The Mrs.and I have been on a little bit of a healthy-eating kick since the start of the year. We didn’t make a formal resolution, we stopped doing that a while ago.
Everyone seems to more-or-less make the same promises to themselves each year, and normally end up breaking them after just a few weeks. All that I’m personally looking to achieve is to lose a few pounds through healthy eating and exercise, whilst at the same time not letting my “lifestyle” suffer too much.
With that in mind, for my first food pairing (healthy edition) of 2011 I chose Poached Salmon Salad with Lettuce and Asparagus. If you have caught any of my previous food and wine pairings, you will know that when it comes to the food I like to keep things simple: simple recipes and basic-fresh flavors. This meal took about 20 minutes start to finish, the prep couldn’t have been easier and involved minimal cleanup! A perfect Sunday recipe!
When it comes to choosing a pairing to feature for these articles, the wine always comes first, and then I select the recipe. The wine I chose to pair with this dish was purchased from my place of employment. The Domaine de la Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé is a beautiful wine. Not exactly a winter choice, but perfect for a dish such as poached salmon.
In my opinion, Rosé wines often get tarred with the same brush (in the eyes of the consumer) as that of White Zinfandel. The Reuilly is indeed a rosé, but only just! It certainly does not have that electric pink color and candy-sweetness that most people think about at the sheer mention of rosé wines.
Very pale pink/orange in color, the Domaine de la Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé showed nectarine, redcurrant, apricot and stone-type minerality. With a beautiful texture, there were also some strawberry and orange peel notes lurking in there. Medium-bodied, refreshing and crisp with a dry finish. The wine is from the Loire Valley (France), a region known primarily for its whites, and small portion of reds made from the Cabernet Franc grape. Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, Vouvray and Muscadet are some of the more well-known regions in the Loire Valley. It’s hard to go wrong with wines from the Loire, especially when you are looking to pair with a meal.
This was a great pairing, but the flavors in the wine definitely provided a contrast to the salmon. Not a bad thing, in fact it added an extra dimension and certainly a meal/pairing I would like to enjoy again (on a lazy Sunday). I would also suggest you pick up a bottle of the Domaine de la Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé if you would like you mind changing about rosé!
I’m going to rate this as a:
Perfect Match!
~ My Food & Wine Pairing Guide~
Bad Match
The interaction of wine and food when tasted together has a negative impact on the senses. This is common when the food item is high in acidity, salt, bitterness, or spiciness.
Refreshment
Many times wine serves simply as a satisfying refreshment to accompany a certain food choice. The refreshment match may be appropriate when the food severely inhibits a good or synergistic wine choice.
Neutral
These pairing situations are average and pleasant, but are missing an element of individuality and thus cannot provide a superior gastronomic experience.
Good Match
In this situation, you have found a wine that matches the food item’s basic components (sweet, sour, bitter, salty) and overall body.
Perfect Match
This essentially means the combined effect of the wine and the food paired together is superior to the sum of the individual parts.
