He Says, She Says July 2008

Tomato Phyllo Pie

Chuck says: Greetings, Wini! Hey, if we’re all ready for some fresh and exciting summer flavors at this point — and I certainly am — looks like this month’s lineup is going to fill the bill superbly. You know, for a few of these recipes I had a hard time settling on a wine pairing, but not so with this one. From the moment I first scanned the ingredient list, I started thinking Sancerre, and still can’t get that pick out of my head.

Really, Sau blanc, in general, seems a great fit here — especially with that feta and basil — but the Sancerre iteration of this varietal, with its flinty sophistication, is going to click with the tomatoes and elevate this pairing to a higher plane. What do you say?

Wini says: Yup! I’m with you all the way on the Sauvignon Blanc idea, and I love the Sancerre thought. However, I sometimes find French Sancerre’s hard to find, and they can be a bit pricey, too.

In a recent tasting, I came across really good California version of Sauvignon Blanc: Moon Mountain Sauvingon Blanc (Sonoma County; $11). It’s a little bit lemony, but nicely rounded and smooth, too, thanks to a little time spent on oak.

Smoky Dry Mole-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Chuck says: Looks like this is my one chance this month to go red, so I’m going to take full advantage. Tell you what, the cocoa in this grilled pork rub leapt out at me as something that could kick some serious booty when matched up with a Malbec. Not that you need to stop there, however — the whole package seems utterly tailor-made for this chewy, bbq-friendly, grape variety. Let’s go to Argentina for this one — the 2006 La Posta Angel Paulucci Vineyard Malbec ought to be dynamite here.

Wini says: So funny that the cocoa notes said “Malbec” to you. Did I ever tell you about the first time I had a Malbec? It was in Cahors, France, and I actually thought that chocolatey thing was….weird! Have you ever tried to send a wine back in France? Just don’t go there, lemme tell ya.

Once I figured out what Malbecs were all about, I revisited those Cahors wines (Cahors wines are all about Malbec!) — and now I get them. Yes, they are so great for barbecue. And here’s a really fun one: the inexpensive Zette Malbec, from Cahors — it’s got that smoky, black-licorice thing going on and it just begs for anything charbroiled. None too heavy, it will work on a warmish night.

Grilled Shrimp with Orange and Habañero Mojo

Chuck says: I don’t mind admitting that I wavered a bit here, Wini. I’m sure you’ll agree that any time blisteringly hot habañeros are involved, you darned well better step lightly with your wine choice—if you go with wine at all.

We often talk about how a little sweetness in a wine can go a long way in working with heat, and this recipe is no exception. But because we’re combining shrimp with that heat, something is telling me that a Chenin Blanc-based wine might be the way to go — I often dig these with seafood. So, let’s try an off-dry Vouvray, from France’s Loire valley. Although some of these simply labeled Vouvray are actually a tad off-dry, if you can grab one that also says “demi-sec” on the label you can be assured of getting the proper style.

Wini says: Well, la-dee-dah, Chas. Right. Just mosey on down to your darling little boutique wine shop, chat with the cute wine-merchant dude a while, and have him lead you to a Vouvray that says “demi-sec” on it. Great idea for those who live in that kind of world.

But for those of us who have exactly 3.7 minutes to find something quick on the supermarket shelf while we’re picking up the rest of the ingredients for this lovely dish, let’s stick with sweet (at least you got that right), but home in on something a little easier to get our hands on. Check out Rosemont Traminer Riesling for a sweet Riesling. And I never thought I’d be whole-heartedly recommending a White Zinfandel, but Barefoot Cellars Sparkling White Zinfandel is lusciously fruity and refreshing, and let me tell you, those bubbles will go down nicely on a warm night with this hot-hot-hot dish. Both should be more widely available than your little demi-secs.

Red Snapper and Mango Ceviche

Chuck says: I love the looks of this! Granted, with the jalapeños and oodles of acidity it’s maybe not the easiest wine pairing in the world, but I’m chomping at the bit to make this killer ceviche, nonetheless.

OK, Wini, I think I’ve settled on the right wine for this, but I’m certainly willing to listen to reason if you don’t agree. But the thing is, I’m definitely feeling a Latin pull, all the way back to Spain, in fact. In this wine, I want a bracing, invigorating rush of tangy flavor up-front to match the recipe’s citrus, and the wine needs to finish crisply, as well. And in-between, we’ve GOT to have some body, noticeable fleshiness, or that jalapeño’s going to do a number on us. Where we might normally look to a kiss of sweetness to tackle the heat, that’s not going to cut it here, with the lemony-lime, powerful puckering that’s involved. But mouth-filling body just might do the trick. I’m sure you know by know where I’m heading . . . oh yeah, that’s right—Galicia, for one of those awesome Albariños.

Now, it could be that you and I are about to butt heads over this one, but something tells me, well, maybe not. The verdict?

Wini says: I’M NOT WORTHY!!! I’M NOT WORTHY!!! You’re the master. OMG! There I was scratching my head over this one, and you nailed it — Albariño is the perfect match, and the way you describe it is right-on—it’s crisp coming in and on the finish, but with great body in between — just what we need with this recipe.

Trouble is, supermarket shelves don’t exactly brim with Albariños. But in this case, there is no substitute, so, while we’re letting that Ceviche marinate in the citrus juices, let’s go have a talk with the cute wine-dude at the local specialty wine shop, and let him lead us to a great bottle. Well done, Chas! You win this round, hands down. Or, we all win, thanks to such a great pairing.