When you think of great wine and food pairings, you get excited. When you think of challenging wine and food pairings, you get nervous. Today we get to explore the joys of pairing wine with artichokes and asparagus.
Pairing Wine with Artichokes
Why are artichokes so challenging to pair with wine? It turns out that artichokes have a chemical called cynarin that makes wine taste sweeter. If you serve artichokes with an off-dry Riesling, the wine will taste like a sweet Riesling. So the recommendation is to choose a wine that is unbearably dry. Armchair Sommelier suggests that “if you’re drinking a wine that’s unbearably dry on its own, it just might be a perfect match once you pair it with an artichoke.”
Eater goes on to say that “When the wine meets the cynarin on your palate, it enhances any natural sweetness in the wine, making it taste not only too sweet, but flabby and boring. So, the key to pairing wine with any artichoke dish is to choose a wine that is bone dry, light and crisp, with high acidity and no oak.”
I think the safest pairing is a dry Sparkling Wine.
Pairing Wine with Asparagus
So why is asparagus so challenging? Decanter tells us that “asparagus has a high level of chlorophyll, which gives asparagus its fresh green flavour but, working alongside other acidic compounds, can make wines taste metallic or harsh.”
With asparagus, you want to focus on how the vegetable is prepared:
- Steamed or boiled asparagus goes well with Sauvignon Blanc.
- Barbecued asparagus pairs well with a dry Spanish Rosé or a lightly oaked Italian Pinot Blanc or Pinot Bianco.
- Roasted asparagus works nicely with a dry Spanish Rosé or a Pinot Noir.
- Asparagus with hollandaise sauce goes well with a crisp, lightly oaked Chardonnay.
So there you have it. When it comes to pairing wine with artichokes and asparagus, you’ve got some helpful rules of the road.
