556960 Fri Sep 12 16:30:05 -0700 2008 18 34 Wine 0 4030730 If you were invited to a gumbo dinner party, what wine would you bring? I would love to stay under $30 a bottle and am open to red or white suggestions Thanks in advance! Fri Sep 12 16:30:05 -0700 2008 203338 chicaraleigh 1 4030963 Bill Hunt is the wine board's NOLA cuisine pairing expert, so I'd certainly like to hear from him. I'd serve a Riesling with just a touch of sweetness. Will certainly fit your budget level, and goes well with the filé and spicy heat in the sausage. But I will admit this is not the cuisine with which I have the most expertise in pairing. Fri Sep 12 18:04:21 -0700 2008 4030730 18222 maria lorraine 2 4150240 Oops, I was out of town and missed this one. Now, "gumbo," is a very personal thing. The recipes vary across the board from family to family, from area to area. Still, I think Pinot Noir for a red and Riesling for a white with most "gumbos," that I know. If one has more heat, then a fruitier PN, or a higher-level of harvest in a QmP Riesling would work best. Stay clear of some of my fav. PN's, because of their alcohol levels. Not a problem with QmP Rieslings. For my wife's spicy New Orleans Seafood Gumbo, I lean toward a domestic PN, though with a hint of Burgundian style - think OR, or WA State. Carneros can work with some heat, but check the ABV level. While I love the Santa Rita Hills PN's, most are too "hot" to pair well. So very much will depend on how spicy the sausage is and what is added to the mix. Hunt Tue Nov 04 19:06:58 -0800 2008 4030963 11329 Bill Hunt 1 4031036 Champagne. That or an off-dry Riesling Fri Sep 12 18:44:15 -0700 2008 4030730 50041 whiner 2 4031131 I'd want something slightly off-dry as well. I think anytime you chime in with champagne, which btw I agree with in just about all instances, I'm tempted to suggest a Loire chenin. I wonder if I can keep up... demi-sec vouvray, anyone? Fri Sep 12 19:29:14 -0700 2008 4031036 97069 mengathon 3 4031170 It would not have occured to me to reccomend a demi-sec Vouvray, but you are right, it might work. And you could easily find a good example well under $30. An off-dry Scheurebe would also be nice. Fri Sep 12 19:46:52 -0700 2008 4031131 50041 whiner 1 4031320 If you want to change things up try a Torrontes from Argentina. Floral like a gewurztraminer on the nose but crisper and dryer on the palate. La Yunta or Zolo are both nice. For a red you can go light pinot noir like Castle Rock California Cuvee(they make 7 different pinots. Make sure it's the California cuvee(the lightest)). Otherwise if you can get it try a Zweigelt, a red from Austria. Zantho is a fun one. Depending on how spicy you're going should influence how fruity/sweet to go. Spicier equals sweeter, less spicy, less sweet. Fri Sep 12 21:28:15 -0700 2008 4030730 213427 Iowaboy3 1 4031421 It's hard to miss with riesling, gewurztraminer, or scheurbe... any ripeness you like really, even up to some auslese, just depends on how thick the flavor layers of the gumbo are and what your palate likes... If doing these wines, serve a "nibbler plate" of emmental cubes, it matches the wine so nicely.... As a twist, beaujolais can be fun too.... Sat Sep 13 00:01:47 -0700 2008 4030730 42549 Chicago Mike 1 4031659 I'd bring beer. But if it must be wine... Depending on how hot (spicy) the gumbo is, you will want wine with some residual sugar. That will do a couple of things. It will create the illusion of tempering the heat, and you'll also be able to taste the wine. Lower alcohol by volume is also a good thing since the alcohol tends to appear more pronounced when consumed with spicy foods. So... You have several recommendations for Riesling. I'd look to ones from Germany or Australia. Unless the word "trocken" or "halbtrocken" or "dry" appears on the label, there will be some residual sugar. Many Riesling wines from Alsace are vinified dry. They also tend to have lower alcohol levels. I also recommend Champagne, and id doesn't even have to be a demi-sec. One labeled Extra Dry will have more residual sugar than one labeled Brut, but the latter will still have some sugar depending on the bottling dosage. If you want to bring a red, keep an eye on the alcohol by volume level. Beaujolais is safe, and can also be served a little cooler, which will also minimize the pronouncement of alcohol in the wine. Sat Sep 13 06:48:07 -0700 2008 4030730 196217 Brad Ballinger 1 4031814 beer will definitely be served - not my turn to bring beer :) I appreciate the tips and will post back after the party tomorrow Sat Sep 13 08:24:08 -0700 2008 4030730 203338 chicaraleigh 1 4143566 Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! I apologize for my delayed response and note of appreciation. I opted to try a variety of suggestions with several bottles of different types for everyone to make up their own mind. With my group, the Beaujolais was the definitive favorite. The whites all seemed to be too "sweet" for