Match of the week
Lamb tagine with prunes and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
You might not immediately think of wine in the context of Moroccan food but in fact Morocco has been a significant wine producer since the days of the French protectorate. And they planted the same grape varieties - grenache, syrah and cinsault that thrive in the south of France.
So it’s no surprise really to find that a lamb tagine, which is quite a red wine-friendly dish anyway, would work with a rather glorious 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château Mont-Redon, the only revelation being that it showed off the wine quite so well.
I adapted the recipe from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque, adding a teaspoon of honey which nicely offset the slight bitterness of the saffron and cinnamon without making the dish in any way cloying though, together with the prunes, it left a lingering touch of sweetness in the dish which married well with the generous opulence of the wine. The root vegetables I served with it - roast carrots and parsnips - worked well too.
You can buy it from Justerini and Brooks who sent me the sample and have just released the 2019 vintage en primeur.
For other wine pairings with other styles of tagine see Which wine to Pair with a Moroccan Tagine
Vinsobres with wild boar stew and chestnut polenta
You’d expect a Southern Rhône red to go with wild boar but in fact it was the chestnut polenta that made the match with this former Côtes du Rhône ‘cru’ so successful
The dish was cooked as part of a five course tasting menu by Matt Williamson formerly of Flinty Red in Bristol at an inaugural event for wefifo in Bristol. (Wefifo is like a foodie equivalent of Airbnb where hosts cook for paying guests.)
The wines were chosen by local wine importer Nick Brookes of Vine Trail and the dish was paired with a 2012 Vinsobres ‘Emile’ from a biodynamic estate called Domaine de la Pequelette. It was a typically southern Rhone blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% Carignan from low-yielding old vines - full-bodied, deep and savoury.
I think it was the grenache in particular that chimed in with the rich meat and sweet, chestnutty polenta. I’d definitely thinking about pairing grenache with chestnut again.
Pithivier of pigeon with Hermitage jus and 2011 Château Plaisance, Fronton
Matching a rich dish like pigeon with wine is quite challenging, especially if you serve it with an intense jus like this one so should you go for something equally rich or a refreshing contrast?
The sommelier at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe went for the latter option at a dinner to celebrate the restaurant’s eighth anniversary last week, choosing a light fresh dry Fronton from south-west France instead of a similar Rhone like a Crozes Hermitage or a Hermitage itself and it was absolutely perfect.
It may have been in his mind that the dish followed on two rich main courses with equally rich wines. The first course was a velouté of Potimarron squash with ceps and chestnuts (matched with a 2011 Chateau Lamothe-Bouscaut Pessac-Léognan) and the second a lasagne of crab with beurre Nantais which was paired with a 2009 vintage of the Galvin’s own label white burgundy, which is made for them by Vincent Girardin. They were great matches too (you get three for the price of one in match of the week this week!)
The art of food and wine matching is all about balance - not only in a single dish but right throughout the meal
RSS
Most popular
.jpg)
9 great wine pairings for duck (updated)
My latest book
How to Drink without DrinkingNews and views
.jpg)
Fine Wine and Fast Food
About Fiona
About Matching Food & Wine
Work with me
