He Says, She Says, May 2007

Chuck says: Hey, pal, you know what? After digging into this month’s recipes, summer can’t get here soon enough to suit me. Not that I like hot weather (detest it, actually . . .) but I sure do love sizzlin’ summer foods. And grilled wild salmon’s one of my favs.

It’s funny, but we’ve put the days of “white wine with fish” so far behind us now, that it’s almost become passé to serve Pinot Noir with salmon—particularly, in this post-Sideways, Pinot-possessed, world. But frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. I’m hooked on the idea of pairing Pinot with this spiced, planked version of grilled salmon. And when homing in on a particular region, I see no need to stray far from our finned friends’ home waters off the Pacific Northwest coast. Oregon is the place to look for boatloads of alluring options—so many I don’t even know where to start. So, maybe with just a few of the “A’s”: Adelsheim and Argyle are proven winners; Amalie Robert is a new-ish, small producer making big, big waves.

Wini says: I’m with you on the Pinot Noir. Sure, the match is about as cutting-edge as reruns of Friends, but I love it anyway. Besides, you don’t see the French chasing after the next hot new pairing, saying, “Oh, drinking a red Burgundy with Beef Burgundy is just so 18th Century.” Nope—they find something wonderful and stick with it, and I’m all for that, too.

But how about some New Zealand’s Pinot Noirs? They’re really on the march these days, and I like ’em because they strike a terrific balance between earthy (à la Burgundy) and fruity (à la U.S. West Coast). I dig the screwcaps, too (on so many New Zealand wines these days)—handy when you’re outside in the world and don’t want to go back inside and rummage around for a corkscrew.

South Texas Vegetable Tacos with Goat Cheese

Chuck says: OK, you’ve surely noticed how much I love to shake things up every now and then by lobbing a highly unusual wine choice your way (just before ducking for cover). So here we go again: a Texas recipe? How ’bout a Texas wine? And no, Shiner Bock doesn’t pass for wine in the Lone Star state (although it’s darned near good enough to . . .). There’s actually an ever-growing list of quality Texas wineries.

Here’s the thing—I know we both enjoy making regional food-wine matches whenever possible, and lots of times, regional match-ups are unbeatable. With this recipe, I take a look at the goat cheese that figures so prominently and can’t help but think of Sauvignon Blanc, a classic match. Since Texas is now producing some nice Sauvignons, there’s no reason not to give this a whirl—or maybe a Texas two-step. Will this stuff be easy for everyone to find? Maybe not. But if you’re like me, the thrill of the chase is often a big part of the fun. To give you a head start, I like the Texas whites I’ve sampled from Fall Creek Vineyards for this, but I hope readers will let me know what they come up with. I’m guessing you’ve got other ideas, Wini?!!!

Wini says: Ouch! Yep, Sauvignon Blanc and goat cheese is another one of those classic matches, but those spices are really throwing me off. Last time I had S.B. with something this bold, the spices just kept building, and I kept drinking more and more wine and…(well, that’s another story for another time).

Here’s what I propose: A wine cooler. Yes, I can hear you spitting nails all the way from Montana, Chuck, but I’m not talking one of those fake wine coolers made from malt liquor. Somehow we’ve forgotten the pleasures of a real cooler—of plunking a little ice in our wine and filling the glass with soda and finishing it off with a lemon twist. I need some refreshment here, and I’m thinking how nice a cooler made with dry, crisp rosé might be.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Smoked Paprika

Chuck says: This looks lip-smackin’, tongue-slappin’, plate-lickin’ good! I’ll be making it—guaranteed. With the sherry and Spanish paprika, it hints that there’s a “Spain meets San Antonio” thing going on here, and I see that as ever so promising. The deep, satisfying flavors of long-simmered vegetables enveloping the chicken are speaking to me too, but give me a sec ’cause my Spanish isn’t very good . . . ahh, but of course! They’re saying to go with a wine featuring the lush, spice-tinged Spanish Garnacha variety (called Grenache in France). Couldn’t agree more.

Now, it doesn’t have to be 100 percent Garnacha, but if we’re talking blend, we do want Garnacha to be a major component. Reds from the Spanish regions of Cariñena, Calatayud, and Campo de Borja—all close together in northern Spain—tend to show lots of the Garnacha character that would be dynamite with this dish. No, these regions aren’t exactly household names, but the wines aren’t hard to find, either. Another pay off? The deals can be unbelievable. My advice is: Be the first on your block to try ’em, while these wines are still a bargain.

Wini says: I say “si” to Garnacha, but what if you’re in the mood for a white? I’ll take your lead and stick with Spain. But I’m going for a super-cheap blend I discovered last summer: Rene Barbier Mediterranean White. Find it at large discount houses for about $6 a bottle. It’s just a simple table wine on the dry, crisp side. Plenty refreshing, but not zingy.

Southern Fried Chicken

Chuck says: I see a lot of different ways to go with scrumptious fried yardbird—frankly, I believe it’s possible to find a compatible wine in red, white or pink, whichever you prefer on that day.

That said, I’ll go ahead and pick a color and give you a choice: White. Chardonnay. It takes luxuriously creamy body in a wine to match the sensuous mouthfeel of fried chicken. Chardonnay’s got it. And the right Chard for this will have seen a little oak, as well. So, maybe it’ll sound a little weird to recommend French white Burgundy with down-home Southern Fried Chicken, but it’ll be très, très bon, y’all. Or, for a fittin’ domestic Chard, you might think about something from Washington. Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay is an easy one to find with all the right qualities.

Wini says: Yum! This looks like the fried chicken recipe to end the debate on the best fried chicken recipe once and for all. I’m going to agree with you on your pairing idea, but I’m going to stick with France for my Chardonnay, going with white Burgundy all the way. If it’s a special occasion, try a Meursault from Louis Jadot—a luscious, full white that will stand up beautifully to this rich dish. For an everyday pick, just go for a white labeled Bourgogne—though they might not say it on the label, they’re made from Chardonnay, too. Now, where’s my cast-iron skillet. I gotta get cookin’!

Risotto with Parmigiano, Prosciutto and Asparagus

Chuck says: Time for a return to regionality, my friend! When serving classic Italian dishes such as risotto, I sometimes have such a hard time pouring anything but regional Italian wines with them. In this case, I’ve got my heart set on Barbera, an easy-drinking red from northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Unlike blockbuster Piedmontese reds like Barolo and Barbaresco, workaday Barbera doesn’t pack powerful tannins and doesn’t need oodles of aging. For this particular risotto, what I’m most looking forward to is tasting Barbera’s bright tartness against the tang of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and its mouthwatering fruit—without a whole lot of oak—following the saucy creaminess of the rice. What works for you, Wini?

Wini says: Oh! This is Damon Fowler’s recipe…I had the great luck to travel with him to Parma, Italy, on a foodie trip to learn about Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma, which obviously helped inspire this fabulouso-looking recipe.

Chuck, you wouldn’t believe what Damon and I drank so often while there: Lambrusco! Everywhere we went, this lightly sparkling red wine was on the table. Admit it—you thought Lambrusco was a lollipop wine for people who really didn’t like wine! Not at all! It’s refreshing (because it softly fizzes) but has some heft (because it’s fruity and red)—I just love the way it meshed so well with the rich foods of the Emilia-Romagna region we visited.

The trick, however, is going to be finding a good Lambrusco. For this one, you might have to buddy-up to a wine shop owner specializing in Italian wines and ask him or her to point you to a Lambrusco that’s worthy of a risotto that stars these time-honored ingredients.