WTN: 2008 Domaine Aubuisieres Vouvray Cuvee de Silex, Loire

At Zely and Ritz, Raleigh on Dec. 30th. Although this might be expected to display some sweetness, I decided to try it with acorn squash and parsnip soup with an arugula tuile and striped bass with shitake mushroom sauce. It was more a gold color than straw. Lifted note. Slightly sweet. I sense apple, pear and peach in the flavor palette on the palate. It turned out to be a very good match to the soup though less complementary to the striped bass with mushroom sauce. There was also a soft herbal component--sage or oregano? celery seed? I liked this. Pleasantly surprised by how it enhanced the soup and vice versa.

At Zely and Ritz, Raleigh on Dec. 30th. Although this might be expected to display some sweetness, I decided to try it with acorn squash and parsnip soup with an arugula tuile and striped bass with shitake mushroom sauce...Pleasantly surprised by how it enhanced the soup and vice versa.

I think the bass in mushroom sauce is trickier but the squash and parsnip soup (so much sweetness in those vegetables) sounds like a natural match for an off-dry wine. Nice pairing. And nice that such a 'perfect' pairing for an off-dry wine could be found with 'Western' cuisine (IMO too often people say off-dry wines are for 'Asian' cuisine).

The soup and Vouvray, gonna try that! Thanks for this.

i think this is a really lovely wine. quite a ripe nose; but the flavors are no more than sec tendre.

David, "sec tendre" means? slightly dry? off dry?

David, "sec tendre" means? slightly dry? off dry?

Yup.

If you're inclined to look at numbers, sec tendre is 4-15 g/l residual sugar (although technically that could just be labeled 'sec' and many 'sec' wines have that much RS). Demi-sec is usually 17-35 g/L.