by Dan Smothergill » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:01 pm
A few weeks ago we tried an Andrea Immer recipe of potatoes and cauliflower soup with truffle oil. We added in some Swiss cheese and and a couple of chicken bouillon cubes. For wine we had a 2012 chardonnay from Talmard Macon-Uchizy. Yummy as an aperitif, with the soup it was much better. The mouth feel was bigger, the body stronger and the taste much smoother. Soup and wine blended beautifully too. The dinner was such a success that we decided to do it again but with a different chardonnay, this time a 2014 unoaked Red Tail Ridge from the Finger Lakes. Predictably more acidic than the Talmard, but not out of balance, it was enjoyable by itself.The surprise came with the soup. Contrary to what we expected, the taste remained much the same and it did not blend especially well with the soup. Dessert with strawberries brought another surprise. Now the wine was lively, with more character, adding to the taste of the strawberries as well. So much then for generalizing about wine and food pairings without taking account of the particulars of the wine.
