Wino Wrestling Federation #11: Pairing for Ultimate Pleasure
You’re likely going to be sharing these bottles with friends or family at an upcoming holiday gathering. Maybe you won’t, but I bet you will. Or at least you’ll consider it.
Many of us who work at Ro Sham Beaux are familiar with the experience of bringing home a bottle of natural wine from our favorite producer, only to be met with vacant stares from our conventional wine loving family members. “Is this supposed to be good?”
Sigh.
Nobody wants to be the asshole who shuts down when met with resistance to what they’re bringing to the party.
This month we arm you with food pairings to sweeten the introduction of these wines to hesitant imbibers.
It’s true that natural wine isn’t beloved by all. But there’s a lot to love in the world of naturally made wines. They’re vibrant, and alive, and tend to deliver the unexpected. Set your loved ones up for success by pairing these wines with foods that’ll really make ‘em sing. Feel free to use our ideas as a jumping off point, and let us know what you come up with!
Cheers,
-Ro
Kadarka Porkoláb-völgy 2019
Producer: Heimann & Fiai
Appellation: Szekszárd, Hungary (SekSard)
Grape Composition: 100% Kadarka
Climate: Cool continental with dry warm summers
Soils: Mainly loess with iron rich red clay.
Maceration & Aging: Fermented in open plastic vats, 13 days maceration, and then aged in unlined clay vessels for 8 months.
Alcohol: 12.8%
Residual Sugar: 1 g/l
Acidity: 5.2 g/l
In 2012 the Heimann family planted 2 hectares with 3 specific clones (P123, P115 and P131) on the western facing and windy part of the Porkoláb valley. The soil is the typical loess of Szekszárd with the addition of iron rich red clay. Using no more than 30% whole clusters, the 2019 was fermented in open plastic vats, light extraction with twice daily punchdowns, 13 days maceration, and then aged in unlined clay vessels for 8 months. Compared to the Birtok, this single vineyard bottling is impossibly elegant and layered despite having less alcohol. Aromatically, it showcases the dried flower, herbal and spiciness of Kadarka
Our Take:
“The great poet Charlotte A. Cavatica once spun the words “SOME PIG!,” “TERRIFIC,” “RADIANT” and “HUMBLE.” While these inspiring words were intended to evoke a sense of empathy as an emotional catalyst to spare the life of her dearest friend Wilbur, I dare say they elegantly encapsulate the full experience of drinking Hungarian Szekszard Kadarka. This savory "Pork" wine is perfectly poised to be paired and shared with the light and sweet nature of “Zuckerman's Famous Pig!”
Certified Organic and hand harvested, this vibrant ruby red boasts an elegant balance of playful acidity and delicate tannins. Bright raspberries and sweet cherry steal the show with a supporting cast of soft minerality, and supple floral tones. A veritable smorgasbord indeed.”
-Kyle
Pairing:
These pairing ideas are brought to you by our fave, Eric Danch of Danch & Granger Selections (importer of this wine, and Sac local).
“Halászlé (fish, paprika soup), but it also goes really well with anything with beets (Borscht!), wild mushrooms, and paprika. You can find a recipe for Halászlé here. A number of versions exist, some are served over pasta, others include cream, but all are made using freshwater fish such as carp, perch or pike. Fried fish are also served at the festive dinner, along with warm potato salad. To complete the feast, beloved Hungarian desserts are offered, such as beigli (walnut and poppy seed
roll), kifli (crescent-shaped yeast roll), and chocolate-coated fondant candies called szaloncukor,
which are hung on the Christmas tree and used to decorate yuletide gifts.”
Consider also:
“Spiced with Hungarian paprika, dill, and thyme, this comforting soup is just what you need when
winter seems to go on forever, and ever, and ever…”
Jeux de Vin, Tout va Bien, Alsace, Pinot Auxerrois, 2020
This wine is from a negociant project from Kumpf et Meyer in Alsace. They wanted to highlight growers near them who have amazing vineyards, while simultaneously keeping this project separate from their personal label.
Direct press Pinot Auxerrois goes straight to neutral barrels, and kept on the lees. Bottled in the spring.
Our Take:
“This is like a pear dipped in petrol. It’s got a stickiness to it. On the nose, it’s like sparkling pear cider. On the palate there’s a sting on the end, but with a little creaminess that blunts it. Reminiscent of citrus Fun dip. Remember Fun Dip?
Sometimes white wine will pack too much of a punch in the alcohol department. It can just taste too…. Alcohol-y. This is subtle, and hardly abrasive.
We want to drink it outside, around a fire pit.”
-Juli, Eric, Jasper, & Kelly
Pairing:
Roasted Veg! Mushroom and Asparagus, specifically. We recommend steering clear of sweeter vegetables like squash or sweet potatoes. Stick with something savory. Anything earthy.
Or a savory goat cheese tart with a medley of mushrooms.
Orrrr, take this route, inspired by Kyle: take a log of goat cheese (not chevre, as it’s too crumbly), freeze it for 10 minutes, slice it into medallions, coat ‘em in egg whites, roll them in almond meal, and fry them in a pan until crispy. Top a salad of greens and make sure to drizzle some good balsamic in there.
