Perfect Takeaway Pairings
Here at South Downs Cellars we love a good food and wine pairing but do not be fooled into thinking that this means we are always putting on fabulous feasts to get out the good wines. Sometimes a simple takeaway is all we need to get the impetus to put together a mouthwatering pairing. Here are some of our favourite takeaway and wine pairings for you to explore.
English Sparkling and Fish & Chips
My all-time favorite pairing is fish and chips with English Sparkling Wine. This pairing works thanks to the amazing ability of sparkling wines to pair with fatty foods. The high acidity in sparkling wine helps cut through the fatty batter on the fish, stopping the fats from covering your taste buds and muting your taste buds, giving you a fresh taste with each bite. Sparkling wines also have bubble to help further clean your palate by lifting the fats off your tongue. Finally, a wine’s acidity also helps acidic foods taste less acidic. For this to work you must have more acidity in the glass than on the plate, but this makes the vinegar on your chips taste less sharp. Another great pairing which uses the same logic is Champagne and Fried Chicken.
Sherry and Sushi
Sherries make fantastic food wines and are often overlooked, with one of the perfect accompaniments for sherry being sushi. The higher levels of acidity sherry provide a crispness that cleanses the palate between bites of rich or fatty fish, like salmon and tuna. Fino is crisp and sharp with subtle almond notes; wonderful with standard nigiri, seabream, and white-fish ceviche. Coastal Manzanillas have a natural sea-spray, briny note from their coastal aging conditions, which is exceptional with shellfish, crab rolls, and delicate sashimi. The slightly richer with deeper nutty notes of an Amontillado are better suited if your Shushi features toasted nuts, tare glazes, or cooked elements like unagi or teriyaki. The yeasty flor-aging notes they possess create savoury, nutty undertones that match soy sauce, toasted sesame, and vinegar-seasoned sushi rice
Gewürztraminer and Curries
One of the most challenging pairings for wine is curry. Alcohol can increase the spicy heat of a curry and the intensity of flavour can easily overwhelm a more delicate wine. One of the best wines for pairing with curries is a Gewürztraminer. If it is an off-dry example of the grape, then the sweetness in the wine will help cool the spice from the hot chili peppers. The flavour notes found in Gewürztraminer wines of ginger, cinnamon, and tropical fruit mirror similar spices and flavours found in the many curries and will marry up nicely with curries from the Subcontinent, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. The weight of Gewürztraminer is another strength of this pairing. The full, slightly oily body of the wine holds up well against heavy sauces, with the full body balancing well with creamy coconut milk or vegetable curry bases.
Monepulciano and Pizza
Pizza is another classic take away option, and it really comes into its own alongside an Italian red wine. There are a variety of red wines from Italy that would work here, such a Chianti (or other Sangiovese based wine), Valpolicella (made with Corvina grapes) or Primitivo, but we are going to suggest a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The wine's acidity will cut through the rich mozzarella, while its berry notes echo the sweet-tart tomato pizza base. Italian sausage, spicy pepperoni, or ground beef will match the wine’s dark fruit and savoury depth and will combine well with the red wine tannins. For more earthy pizza toppings the forest-floor and rustic plum notes complement roasted mushrooms or truffle oil. Finally, the bready crusts and robust toppings of many pizzas find an equal weight match in Montepulciano d’Abruzzo's medium-to-full body.
Donuts and Sauternes
When pairing sweet foods like donuts and other yummy pastries you need to have more sugar in the glass than on the plate. This is because if you have a wine that is dryer than the food it will taste bitter and unpleasant in comparison. Sauternes has high natural sugar, but its vibrant acidity keeps it from tasting cloying. This freshness cleanses the palate after a heavy, oily bite of fried dough. With plain donuts the simple sugar coating lets the complex stone-fruit and honeyed characteristics of a Sauternes shine brightest. With flavoured donuts the notes of citrus curd, honey, apricot, and butterscotch in aged Sauternes mirror standard pastry fillings and glazes that are commonly found with donuts. The acidity of the many fruit fillings also matches the natural Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon profile of the sweet wine.
