573142 Mon Nov 17 20:48:41 -0800 2008 19 34 Wine 0 4181966 I am begging for wine pairing assistance with two dishes. One, a fairly standard white bean soup with bits of duck confit and.. Two, pork cheeks braised in red wine served with a farotto. These are two courses of the same dinner. The budget calls for $30 or less, per bottle. I'd love something a little obscure and/or unusual. Thanks to anyone with ideas. Mon Nov 17 20:48:41 -0800 2008 34801 shannoninstlouis 1 4190151 Where are the usual "wine pairing" suspects when you need them? Shannon is begging!! There are folks here with much vaster knowledge than me. I would be thinking barbera - something medium weight, hearty enough to stand up to some fairly big flavors, but with enough acidity to cut through the fattiness of the confit and the pork cheeks. Should be able to find good barberas in that price range too. I recently had a Aldo Seghesio Barbera d'Alba for under $20 that was a very nice bottle esp. for the price. Thu Nov 20 15:03:32 -0800 2008 4181966 35525 Frodnesor 2 4190552 Yes, Barbara, another food-friendly wine, mainly due to its nice acidity. Sorry, but all of the really obscure oddities that I have come up with usually run at a higher price-point. Barbara should be within the price range, and there are some good domestic, as well as imported (to the US) offerings. Reason that I went with PN is that I often find "bacon" elements in many of their flavor profiles. Maybe Maria Lorraine can tell me what that element is, but I hope that she breaks it down into non-scientific terms! [Grin] ML, we love you and you teach us so very much. Hunt Thu Nov 20 18:25:03 -0800 2008 4190151 11329 Bill Hunt 3 4190835 Interesting, I most often find bacon notes (and analogues like smoke, leather, etc. - analogues in my mind at least) in syrahs, esp. Northern Rhone but occasionally from some well-made CA ones as well, but rarely find them in pinot. Let me also throw Cotes Du Rhone into the mix here, I was at a tasting tonight that started w/ the Domaine Andezon CDR (the recently released 2007) which I also think would work for many of the same reasons that I suggested Barbera. This particular wine is under $15. Thu Nov 20 21:04:09 -0800 2008 4190552 35525 Frodnesor 4 4193403 I too, find similar elements in Northern Rhônes, but it is more the smokey aspect. Bacon may, or may not be part of it. I could easily see a CdR, as well. Hunt Fri Nov 21 20:41:31 -0800 2008 4190835 11329 Bill Hunt 2 4193208 perfect, if a bit tough to find, would be Giacomo Bologna's single vineyard Barbera "Braida". he is better known for his excellent Bricco del Ullcione bottling, but this one can be found at about $27 (at least that's what i sold it for) think smoke and leather kissed red fruit, just shy of "rustic", but before "polished" Fri Nov 21 18:37:35 -0800 2008 4190151 227301 jdwdeville 3 4193215 er, sorry, "Montebruna" is the name of the bottle. too many bottles on the brain.... Fri Nov 21 18:42:33 -0800 2008 4193208 227301 jdwdeville 4 4193460 The Braida Bricco del Uccellone would be out of OP's price range (though I've had it and yes it's good); the Braida Montebruna (which I've not had) looks to be in range at around $25. It appears to me that "Braida" is a brand name and not a vineyard, i.e. Braida di Giacomo Bologna. If you want to sell me some Bricco del Uccellone for $27, please get in touch. Fri Nov 21 21:15:43 -0800 2008 4193215 35525 Frodnesor 3 4193692 You mean this beauty that I had the pleasure of enjoying a few weeks ago? :) I have to say that this bottle changed my opinion forever about Barberas. Sadly, my family tells me that since Giacomo passed away, his daughter is more inclined to making profits as opposed to art. We had it with a filet steak, porcini mushrooms and a potato puree infused with parsley and olive oil. Excellent. Photo attached. Sat Nov 22 04:14:27 -0800 2008 4193208 224157 girobike 4 4194003 My friendly local wine merchant was recently raving to me about the Giacomo Conterno Barbera, perhaps something else for you to look for. Sat Nov 22 08:48:22 -0800 2008 4193692 35525 Frodnesor 1 4190417 Soup is fairly easy to pair...but what's the recipe for the pork cheeks brasato? and the farotto? I think we're talking Italian... Thu Nov 20 17:22:07 -0800 2008 4181966 18222 maria lorraine 1 4190544 For the pork cheeks, and your budget, I'd cook in the Acacia Carneros Pinot Noir, and then serve it. With the Acacia's fruit-forward element, it might work for the duck/bean soup too. Were it not for the duck, I'd reach for a Chardonnay. If the duck is a major componet, then maybe a Syrah. One could go with a bigger PN, but probably not in your price-range. Also, many do not like the