Karel's definitive wine pairing for this Spanish-facing dish of mine—with a fiery whisky cream sauce that is more Mexican than Iberian Peninsular— to which he has taken a shine. No mean feat to find the ideal sipping companions for this one with its complex flavours and fiery heat.
Addictive! This dish is positively addictive. Once again, so many things are happening that pairing it with wine is not trivial, though. One of those things are the hot red chillies. In fact, Ken and I went through the difficult issue of ascertaining that we were really talking about the same scale of “hot”. Right from the start, then, we are both talking “seriously hot” but, of course, very enjoyably so (I used rawit red chillies from South-Africa by the way).
The wines mentioned below are up to the task. In comes the genius of this dish: you will see the direction in which to think wine-wise but you may want to try a comparable wine from your own favourites that does not really take the chillies’ fierceness as a hurdle (or your idea of enjoyably hot may just differ from ours for that matter).
Now then, there are ways to obtain a match with such wine. Using “mildly spicy” chillies is explicitly not one of those! That would alter the plate’s character which must really, really not happen. You can however, bit-by-bit, increase the amount of cream. Or you prepare more of that succulent tomato basting so you can add more of it to the sauce.
Tomato purée, cream, bacon and whisky together with the chillies would call for pairing the dish with red wine as Ken already suggested. That wine should have noticeable presence as well as acidity for a good match with the powerful and creamy food. Then again, careful with the acidity , especially in an otherwise elegant wine. It can become too much of a good thing, clashing with the tomato purée as well as the whisky. If that happens, the wine may be reduced to an acid skeleton and the sauce may lose its beautiful coherence of taste.
Ken’s introductory lines on the Iberian-Caledonian link made me think we have to have wine from Galicia with this dish; looked kinda nearest to Scotland to me. If the latter might sound like poppycock, the Atlantic, cool and arid environment of Rias Baixas in particular produces truly excellent wines, some of which are a great match with the dish.
Bodegas y Viñedos Forjas del Salnés, Rias Baixas, “Goliardo” Tintos de Mar which you may also still find under its former name “Bastión de la Luna” is the entry-level blend of local red grape varieties caiño, espadeiro, loureiro and sousón by the brilliant Rodrigo Méndez. Not overly extracted, very dry and delicate, it is still assertive enough for the dish to which it delivers a cool contrast.
Also from Bodegas y Viñedos Forjas del Salnés in a more robust and concentrated style, but otherwise “coastal” character comparable with the preceding one, there is the Rias Baixas, “Goliardo” Loureiro (100% loureiro). On the other hand, the flagship red Rias Baixas “Finca Genoveva” Caiño (100% caiño), as good as it is, would be an example of a wine that does not become friends with the dish.
Filippa Patto and William Wouters, Bairrada “Nossa Calcario”, a 100% baga from very old vines. We stay on the Iberian Peninsula but cross the border to Portugal. I would have liked to list valuefor-money superhero “Dinamica” here, usually a great match with tomato based dishes. However, I felt it behaved uneasily. At three times Dinamica’s price, then, Nossa Calcario is in quite another league and in its own right superb value as well. Elegance and a certain coolness here again but complex and lingering persistently in the mouth; great wine.
Clos Canarelli, “Tarra di Sognu” rouge (Corsica), a blend of local grape varieties carcaghjolu neru, sciaccarellu and minustellu. The “Land of Dreams” is a fairly recent project by gifted winemaker Yves Canarelli. 2016 being the first vintage produced, it has instantly caused a buzz in France, and rightly so. Finesse coupled with incredible texture, this is the best Corsican red I have ever come across (but then there is still “Tarra d’Orasi” to be discovered…).
Rather than playing the card of elegance and contrast, the following reds extend the voluptuousness of the dish and it shows in their degree of alcohol. I’m sure you’ll have fun trying to find out what appeals most to you. Okay, you caught me: I love them all.
Sans Liège Wines, “The Offering” (California), a blend of grenache noir, mourvèdre and syrah with the smallest bit of viognier (at least in the 2016 I have been drinking). Dense, intriguing wine, I could not try to express it better than winemaker Curt Schalchlin — read it here.
Allegrini, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, a classic blend of corvina veronese, corvinone, rondinella and oseleta. Allegrini offer one of the best Amarone at still affordable prices for such wine (but please go ahead with Giuseppe Quintarelli or Romano del Forno if you feel like indulging even more and, ahem, splashing out. Ken’s cookery is certainly worthy of it). drank the 2004 with its matured flavour of Amarena cherries, almonds, chocolate, “powdered” (for lack of a better word) rose petals and warm spices such as cinnamon. But you can drink a younger and fresher tasting vintage such as the marvellous 2016 as well, perhaps even better. In that case, make sure to let it breathe first, decanting almost obligatory.
Tardieu-Laurent, Bandol (Provence), mostly mourvèdre with some grenache. Less in-yer-face than the preceding two, this is an ever reliable meaty wine with gobs of fruit. Great value and a bit of an evergreen in the personal cellar.
Red wine is not without alternative, though. Here are some excellent white matches.
Domaine Berthet-Bondet, Côtes du Jura “Tradition”. A blend of chardonnay and savagnin made sous voile (those curious about the process can learn more about it here) whereby the wine is matured for two years under a veil of yeasts and the inevitable loss of liquid over the time it stays in the cask is not compensated by adding more wine. This technique adds zesty, nutty and spicy flavours reminiscent of some sherries that undergo a similar biological ageing process. The wine is very fresh in its youth, and yes, there is nicely fitting acidity here.
In the same vein, I also vividly recommend Domaine Pignier, Côtes du Jura “Cellier des Chartreux” that spent three years sous voile. As this is sadly missing in my cellar, I couldn’t try this one with the dish yet (question of time, rest assured; addictive dish as I said).
Bodegas Mas Alta, Priorat “Artigas” blanc. This is a blend of white grenache, pedro ximenez and macabeu grown in one of the most extreme Priorat landscapes (mas alta, indeed) by a bodega conceived from its start in 1999 to play in the highest league. And, wow, they certainly deliver aided by wine wizards Michel Tardieu and Philippe Cambie. The wine is as wealthy and complex as it is fruity, mineral and elegant. One of the best Spanish whites I know at any price, full stop.
Bodegas y Viñedos Forjas del Salnés, Rias Baixas, “Leirana”, 100% albariño. Indeed, Rodrigo Méndez knows how to craft great whites as well. Very dry, fresh and mineral with a touch of creamy texture that makes it match where many other albariño’s would fail with this rich dish.
No serious beer recommendation with this dish I’m afraid.
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