October Feature Little Plates; Big Flavors

It seems that the popularity of “little plates,” like tapas in Spain, cicchetti in Italy, or mezze in the Middle East, has returned. Usually enjoyed abroad on a stroll to a restaurant, they appear designed to stimulate rather than sate the appetite. Although small in size, they are often big in flavor. In their native environment, these dishes are served with local aperitifs like sherry or simple white wines. But in the U.S., these plates often become the meal and finding the right wine for them can be a little challenging.

When pairing wine and food, weight is the key. Pair the weight of the wine with the weight of the food and you’re on your way to becoming a first-class sommelier, or at least a good f00d-and-wine matchmaker.

What do I mean by weight? Not talking pounds or kilos here; rather, the heft of the dish. For food, I think we know when we’re tasting something that’s light or heavy. Salads, poached white fish, fruit–all relatively light. Grilled salmon, sauteed veal, semi-aged cheeses might be considered medium weight foods. Stews, grilled red meats, roasts and the like may be considered heavier fare. The sauces and spices may also add a certain amount of weight to a dish. A poached chicken with a heavy white sauce may easily move up from a middle weight dish to a heavy one.

As for the weight of a wine, I like to use (and I hope without offense) milk as an example. For light bodied wines, think of skim milk, totally fat free. For medium bodied wines, think 2% wines; full bodied wines, whole milk; heavy wines, you guessed it, cream.

Of course, in addition to weight there’s also flavor to consider. Delicate citrus flavors are wonderful with lighter dishes. Mineral and light-berry flavors pair well with the middle-weight foods. Earthy and black-fruit flavors are the perfect matches for the big guys.

But above all, trust your own taste. It may take some time before you’re fully comfortable with food-and-wine pairing, but learning and experimenting can sure be a lot of fun.

One book that I find very helpful on this subject is Joanna Simon’s Wine with Food. Its last chapter, “Matching Wine and Matching Food” is a handy, two-part quick reference guide to finding the best wine for a particular dish or the perfect food to complement your favorite bottle.

For this tasting, we ordered in a variety of tapas from a local Spanish restaurant. Among the dishes we sampled were: Calmar a la Plancha, grilled seasoned calamari, Gambas a la Plancha, grilled shrimp with olive oil and lemon, Chicharon de Bacalao, chunks of light fried fresh cod, Caracoles, escargot with parsley, garlic, and olive oil, Pinchos Morunos, marinated grilled pork cubes, Patatas Bravas, spicy potato cubes with tomatoes, paprika, and wine sauce, Fritos, a selection of fried tapas, Albondiguillas Estofadas, beef meatballs stewed in a brandy sauce, and Maduros, fried sweet ripe plantains. We also enjoyed some grilled Chorizo sausages and Manchego cheese.

Our custom at TableWine is to taste the wines first on their own and then again with the food. We sometimes find that a wine that was just OK on its own can start to sing when it’s well matched. The wines are listed in the order in which they were tasted. Please share your thoughts and suggestions for other pairings by adding a comment to this post.

Cava Parxet Cuvee 21 $11.99 Quick-fading mousse, light straw in color ,with medium sized bubbles. The nose is yeasty, and the dry flavors are reminiscent of toast. Light bodied and effervescent. We found this wine overwhelmed by all the dishes we paired with it.	Parxet Cava Cuvee 21
Maculan Pino & Toi 2008 $11.99 We left Spain and went to Italy for this one. From the renowned Veneto producer Maculan, this blend of Tocai, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Bianco is pale gold in color. The nose is exquisite with floral aromas like acacia and honeysuckle. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and delivers dry flavors, with hints of apple and caramel or burnt sugar. Well structured, with good acidity, it has a nice finish with some honey notes. This wine was excellent with the calamari and the shrimp. A star of this tasting.	Maculan Pino & Toi
Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Blanco 2008 $11.99 This wine from Spain’s Castilla region is 100% Airen. Pale straw in color, it offers attractive grapefruit aromas. On the palate, it is light bodied and flavorful with crisp citrus notes. A nice, persistent pithy finish with some hints of pine or cedar. This wine was wonderful with the pork.	Ercavio Bianco
Burgans Albarino 2008 $12.99 From Spain’s Rias Baixas region, this wine is pale gold in color. Beautifully aromatic, with notes of muscat and vanilla, it is medium bodied and delivers flavors of orange zest and dried apricot. Light on the finish with hints of apricot and minerals.	Burgans Albarino
Bodega Norton Lo Tengo Torrontes 2008 $9.99 Pale gold in color, this wine from Argentina has an attractive forward nose of white flowers, citrus, and pear. Medium bodied and off dry, it’s packed with juicy pear and citrus flavors, complemented by some mineral notes. Very well structured with a persistent finish. This wine was excellent with the food, especially with the shrimp and the pork. Another star of this tasting.	Lo Tengo Torrontes
Castaño Monastrell Yecla 2007 $7.99 Deep ruby in color, this wine has a subdued sweet red-cherry nose and rich cherry flavors. Light to medium bodied, with cherry flavors and a nice tart finish. This wine was outstanding with the pork and the meatballs. An excellent value at this price.	Castano Monastrell
Casa Castillo Monastrell Jumilla 2007 $9.99 Deep ruby in color with a rich cherry nose. Medium bodied, it delivers tart wild-cherry and spice flavors. Well structured with good acidity for dining and supple tannins. A persistent spicy finish. Excellent with the food, especially with the beef and, at this price, another star of the tasting.	Casa Castillo Monastrell
Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya Finca Hoya de Santa Ana 2007 $9.99 Deep ruby verging on purple in color, this single-vineyard wine from Spain’s Jumilla region has a rather odd vinyl, synthetic nose with notes of wet tobacco. Light bodied, it offers tart fruit flavors and a tart finish. This wine was too light for the food.	Olivares Altos
Maipe Bonarda Mendoza 2008 $9.99 Deep ruby verging on purple in color, this wine from Argentina has black-fruit aromas of plums and berries, complemented by notes of earth and beef. Light bodied on the palate, with sweet supple tannins, it offers vinous flavors with notes of spice on the grapey finish. It was very good with the beef and pork.	Maipe Bonarda
Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este Vino de Mesa 2007 $9.99 This blend from Spain of Monastrell, Tempranillo,  Syrah, Garnacha, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color with red-fruit and berry aromas. Light bodied and smooth on the palate, it offers black-cherry flavors with hints of spice. Beautifully structured, with good acidity, it finishes nicely with notes of cherry. This wine was very good with the food.	Alto Almanzora Este