The best food pairings for Gewurztraminer

Often compared to rose petals, lychees and Turkish delight, gewurztraminer is the wine world’s most exotic grape variety so what on earth do you pair with it?

Drier wines, which are the most common, are frequently matched with Asian - particularly Chinese, Indian and Thai - food but can sometimes be overwhelming with lighter dishes. Gewürztraminer generally benefits from dishes with more than a touch of sweetness and heat.

The gewürztraminers you find in Alsace, particularly the grand crus, also tend to be more intense than the wines you find in countries such as Chile and New Zealand. They also have sweeter wines there, labelled vendange tardive which are best served with a dessert.

Here are my favourite pairings for gewurztraminer:

Thai red duck curry

Not all Thai food works with gewürztraminer but it’s ace with a red duck curry or a yellow curry (better than with a green curry with which I’d rather have a lighter wine like a pinot gris but curries with coconut milk generally work)

Sichuanese food

Of all the styles of Chinese food I think Sichuan pairs best with gewürz, as it’s known for short. It also works really well with dishes that include ginger (including lobster with ginger as I once discovered). It can be a bit overwhelming with dim sum and lighter seafood dishes though

Other hot and spicy dishes like Singapore noodles work well and, although I haven’t tried it myself, I’m betting it would be a good match for many Korean dishes too.

Indian food

Again, there are exceptions, but gewürztraminer generally works well with an Indian meal where - as is common - several dishes are served at the same time. I like it best myself with meaty curries and biryanis but if it works for you with seafood or veggie curries go for it! (Basically if you love gewürztraminer you’ll love it with anything. It's a bit of a Marmite wine!)

Stinky cheese

There’s a classic local pairing in Alsace with Munster cheese - often with a sprinkling of cumin seeds - but gewürztraminer (particularly from Alsace) goes with most stinky cheeses including Epoisses, Maroilles and Stinking Bishop: cheeses that are a challenge to most reds.

Foie gras

Another popular pairing in Alsace. Or, if you don’t eat foie gras, with a rich duck liver paté

Roast goose

A special occasion meal that would work really well with a grand cru gewürztraminer, particularly one with a bit of bottle age.

Sweet-tasting vegetables like pumpkin and squash

A relatively recent discovery after finding how well a Tasmanian gewürztraminer went with pumpkin gnocchi. That would obviously apply to ravioli too and - I don’t see why not - sweet potatoes.

Sweeter gewürztraminers pair surprisingly well with apple-based desserts such as apple crumble or streusel cakes with cinnamon (they even match with off-dry gewürz. They don’t necessarily have to be late-harvest)

Also try mango-based desserts especially if they include ginger.

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What wine goes with Easter eggs?

I wouldn’t want you to agonise too much about which wine to pair with Easter eggs - it’s most likely a question of what’s conveniently to hand but you don’t need me to tell you that Easter eggs are sweet so you need a wine with a corresponding touch of sweetness.

And also bubbles. Easter is a celebration of spring after all. Champagne is a bit dry for me but undeniably celebratory and if it’s what you have open you go for it. Prosecco, especially rosé prosecco, is better especially with inexpensive milk chocolate eggs (the best kind!)

Then there are the strong sweet wines that work with chocolate, port, sherry and particularly at this time of year, Marsala

Or, if you’re thinking outside wine, a liqueur or fruit-flavoured gin ...

The best wines to drink with an Easter egg

Brachetto d’Aqui

This light, sweet red Italian sparkling wine is perfect with Easter eggs but not easy to get hold of, especially at the last minute

Prosecco

Prosecco comes into its own at Easter, I reckon, especially the new rosé proseccos. (Also great with Colomba di Pasqua, the Easter version of panettone.)

What sort of food to pair with prosecco?

Asti

If you’ve a sweet tooth go for Asti or, even better Moscato d’Asti

Young ruby port

Maybe a touch strong but if you’ve got a good dark chocolate egg …Or chilled pink port (anathema i know to some port lovers!) with a milk chocolate egg. For some reason marsala (dolce rather than secco) is better

A full-bodied fruity red - especially with a dark chocolate egg

Not too old, not too oaky, lots of lush ripe fruit. Think shiraz or malbec.

Pale cream sherry

Also chilled. (Sceptical? Check out my ebook 101 Great Ways to Enjoy Sherry!)

And - not wine but great if you have a sweet tooth - cream liqueurs especially salted caramel liqueurs, orange liqueurs (like a liquid Terry’s chocolate orange), limoncello (it’s spring!) and gin liqueurs especially rhubarb and raspberry flavoured ones. (OK, I DID say if you have a sweet tooth …)

Happy Easter!

See also

15 Easter wine pairings to learn by heart

101 Great Ways to Enjoy Chocolate and Wine

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The best wine pairings for steak tartare

Should you drink the same sort of full-bodied red wine with steak tartare - raw chopped beef - as you would with a grilled steak?

It is, of course, raw rather than rare which means doesn’t have the grilled surface for big tannic reds to latch on to - and it’s often served as a starter which may lead you to a lighter wine.

On the other hand it’s generally well seasoned with ingredients such as capers, mustard and Tabasco so you do need a wine that can cope with a bit of spice.

Personally I like a light juicy red wine with my steak tartare but there are other good options...

4 good wine matches for steak tartare

Beaujolais
I’m a big fan of Beaujolais with steak tartare as you can see from this earlier post. It has exactly the right casual bistro vibe. Go for a ‘cru’ Beaujolais like a Morgon. 2015 and 16 were both good vintages in the region.

Other juicy light red wines
Such as a young syrah or a mencia from Bierzo or Ribeira Sacra in Northern Spain. I’ve even enjoyed a young Coteaux du Languedoc with a steak tartare: ‘natural’ reds tend to work really well.

A good dry rosé
I originally suggested Bandol but actually other good quality Provence rosés work really well too as you can see from this ‘Match of the Week’ post.

Steak tartare and Provence rosé

Champagne
Especially rosé champagne. Crémant (other French sparkling wine) or cava if the budget’s a bit tight.

And a good non-wine option . . .

A vodka shot (or two). Not frozen though.

For other steak pairings check out

The best wine pairings for steak

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The best wine and beer pairings for mussels/moules

Just as with every other ingredient the ideal pairing for mussels depends how you cook them, starting with the classic moules marinières.

• Moules marinières is made with a dry white wine such as Muscadet so you might as well drink the same wine with them. Picpoul de Pinet would be equally good or you could try a dry Alsace Riesling

• If you cook them with witbier/bière blanche as they often do in Belgium, again drink the same beer with them. Witbiers like Hoegaarden are cracking with moules.

• Mussels cooked Thai style with coconut, lime and coriander also go well with witbier or try a Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

• Mussels topped and baked with garlic and breadcrumbs suit a crisp dry white like a Pinot Grigio or other Italian white but an unoaked Chardonnay or fruity Sauvignon Blanc such as Sauvignon de Touraine will match well too.

• If they’re stuffed with sausagemeat, as they often are in the south of France where they’re known as moules farcies, and served with a rich tomato sauce you’ll find an inexpensive Languedoc red or strong southern French or Spanish rosé will probably be a better match than a white.

• With mussel and saffron - or curry - soup (mouclade), try an oaked white Bergerac or Bordeaux or a Viognier.