Although it may seem a little incongruous to picture a leather-clad, rufty-tufty biker sitting astride his huge hog, clutching in his steel-studded glove a bottle of fine claret, I nevertheless wouldn’t flinch at recommending a Cabernet Sauvignon for this tasty pasty, even if I was on a Vespa whose multiple mirrors revealed that I was surrounded by a gang of such knights of the road!
Bay Radio's Sunday Brunch Presenters, Noelle and Bob - glasses in hand!
Cabernet Sauvignon often stimulates tasting notes of black pepper and of course beef, partnered by this super, dark, brooding, blackcurrant nosed wine, is a marriage made in heaven (or indeed around the campfire with the ceremony performed by a levi-clad ‘angel’!).
As the proud ex-owner of a BSA 250cc C15, I’d certainly enjoy this combination!
There are white wine grape varieties that sometimes bring to mind Mango (Chardonnay, particularly from the New World) and Melon (Marsanne, from Mediterranean France but more so from Australia). However, this is a meat dish and a spiced one too, given the hot pepper sauce and black pepper, so we have to talk red, but rich and fruity red.
Sunday Brunch presenters, Noelle and Bob, enjoying a glass of recommended wine in the nerve centre of Bay Radio!
One of the consistent characteristics of red wines from the Cariñena DO is their up-front fruit content. Garnacha is often the grape variety used so you might like to find wines from this area. Or you could consider the Monastrell based wines from DO Jumilla, particularly from Bodegas Juan Gill which are renowned for their juicy fruit both on the nose and on the palate.
A Crianza or even Reserva from these areas should do the trick for this dish. They’ll have the necessary fruit but also the roundness and fullness that a meat dish like this will require.
Or why not try a Spanish Syrah or blend with Syrah involved? This variety has adapted so well in Spain, providing full ripe and rich fruit from the Mediterranean climate and yet retaining, when grown at higher altitudes, a touch of spice to match the pepper in Noelle’s recipe.
Bay Radio Presenters Noelle & Bob taste the recommended wine!
LIVER WITH ORANGE
There are a number of red wines which go rather nicely with liver. The grape variety Shiraz, now becoming increasingly prevalent in Spain, would be just right but also young Rioja or Navarra – however can they match the orange fruitiness of this particular liver dish?
Well yes, I think they can! Don’t go for oaky wines, a Semi-Crianza or Roble (fewer than six months in oak) would be the maximum if you must have your oak fix – but better to stick with a joven, fruity red of no more than two years of age.
CREAMY GARLIC MUSHROOMS & TOSSED UP CHICKEN CHILLI
This sounds a super, balanced menu – but it’s a challenge for wines! Mushrooms often go well with red wines, full-bodied ones at that. However there is an integral creaminess to this starter so we need to tone down the full-on red and yet retain some of the character. Rosado is my choice, particularly Bestué 2009 from DO Somontano. This wine, made from Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon is dark in colour, fruity but with a nice lick of acidity to cut through the cream – should be ideal.
Bay Radio's Dynamic Duo, Noelle & Bob, enjoy wines recommended to complement Noelle's Sunday Brunch Recipes!
Chicken is very wine-friendly and there are many styles and colours of wine that will suit this popular poultry. Here we have a slight Oriental or South East Asian influence with the addition of sweet chilli sauce and there is a super grape variety to match all the flavours going on in this dish – Gewurztraminer!
It’s a mouthful to say but worth it as it makes a wonderful, exotically flavoured, aromatic white wine which really should be on all Chinese/Thai/Indonesian/Vietnamese restaurants’ wine lists! The one I’m thinking of is Bodegas Viñas de Vero’s Gewurztraminer 2009, again from DO Somontano. Considered a German grape variety it’s name means spicy grape – ideal with this sort of cuisine.
Both wines are widely available – why not buy them both and enjoy Noelle’s recipes even more?
