Pairing wine and artichokes (updated)

Artichokes are frequently described as a “wine-killer,” but is that reputation deserved? While it’s true that artichokes can make dry white wines taste unexpectedly sweet, the problem is somewhat exaggerated.

As with other ingredients the key to finding a good pairing is looking at how artichokes are prepared and served.

The hardest way is the classic serving of boiled artichokes with a vinaigrette which defeats most wines other than very dry white wines and rosés. (Fino and manzanilla sherry are much better)

But these days artichokes are prepared in many other ways - served raw or grilled, as a pizza topping or with other ingredients such as lamb or Mediterranean vegetables. Which means you can go for wines you might not expect.

Take, for example, the innovative approach of Simi Winery in California. They found that chargrilling artichokes and serving them with garlic mayonnaise made for a perfect match with their Sauvignon Blanc. This technique, along with serving artichokes raw or paired with rare meats, can help mitigate the sweetening effect that artichokes often have on wine. it would also go with this artichoke and preserved lemon dip.

In Venice and across northern Italy, artichokes are often incorporated into creamy risottos, which pair beautifully with wines like Soave or Bianco di Custoza and, further south, with Trebbiano as I discovered from this pairing at a spectacular artichoke dinner at Bocca di Lupo in London. 

Similarly a palate coating ingredient such as olive oil, butter or an egg or butter-based sauce such as hollandaise will make an artichoke-based pairing easier. You basically play to the sauce rather than the artichoke.

If you’re dressing them with an oil-based dressing adding a little finely grated lemon peel seems to help as does wine-friendly grated parmesan or parmesan shavings or even sheep cheese as in this salad of raw artichoke and Berkswell cheese which went with a crisp citrussy white.  I’d serve a similar wine with an artichoke-topped pizza.

Strong dry rosés such as Tavel are also a good match for braised artichokes as are some orange wines as you can see from this pairing with braised cuttlefish and artichokes.

Can you ever pair red wine with artichokes? 

If artichokes and white wine are a tricky pairing, red wine is surely even more so?

Not always! About 12 or so years ago my late husband who was cooking served up that most difficult of dishes - artichokes vinaigrette (boiled artichokes with vinaigrette) and cracked open a bottle of red wine.

I thought he was mad but astonishingly the pairing worked.

The wine was a full-bodied (14%) Bordeaux blend called Quela* from a producer called Klinec in Brda, Slovenia. It was a biodynamic wine, made with indigenous yeasts from organic grapes (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) and aged for two years in cherry casks with the minimum of added sulphur (25mg). It had a really bright fruit character (bitter cherry and wild bramble) and must have been totally dry as neither the artichoke or the vinaigrette had any impact on it at all. It just stayed intense and vivid.

Would it work with other wines, other Bordeaux blends? Maybe not younger ones - this bottle was from the 2007 vintage - but if you were serving artichokes with lamb which is common, absolutely!

Maybe natural wines - and Cabernet Franc in particular - are the answer - provided they’re to your taste, of course. 

By the way, for what it’s worth, it was a leaf day!

Anyone else had success with red wine and artichokes?

Which wines and beers to pair with asparagus

This month I asked my fellow Tweeters to tackle the subject of wine with asparagus - supposed to be a tricky combination, but as @cuvee_corner put it “Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the difficulty.” (It isn't just you. There are plenty of options!)

Sauvignon and Chardonnay were probably under-represented in the feedback because I asked for less usual pairings but it was fascinating to see which other wines you’d found successful.

If you didn’t take part in the survey on Twitter and have a successful asparagus pairing you’re dying to share email me at fionaATmatchingfoodandwineDOTcom

