339509 Fri Nov 03 00:56:27 -0800 2006 14 34 Wine 0 1993182 hi chowhounds wine-os. can anyone reccomend the best varietal to pair with a braised chicken dish (dark meat) with a flavor profile that emphasizes cumin, tomato, orange and caramelized onion? Fri Nov 03 00:56:27 -0800 2006 26947 cheflauren 1 1993368 How sweet is it? Fri Nov 03 02:24:20 -0800 2006 1993182 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 1993905 not sweet at all. the orange is in the form of some zest and some juice but is contrasted with lemon juice as well. spices include cumin, coriander, paprika, a little cinnamon, a little ginger and a hit of cayenne. the tomatoes and onions add whatever sweetness there is but it is not a prevailing flavor. Fri Nov 03 12:21:45 -0800 2006 1993368 26947 cheflauren 3 1994489 In that case, I'd think of a not too heavy northern Rhone, maybe a Gigondas or Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Or if you prefer New World, a Thackry or Guenoc petite sirah, or Australian shiraz. Fri Nov 03 16:55:12 -0800 2006 1993905 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 1993390 I actually did a large experimentation of wine tasting with Moroccan food a year or so ago. I cooked four or five various dishes and literally opened up 20 (yes, TWENTY!) bottles; ten red and ten white. I was going by varietal vs. producer. I opened a CabSav, Tempranillo, Merlot, Pinot, CabFranc, Zinfandel, Barbera, Sangiovese, Malbec, and Rioja for the reds. For the whites, I opened a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Black, Roussanne, Marsanne, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Gewurtz, Gruner Veltliner, Verdicchio, and a Viognier. I also opened a Rose, but don't remember the varietal. I anticipated that red-wise, I would go with a Pinot and white-wise, a Sauvignon Blanc. Boy,was I wrong! Red-wise, Zinfandel won out with relatively spicy dishes that complemented complicated spices. Overall, however, a Roussanne was the clear winner. It is complex without being astringent or sweet, layered without being oakey or buttery and, with a slight oily feeling on the tongue, cut through the various spices without fighting with them. Now, when I cook Moroccan or go to a Moroccan restaurant, Fri Nov 03 02:38:23 -0800 2006 1993182 16933 Carrie 218 1 1995419 My reply in this thread applies here as well: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/339267 Fri Nov 03 20:44:56 -0800 2006 1993182 10343 nja 1 1999920 We just had a wine tasting with Morroccan food... 5 varietals basically: Whites- Riesling (kabinett) & a Roussanne/Marssane blend (75/25) Reds- Zinfandel (ridge geyserville 97 no less), Pinot Noir (a 76 and 78 burgundy), and a Rhone blend (chateau fonsallet reserve 1990). The dinner featured some moroccan appetizers, a lamb tangine, a couscous, a chicken bistella, and a veggie dish. Hands down the most consistently intersting wine with the meal was the riesling. After that, both the roussane and zinfandel worked. The Pinot and the Rhone were fairly dreadful. I recall watching a couple at the next table with their pricey bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet thinking "what a waste". For your chicken dish as described my first recommendation walking away would be riesling. I actually got the wine ideas from other Chowhound posts AND from the Kasbah restaurant website (a famous moroccan place in san francisco). The wine steward at the kasbah had written on the website that riesling was his go-to wine. I'd have to agree with him whole-heartedly. With one proviso... the Roussane we had wasn't the most fruity example. If you have a super-honeyed roussane then that might be right up there too. But riesling is so much more dependable. For the overall meal, as a red wine the zinfandel was a great match. But in your case you're talking about one specific chicken dish and IMO a white is going to be a better match there. Mon Nov 06 09:56:44 -0800 2006 1993182 42549 Chicago Mike 2 2000559 The Kasbah restaurant in San Francisco changed its name to Aziza. Is that the place you're talking about? http://www.aziza-sf.com/beverages.html Pinot noir and Rhone-style blends can be great matches for Moroccan food, but you want them young and spicy. Old reds seem like a really bad idea. Mon Nov 06 17:51:56 -0800 2006 1999920 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2003060 Yes it is.... the page where they specifically discuss riesling is the following: http://www.aziza-sf.com/beverages.html I honestly don't think the age of the burgundies (or rhones) would make that much difference. I'm familiar with their flavors and the ones we had were fairly "tipico" in taste, perhaps a bit softer for the time in the bottle... On the other hand, at 10 years the zinfandel could be considered quite old, and yet it matched the majority of the moroccan dishes splendidly. Tue Nov 07 15:45:25 -0800 2006 2000559 42549 Chicago Mike 4 2003532 Most zinfandels are old and tired if not downright undrinkable at nine years, but a properly cellared nine-year-old Ridge Geyserville (blend with 74% zinfandel) will still have youthful flavors. The two-year-old Richaud Côtes du Rhône on Aziza's list is a radically different wine than a 16-year-old Rayas. Tue Nov 07 18:14:36 -0800 2006 2003060 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 2011392 I've had the Richaud Cotes du Rhone at Aziza perhaps twice, including on my last visit, and think it is a very good match with the food, particularly when dining with hubby, who tends to order richer dishes and who prefers red... Fri Nov 10 16:29:20 -0800 2006 2003532 10158 susancinsf 1 2005287 In addition to the Riesling a dry Gewürztraminer would work well. Wed Nov 08 05:32:49 -0800 2006 1993182 10785 Sam Salmon 2 2005406 yes, probably would... and a "not so dry" would be great too. I notice it's prominent on the winelist at Aziza. Scheurbe too. Wed Nov 08 09:00:37 -0800 2006 2005287 42549 Chicago Mike 3 2007117 Some of the dishes are quite sweet, and match better with off-dry wines. Wed Nov 08 22:50:22 -0800 2006 2005406 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 2012934 For a Moroccan rubbed pork tenderloin (not too far from dark chicken), I found that a fruit-driven Zinfandel paired best. I tried several, but the Biale Black Chicken was #1. In my case, the spices also had a touch of "heat," and the fruit balanced that nicely. In a previous reply, I saw the rec. for a Roussanne. I will have to try that. Without a "taste-off," I'd have reached for a Conundrum (Caymus, but the winery name no longer appears on the bottle). Gotta re-do that dish, and try some Roussannes. Hunt Sat Nov 11 02:03:41 -0800 2006 1993182 11329 Bill Hunt