Gaga de Toi, Domaine de Montrieux, 2019
Gamay from Gaillac, 8 days of maceration, fermented and aged in tank.
AOC: Côteaux du Vendômois
Viticulture: Organic
Size: 6 hectares
Terroir: Clay, Limestone, Flint
Ariane Lesné has been working in wine since the early 1990s after leaving university with a postgraduate degree in management and marketing, specifically in the area of wines and spirits. In 1994, she joined the Repaire de Bacchus, a chain of Parisian wine stores. It was in 1998 that Ariane worked her first harvest in Burgundy and led her to complete her training with a Professional Patent Manager Farmer, with the goal of one day managing her own domain. She stayed in Burgundy for six years, where she had the chance to work with one of the seminal (now certified biodynamic) domaines in Nuits St. Georges, Domaine de l’Arlot.
In the mid-2000s, Ariane went to Great Britain to work for an English wine merchant who introduced her to the world of fine wine speculation, but in 2008, she returned to Paris to take up the trade of wine merchant. It was here that she was first immersed in the world of organic, biodynamic, and natural wines which fueled her desire to return to the land.
During this time she was falling under the spell of pineau d’aunis, specifically the 2005 vintage of Domaine de Montrieux Rouge, which reminded her of the texture of the pinot noir that she loved so much but with an added aromatic side typical of the grape variety. This was the spark that then led to a deeper interest in the region the variety is grown — that is in and around Touraine and Anjou — and a quest to taste all the wines made from it. After a few years of exploration, it was settled that this is where she was going to live. In the beginning of 2014, Ariane learned that Emile Héredia, the owner of Domaine de Montrieux in the Côteaux du Vendômois, would be selling the estate. She didn’t think twice about it, and by harvest time she was living on the estate, ultimately taking over by the spring of 2015.
When she first took the reins, the property was planted to 7.5 hectares, but after two years of losses (2016 loss of 60% and 2017 loss of 40%), she decided to uproot some vines to replant in a better-suited parcel in 2018. Now, the estate has a little over 6 hectares of vines planted with pineau d’aunis, gamay teinturiers, chenin blanc, pinot blanc, pinot noir, and cabernet franc. In 2017 Ariane decided to begin a small negoce project to supplement her production in lean years, as many in the Loire had to do after a string of trying vintages.
Our Take:
“I have never loved a Gamay more in my life. I drank it over the course of three days, a glass and a half or so each night. And if you’re familiar with natural wine, you’ll know that they don’t always hold up the day after they’re opened. This one was a real marathoner.
I was on a pizza-making kick over the course of those three days, trying to perfect my cast iron Neapolitan technique. If you’re not familiar with what I’m taking about, take a look here.
Gamay famously pairs well with all kinds of foods. From spicy Thai, to fish, to roast chicken, to cheese… it’s rare to find a grape that dances so well with so many.
The aromatics on the bottle are stunning. Peonies and violets, rich soil–it’s a dream of a garden.”
-Kelly
Pairing: Homemade pizza! Or, literally anything that sounds good to you. It’s a gastronomical choose-your-own adventure with this one.
Cidrerie Du Vulcain Cidre de Fer 2020
Fruit: Cidre de Fer, Fer Apple (19th Century Germany variety)
Farming: Foraged from pristine and untreated trees, high-branched (2m)
Location of Trees: In the Molasse basin in the northern Alps, near Fribourg, Switzerland
Soil: In pastures lying in a geological basin filled with alluvial sediment eroded from the mountains, composed of gravel, sandstone, and mudstone. The base is schiste; the topsoil is largely clay-based.
Fermentation: Initially fermented over indigenous yeasts in stainless tanks; lighted filtered and decanted into bottles to complete fermentation.
“Jacques Perritaz is the Swiss version of Johnny Appleseed. Rather than planting trees, however, Jacques protects and perpetuates the fruit heritage of the Swiss Alps by crafting organic, natural ciders. Jacques works his magic in the bucolic pastures just south of Fribourg, Switzerland, an area justly renowned for its dairy cows, cream, and cheese.
He carefully selects heirloom varieties of apple and pear from small, isolated stands of fruit trees (150-200 trees in total) that occasionally emerge from the Alpine pastures. For all his ciders, Jacques forages the organic apples and pears from a total of 150-200 trees annually. He presses the fruit and then clarifies the juice before fermenting it slowly on indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and epoxy tanks. After the juice is fermented to half of its potential alcohol, he filters the inchoate cider to remove particulates, then decants into sealed vessels to allow “ancestral” secondary fermentation. He then draws off the lees, clarifies it, and then bottles the naturally- effervescent ciders.”
Our take:
“This the bottle you pop open for brunch on a brisk winter morning, after a festive evening with friends and family. You have an Emotional hangover but in the best way.