Asparagus whites
* Simple is best, steamed and served with butter and a glass of Muscadet @emmausglos
* Cellar Springs Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc (Co-op 5) is my favourite with asparagus so far this season @Perrin124
* Always love a good NZ Sauv Blanc, Margaret River Sem/Sauv or Cava with asparagus @wine2010
* a good NZ or Chilean Sauv Blanc @finewinedrew
* I like sauvignon blanc with asparagus, especially if chevre & mint are along for the ride @ericvellend
* White Bordeaux? To go with hollandaise? @benpaustin
* A vinho verde with high proportion of Loureiro, very mineral and refreshing! @CasaLeal
* Posh Aligot like Coche Dury @OstreaEdulis (I would also consider Goisot, Ramonet and Aubert de Villaine for good Aligot added @RobertGiorgione)
* Grilled or oven baked asparagus with Chenin Blanc from South Africa or the Loire @iWineReview
*I like my asparagus with melted butter so prefer Chardonnay to Sauvignon but that's personal preference. Or how about a bit of Chenin Blanc or Menetou Salon? @FallowfieldsUK
* Arneis with asparagus, esp with parmigiano atop (the asparagus, that is) @memmw
* I had a Petite Arvine (Swiss white wine) with a dish of asparagus, turkey, ham, egg and a light creamy sauce with curry powder. Good combination! @Wijnkronieken
* Quinta da Cardo Siria from Beiras in Portugal. Has slight taste of gunpowder! but excellent with asparagus @Portovinowines
* White asparagus with Alsace Pinot Blanc. My favourite combination. Reminds me of home in Holland @pieterrosenthal
* I like to serve a dry muscat/moscato giallo/muskateller e.g Alsace, Alto-Adige, Germany or Austrian @robertgiorgione
* Not-so-common matches (so far as I can make out) would be a dry muscat from Alsace and a straight smillon. I love muscat in all forms and would gamble on that. @howardggoldberg
* Sylvaner's a good match for the basic taste of green asparagus @howardvann
* Austria's Riesling Domaine Gobelsburg 2008 is lovely with British asparagus and hollandaise sauce http://bit.ly/bvCNcs @TheWineSociety
* Viognier perhaps? @bkwineper
* Barrel-vinified Mauzac with green asparagus, wild or cultivated @RivesBlanques
* Asp/feta/mint frittata is good with Rueda Verdejo. Also aspergeade + Rolle blends from Provence (Vermentino in Corsica) @foodwinediarist
* In winter when our asparagus comes from Peru I like to serve them chopped over penne with dried morels in mustard cream & nutmeg. I’d pair that with Weiburgunder from the Sdliche Weinstrae end of the Pfalz, Silvaner from Franken, WB or really opulent GV from Austria said @auslese55, adding “and last night we had Kremstal dry muscat w an asparagus/chevre salad. Neuburger is also quite good w Spargel.”
* @spicespoon and @cheeserus were also Gruner fans “something like Werner Michlits Meinklang which has a classic savoury pea/celery flavour” said @cheeserus
* Asparagus, basil ice cream, and ripe cherry tomatoes with top South African sparkles (Graham Beck Cuvee Clive was one). @HarryReginald

And with red wine . . .
* I recall having an asparagus (and parmigiano) risotto with a delicate sliver of black truffle accompanied by a soft Tempranillo @harshalshah
* Lacrima di Morro d'Alba by Badiali, a red wine from a small DOC in central Italy with asparagus with a creamy but not lemony sauce @slowgrapes
(I’m surprised more reds weren’t suggested. I’ve found that if you grill asparagus and serve it with olive oil or with sauted mushrooms (a good accompaniment for steak) you can happily serve a light red like a Cabernet Franc (FB)

And even dessert wine (though I remain to be convinced ;-)
* Can recommend Sauternes - had a wonderful 1999 Rieussec last Saturday which matched up beautifully! @SauternesSteve (though he revealed it was served as a vegetable with a spicy lamb dish)

Beer ideas
There was almost as much enthusiasm about pairing beer with asparagus as wine. I’ve always tended to go for witbier but several of you suggested a richer, sweeter style which I'm going to have to try.

* Saison Dupont is a fantastic asparagus match @thornbridgekel (@BrisBeerFactory agreed, “especially with hollandaise”.)
* @thornbridgekel also remembered “a lovely, slightly tart Berlin-Style Wheat Ale by The Bruery in US called Hottenroth”
* Griddled asparagus with Westmalle Triple "totally delicious!" @ZakAvery (you can see Zak’s fascinating video on pairing wine with asparagus on YouTube here)
* Try a dressing of raspberry or cherry beer with fresh tarragon or tarragon mustard for a little kick! @BertinetKitchen
* I had a simple dish of asparagus with lemon butter and black pepper with Paulaner Wheat Beer last night. It shared the same green citrus and aromatic notes @DomLane

My own favourite new asparagus pairing btw is Deutz Champagne with asparagus served with soft boiled eggs, shelled and rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried as served at Racine in Knightsbridge which made me think that bubbles might be a way to go with asparagus and hollandaise too.

Thank you all for your great suggestions. Next month I’ll be looking for the best drink for a barbecue!