June 2011 |
 Rhubarb is most often considered to be a fruit, when it is actually a vegetable. Rhubarb’s tartness is often used as a foil for a sauce. The crisp fibers and the persistent acidity on the palate call for a wine that is both delicate and mineral. A wine to go with rhubarb requires controlled sweetness to contrast with the acidity of the rhubarb, and good tension to work with the plant flavors.
Unlock the dessert box
Rhubarb is most often prepared as compote, jam or chutney. In France rhubarb’s acidic, tart flavours are not as popular as they are in other countries, and rhubarb has long been confined to the role of dessert. And yet, there are countless recipes involving rhubarb. One such example is foie gras served warm, accompanied by long-simmered rhubarb. Here a light and supple medium-dry white wine would be ideal. Try a 2008 medium dry Vouvray from Le Mont terroir, by the Domaine Huet. The flint-laden clayey soils confer just the right minerality to contrast with the silky texture of the sautéed foie gras, and the mildness of the wine coats the acidity of the rhubarb. This delicate wine is redolent of baked apple and pineapple, with notes of herbal tea and linden flower.
Pork is a meat which is conducive to sweet-and-sour preparations, and pork tenderloin with apple and rhubarb is a great example. The presence of meat requires a slightly more generous wine, yet the rhubarb and apple accompaniment beg for a highly mature wine, juicy and fruity with a suave, mild finish, able to face up to the two acidities. Here I suggest a 2007 Jasnières cuvée Calligramme 2007 from Domaine de Bellivière. This vintage is rich and opulent, and holds up beautifully on the palate. The wine’s great fleshiness and mildness are perfect for this dish.
Rhubarb Pie and Riesling
To pair rhubarb with a wine from outside of France, we turn to a fabulous grape which is native to the Valais area in Switzerland – the Petite Arvine. Marie-Thérèse Chappaz makes a magnificent dry Petite Arvine wine called the Grain Blanc cuvee, which displays gorgeous acidity on the finish, good power and fragrances of wisteria and rhubarb. The 2009 vintage is full and rich, a very solar wine which goes beautifully with rhubarb.
As with a good meal, let’s finish with a dessert – rhubarb pie. This of course brings to mind Chenins made with grapes harvested in overmaturity and covered with botrytis. I however recommend that we open a late-harvest Riesling whose balance is similar to the Chenin. A late-harvest 2007 Riesling from Domaine Mader in Hunawihr stands out due to its purity. Exquisite confit makes it just right for rhubarb, without sacrificing its own personality. The good final acidity provides just the right length. I can also recommend another non-French wine to go with this rhubarb pie. Here my advice is for a 2007 Tokay Föbor 2007 by Zoltàn Demeter. This wine, a blend of 80 % Furmint and 20 % Harslevelu, is the very first produced on the estate. Though it does not attain the concentration of 6 puttonyos , it displays beautifully balanced sugars and outstanding acidity.
In “La Revue du Vin de France” June 2011 |
|
|
Subscribe to RSS feed