This single varietal heirloom cider was hand foraged from untreated trees in the northern Swiss alps. Wild and elegant, It starts off with delicate bubbles and a light green apple aroma. Reminiscent of a freshly baked pear/apple galette! A lingering medium sweetness that ends with a long & dry finish. With soft acid and light tannin, it has some stemmy notes and a great balance of fruit & salt.”
-Megan
Pairing: Lightly dressed radicchio leaves. Breakfast radishes with cultured butter. Nothing better.
Cremant du Jura Brut Nature Domaine de La Renardiere
Dénomination: Crémant du Jura AOC
Grape varieties: Chardonnay 100%
Region: Jura (France)
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Vineyards: From young vineyards on calcareous and clayey soils rich of red marls from Jura. Organic farming
Vinification: Alcoholic spontaneous fermentation in steel vats and second fermentation in
bottle with only must addition
Aging: At least 18 months on the lees in bottle
Production philosophy: Artisanal, Indigenous yeasts
Additional notes: Contains sulfites
The commune of Pupillin is home to the estate and vineyards of Domaine de la Renardière. Here, vigneron Jean-Michel Petit farms and vinifies a range of red and white wines that are arguably some of the best wines in the Jura. The domaine was established in 1990 and presently encompasses 7.5 hectares of vineyards. Half of Jean-Michel’s production is devoted to red (Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau) and half to white wine (mostly chardonnay, with a bit of Savagnin).
Since 2003 all vineyard practices and applications have been organic. The domaine achieved organic certification in 2012. In the cellar, Jean-Michel adheres to traditional methods of winemaking. Fermentation takes place via native yeasts, and sulfur additions are only utilized when deemed necessary. Elevage takes place in foudres for the red wines, and a combination of older barrique and foudre for the white wines.
Our take:
“This Cremant is so understated and friendly, you might almost miss the complex umami party happening right under the surface. Not me though—since I had the pleasure of drinking this thang from head to tail. I like to think we really formed a bond before I laid it to rest in my recycling.
It opens up bright and fresh, with green almonds and hazelnuts popping up and a characteristic appley quality—though not exactly the tart apples we like to crunch into, more like the yellowish softer apples that smell wonderful but don't have the best texture. Thankfully this is a wine not an apple and we don't have to deal with that.
There is texture though—in the form of fine yet persistent bubbles that help rotate the kaleidoscope of flavors, bringing one, then another to the surface for a quick show and tell. Patience is required, it took hours for some of the more unusual notes to emerge and by then I only had a sad half glass left. But that last glass, as often occurs to me, was the best of all. Basically room temperature, it sang with notes of uni (yes, uni) and even a little soy sauce. This is the uniquely wonderful life of Chardonnay from the Jura. I hope you will take a similar trip with this wine yourself. :)”
-Jasper
Pairing:
Reblochon cheese, duck, or, if you’re willing to really go for it, rabbit.
Ardure Luchsinger Muscat Canelli 2020 (0/0)
Winemaker Bio: Jason Ruppert's background started as a sommelier running successful wine programs in Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco, California. He had the distinguished fortune to have worked alongside Ted Lemon of Littorai and Steve Matthiasson, learning the ways of Biodynamic and Organic farming methods while working three vintages with Pax Mahle, Scott Schultz of Jolie Laide, Ryan and Megan Glaab of RYME and Jaimee Motley as well as working with Laura Brennan Bissel of Inconnu as her cellar rat before being given the opportunity to farm two vineyards on his own and to make his first set of three wines for the 2018 vintage.
Jason farms both his Chardonnay from Marin county and Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley naturally with no sprays of copper or sulphur. Both sites are in the process of regenerative farming methods, working with specific cover crops to help nourish and protect the soil. The wines are vinified in the most natural of ways with their healthy, native yeasts, basket pressing and letting all wines go through malolactic fermentation on their own and using little to no sulphur right before bottling. He also uses different crystals during primary fermentation to add in extra energetic vibrancy to the finished product. Ardure translates to "the heat of passion" in olde French.
Vineyard: Located in the North Coast and Clear Lake appellations, Luchsinger Vineyards are organized into 4 main blocks each consisting of 10 acres. au, Tinta Cao and Souzao, all on 101-14MG and trained onto a bilateral cordon California Sprawl trellis system.
They say: “Our vineyards are located in Lake County, California. Lake County is a rural enclave just north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County. Lake County surrounds one of North America's oldest lakes, Clear Lake. Our vineyards are farmed with 40 years of grape growing experience. We have vineyards in several sites throughout Lake County ranging from alluvial riverbed soils to red volcanic hillside soils. Our farming philosophy is to be watchful, meticulous and chemical free where possible, allowing each site to produce high quality fruit. We have worked with many winemakers over the years and understand that there are many styles of wine and we can tailor our farming practices to suit particular styles. Give us a call to discuss what we have available for this year or in the future as we are in the business for a lifetime.”
Pairing: Basque Cheesecake! The creamy, ricotta-like texture with the caramelized brûlée top is this orange wine’s perfect match…. *chef’s kiss*!
Or just go with créme brûlée if you prefer!
