jambalaya pairing?

[Dan G]

Making a 'barley jambalaya' (here's the ingredient list: red pepper, onion, celery, garlic, andouille sausage, quick cook barley, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, parsley, thyme, bay leaf).

What would go with it? I don't have a clue where to start, but thinking red (maybe a zin? or rioja?)

Please don't be too specific, just varietal, maybe style...recommending specific labels I can't get won't help...

thanks

[seattleviking]

For red I think a primitivo would work well with that dish. Medium bodied but the ones I've had have been lower alcohol than Zin.

For a white i think a verdejo would be great. Similar to sauv. blanc.

[Dan G]

It wasn't a very spicy dish (will work on that next time...this was a first experiment) and the andouille was a beef version and the barley a more earthy flavour than rice so I wanted to do red. Ended up with a garnacha from Calatayud (Atteca), worked well. Maybe not ideal but enjoyable enough.

[ChefJune]

The spicier your food, the lower the alcohol level is a agood rule of thumb. Personally, I choose off-dry whites for spicy food. Some, lower alcohol pinot noirs may also work.

[Brad Ballinger]

If it must be wine, I'd go lighter-style red that doesn't have that high of an ABV percent. I think you'll find many California Zins and Syrahs to have more alcohol than would work with a spicy dish. You can also offer an off-dry white wine (German or domestic riesling for example).

[penthouse pup]

Depends on how spicy the andouille will be...Whites: riesling, maybe gewurtrzraminer (that's a real matter of personal preference as to taste), albarino, off-dry vouvray, good quality vinho verde, prosecco, off-dry chenin blanc...Reds: beaujolais, young rioja, portuguese reds from Alantejo, gamay from Touraine...

If you go for California, the lighter style of zin, maybe, or "field blends" that combine zin, syrah, etc...

[Willem]

I second this! I like the albarino and especially vinho verde suggestions...maybe not a heavenly match but certainly worth living long time on earth! off dry chenin blanc will be so nice. The reds will be nice on a just not warm enough evening...