PN, that think they are Syrahs. The Acacia is not unique, nor is it obscure. However, it is very food-friendly. Hunt Thu Nov 20 18:21:00 -0800 2008 4181966 11329 Bill Hunt 1 4193438 Let's assume the bean dish is French, from that region a madiran would be perfect. Get one a few years old, around 2002-4. Fri Nov 21 21:01:05 -0800 2008 4181966 71113 Delucacheesemonger 2 4193508 Morever, let's assume the white bean soup is white wine-ish with just the tiniest hints of something that make it alightly not white wine-ish. 2 thoughts for the soup: Gavi (the Cortese grape), something bold and round from Friuli. As far as the pork cheeks, they are perched between a red wine and a white wine existence and, as such, I need the recipe to dial it in. Fri Nov 21 21:59:46 -0800 2008 4193438 18222 maria lorraine 3 4193954 White would be my choice with the soup, too, though I'd probably lean toward one from southwest France, like a Pacherenc du Vic Bihl (Madiran's white) or a Jurançon. That said, the first thought that sprang to my mind was a very dry but rich and caramel/honey- and grass/straw-scented Tocai Friulano from Borgo San Daniele that I tasted a couple of days ago. And, yep, it'd be helpful to know more about the veal cheek recipe. Lacking that knowledge, serving the same wine -- or a better version thereof -- used in the recipe would be the safest recco. Sat Nov 22 08:19:46 -0800 2008 4193508 10520 carswell 4 4194008 Is that really you, carswell? Lovely to see you.... Sat Nov 22 08:50:58 -0800 2008 4193954 18222 maria lorraine 1 4196948 Hi everyone. I am the OP here with a little recipe update. Here's the white bean soup recipe. The duck will be more of a garnish than a main ingredient. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Bean-Soup-with-Duck-Confit-243546 And as for the pork cheeks and farotto, I don't really have a specific recipe. I plan to sear the cheeks, then saute a mirepoix, then do a low and slow red wine braise (as if there's any other kind of braise, I guess). The farotto (farro risotto) will have some nuts and maybe dried cherries. Sun Nov 23 19:52:37 -0800 2008 4181966 34801 shannoninstlouis 2 4197081 Would love to hear Carswell's comments. Even with the generous amounts of duck confit, the soup/stew still strikes me as a rich white wine dish, and the Tocai Friulano sounds good. A Rosé Champagne, or Rosé would also be very nice. The pork cheek brasato: My concern is the red wine. If it is heavy, and if you use a flavorful stock like beef stock, your risk overpowering the flavor of the pork cheeks. Pork cheek recipes often call for white wine as the braising wine -- keeping all the other elements like the mirepoix intact, and using chicken stock as the other liquid. A heavy red, even a rich red, might be overkill. If these were beef cheeks, the red wine would be a sure bet, but pork, hmmm....I think you have to go with a white, Rosé or a frisky light-bodied red as your braising liquid. Any of these would also be nice for drinking with the dish. Are you using any citrus or a touch of tomato in the braise? Sun Nov 23 21:09:36 -0800 2008 4196948 18222 maria lorraine 3 4197940 Actually, I was thinking of adding a little gremolata to finish, because I think it may need a little citrusy kick somewhere. Now I am wondering about braising in white instead of red. If that is the way to go, then I think I would add a little tomato somewhere. Mon Nov 24 09:01:03 -0800 2008 4197081 34801 shannoninstlouis 3 4199837 Have to agree about using a white -- or, failing that, a rosé or light red -- for the braising liquid. Besides the overpowering flavours you mention, dark reds often turn white meats an unappetizing colour. Even if a white were used for braising, a supple red would make a fine accompaniment. Gremolata would probably push me into northern Italy: a light Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo/Pinot blend, Teroldego, Valpolicella (especially if there are cherries in the farotto), etc. In the soup, the proportion of duck to beans is quite high, there are plenty of aromatics (including Armagnac) and not a lot of broth. The headnote refers to the dish as evocative of cassoulet. At this point, I'm wondering whether a white, rosé or red wouldn't work, depending on the role you wanted it to play. A white might be a supporting actor, providing welcome relief from the heavyweight lead. A red would get equal billing and provide a raspy contrast to its unctuous co-star. A rosé, especially a rosé champagne, could occupy the middle ground. For a red, I'd chose one of the medium-bodied, fruit-forward wines from the southwest, like you can find in Gaillac and Fronton. Mon Nov 24 21:02:54 -0800 2008 4197081 10520 carswell