our tastes. I have to admit - by the time I got done stirring the roux, there wasn't enough sparkling wine left to share with the guests - but I thought it mixed perfectly with the smell of cooking flour :) Needless to say - beer was a big hit with several of the guests. Thanks again for all our help and insight! Sat Nov 01 21:23:02 -0700 2008 4030730 203338 chicaraleigh 2 4150243 Glad you got a good pairing. I'd probably have gone with a Morgon for the BJ offering, as it has similar body to my (tardy) suggestion for an OR PN. Which whites did you serve, that were too "sweet?" Just curious. Thanks for reporting back, Hunt Tue Nov 04 19:09:58 -0800 2008 4143566 11329 Bill Hunt 3 4445914 please forgive the tardy tardy response - I so wish I would have gotten your original response to the gumbo question re: PN I've since hosted a couple of gumbo parties and have courted my favorite varietal - regardless of the ingredients of the gumbo, PN has not let me down. I'm not as well versed in PN as you - although I aspire to be!. I tend to just trust my instincts & the label (meaning description) in regards to fruitiness, balance, earthiness, etc to match whatever type of gumbo I'm making. For some reason - and this is probably way TMI, my latest culinary fling has been gumbo. I've tried everything from pig to alligator and none of it has come out "bad". In every case, the PN has always been an excellent choice. Guess that's why the Beaujolais was such a hit the first time around. I'd guess it's the closest to PN out of the other suggestions. Thank you again for your insightful suggestion! Mon Feb 23 18:56:55 -0800 2009 4150243 203338 chicaraleigh 4 4446095 I tend to agree on PN's with the "gumbos," that I have experienced. Being married to a wonderful cook from New Orleans, and having lived in the NOLA environs, I've had many. If I do not know of a reason, not to, from a specific recipe, and had to pair blind, that would be my "go-to" red, and Riesling would be the "go-to" white. Hunt Mon Feb 23 20:01:21 -0800 2009 4445914 11329 Bill Hunt 5 4446162 Do you think it's because you have an affinity to PN's? Also - we did have a Riesling for my original tet-e-tet and we all found it too sweet for our liking. The original post gumbo recipe was a dark roux (REALLY dark) based gumbo with chicken, andouille and shrimp. I used the same chicken to make the stock so, once the stock was done I shredded/chopped the chicken for use in the roux. No un-ordinary vegetables, just the trinity. OH - this may make a difference to wine pairing - even though I made a dark, rich, roux - I added okra. I've read many differing opinions on this topic BUT from what I've read, a dark roux thickens less than a lighter one. With that in mind, I figured - what the heck, let's throw it all in the pot. So, outside of the trinity - okra was the only added ingredient. With those factors in mind - does your original opinion on a strong PN stand? Mon Feb 23 20:24:03 -0800 2009 4446095 203338 chicaraleigh 6 4447338 Obviously, my preferences for PN could come into play. However, I find them to be very food-friendly to begin with. There is usually a tad more acid, and their flavor affinities go with such a wide, and diverse, spectrum of foods. While there are other wines that have similar characteristics, PN seems to wrap a lot into one wine. They are also easy to find. As to the Rieslings, they too usually have a bit higher acid level, as well as a lower alcohol level. As the "heat" goes up in a dish, alcohol can easily make both the wine and the dish seem "hotter." The levels of ripeness of the Riesling grape can contribute a perceived "sweetness," even if the actual RS level is not high. This fruit-forward perception of "sweetness," can cut through the heat. Do you recall which Riesling you found too sweet? Just curious. Hunt Tue Feb 24 08:42:44 -0800 2009 4446162 11329 Bill Hunt 7 4447619 oh boy - I was afraid you might ask that. I really should start a wine journal. The memory just ain't what it used to be.... thank you again for all of your input! Tue Feb 24 09:52:30 -0800 2009 4447338 203338 chicaraleigh 6 5154928 The darker the roux, the less it thickens. The solution is not to add Okra, but to increase the amount of roux you use. For a dark roux, try tripling the amount of flour and oil/bacon fat you use. For a medium roux, double the amounts. What you'll find, after the roux reaches the color you want, is that (because you've darkened the roux) it will no longer hold all that oil. So, skim off the excess oil, but use the roux as the original recipe called for... I'm going to try the Auslese... Laissez les bon temps roullet! Wed Nov 04 08:29:06 -0800 2009 4446162 1121642 mark.kaminski 1 4278388 Don't know if it is too late but...I have recommended a nice Southern Rhone wine, such as Vacqeyras, to go with that Gumbo....The customer came back and said it was a fantastic match... Sun Dec 28 16:33:45 -0800 2008 4030730 252127 dunedinwineguy