There is, perhaps, no more "Southern" a dish than fried chicken. Its roots go deep, and it harkens back to the days when yardbird was plentiful and money was not. A quick chop, some vigorous plucking, and zip-bam-boom...dinner for a crowd. A finger-lickin', knuckle-suckin' good dinner, I might add.
These days, I'd venture to guess most fried chicken dinners aren't prepared at home, but it seems it has seen a bit of a resurgence at even the "classier" restaurants. Regardless of the setting or occasion, fried chicken is good. I still get as giddy as a school girl when I know it's on the menu. And what beverage is worthy of such a noble meal? Well...wine, of course.
I can't lie. Sweet tea is freakin' good with fried chicken. Fresh lemonade ain't bad either. But if you are like me and believe wine always has a place at the table (ok, not the kids table...unless you're in one of those families where anyone under 40 still sits at the kids table), then I submit to you that there are some mighty fine pairings out there for fried chicken with all the fixins. Give 'em a try, and wine will become an automatic side. Right there with biscuits, mashed potatoes, white gravy, corn on the cob, red beans and rice, purple hull peas..............must.....re.....fo.......cus.
We begin with bubbly. I don't know what it is, but something about the carbonation in sparkling wine creates a magical match with greasy dishes (yes, fried chicken is greasy...get over it). Like ebony and ivory, the light effervescence of sparking wine does indeed create harmony with the greasy, spicy richness of fried chicken. I prefer lighter, snappier sparklers with spicier fried chicken, and toasty, yeasty styles for milder fried chicken dishes. Now, I'm not suggesting you raid the cellar for the bottle you bought to commemorate the birth of your first child - although Hooters does offer Dom Perignon (seriously) - to pair with your next box of fried chicken. There are plenty of less expensive bubblies out there if you want to experiment. I would suggest the Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Brut for the lighter, crisper style; Segura Viudas Brut Reserva for a richer, toastier style; and Barefoot Bubbly Brut for something in between. Try it. You'll like it. Might even give you an excuse to take the wife to Hooters.
Another solid wine choice for fried chicken is Chardonnay. Often called the "red wine in white clothes", Chardonnay has flavors that complement fried chicken - lemon, apple, toast, nuts, butter - but also the body to keep up with the big, rich flavors of that crispy deliciousness. Unlike sparkling wine, where the bubbles sort of neutralize the grease, you need a Chardonnay that can open-mouth kiss your sloppy dinner right back. It's not always my favorite style of Chard, but you need a ripe, full-blown one to stand up to fried chicken in my opinion. Those made by Bernardus, Ferrari-Carano, Alamos, Frei Brothers, Frank Family, La Crema, and J. Lohr "Riverstone" reliably "put out" in that regard.
If you really want to experiment, try Novy Oley Dessert Wine Viognier with the soul food classic chicken and waffles. Sweet, sticky goodness. Nuff said.
So, go grab a box, get spiffed up to have it served to you on a plate, or purchase a live chicken to kill...but be sure to snag a bottle of vino to go with it. Let me know what you think...
Wine + Southern Cuisine = Yum
Friday, June 15, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Three Wine Languages
Recently at church, our Sunday School class was studying The 5 Love Languages, which is a faith-based program that hypothesizes that people communicate "love" in different ways, and the better you understand how you and your mate communicate, the happier you will be. Good stuff.
And not that my mind was wondering during our group discussion, but I got to thinking about how wines connect to people. My theory? Wine "communicates" to us (and we reciprocally receive what it is saying) in three ways:
Smell - The first impression (usually). A wine can tell you a lot about itself with a little sniffy-sniff. First, a wine will tell you what kind of shape it's in. Overtly funky aromas are usually a sign that a wine has seen better days. On the flip-side, an inviting bouquet only makes you that much more excited to drink it. It might be all fruit, like apples, cherries, strawberries, citrus zest, and plums. It might give off some savory scents - popcorn, earth, mushrooms, stone, tobacco, leather, and minerals. Spice box, vanilla, honey, caramel, mint, and chocolate are also common aromas. A wine's nose might tell you if its young or old. It can tell you a lot about the conditions in which the grapes were grown - cool or warm climate, high elevation or valley floor, the types of soils; and how the wine was made - aged in oak or steel, new or neutral oak, New- or Old-World style. Over 70% of what we perceive to be taste is actually smell, so this "language" sets the stage for the next, which is...
Taste - This one might seem obvious, but wines tell a story with their flavors. Wines from cool climates tend to taste more restrained, spicy, with slightly higher acidity and lower alcohol. Those from warmer locales usually possess bigger, bolder fruit flavors with higher alcohol levels. Oak, if used in the winemaking process, imparts flavors of vanilla, toast, honey, and spice. Wines from single vineyards tend to be more dense and concentrated (even awkward when young), while "appellation" wines - those using grapes blended from multiple sites - are almost immediately approachable and more balanced. Likewise, a wine's taste can tell you how it was made. Bold, fruit forward styles usually indicate New World. Restrained, less approachable, more site-driven wines indicate Old World style. Tannic (astringent) wines are often a sign that the grapes and their juice were fermented whole-cluster, or at least with skins and stems. Of course, it's vitally important that a wine actually taste "good" to you. Otherwise, the rest of the story may never get told.
Experience - Not totally separate from the other two "languages" (in fact, the "smell" section of your brain is right next to the "memory" aisle), experience consists of those moments in time associated with a wine. All things being equal, a wine tastes better to me when I have walked on the soil in which it was grown, or met the winemaker whose hands rendered the product, or even just enjoyed the same bottle with friends one special evening. Perhaps the vintage of a wine is also a significant date to you, like the birth year of a child. All of these experiences - and many more - can be captured in a bottle of wine. Indeed, a recent trip to Santa Barbara wine country just opened up a whole new line of communication to me from the wines of that area (more to come in future posts).
As an enthusiast (not expert!), I strive to understand all three wine languages but, just as with The 5 Love Languages, one communicates more clearly to me, and it's "experience." Beyond just grapes, I believe wine is made up of time, place, and people. Experience helps me recall all three. What about you?
As for our Sunday School lesson...I'm pretty sure my love language is "service" (get your mind out of the gutter). Fortunately for me - and probably my wife - wine can be easily served. Liquid love, as it were.
And not that my mind was wondering during our group discussion, but I got to thinking about how wines connect to people. My theory? Wine "communicates" to us (and we reciprocally receive what it is saying) in three ways:
Smell - The first impression (usually). A wine can tell you a lot about itself with a little sniffy-sniff. First, a wine will tell you what kind of shape it's in. Overtly funky aromas are usually a sign that a wine has seen better days. On the flip-side, an inviting bouquet only makes you that much more excited to drink it. It might be all fruit, like apples, cherries, strawberries, citrus zest, and plums. It might give off some savory scents - popcorn, earth, mushrooms, stone, tobacco, leather, and minerals. Spice box, vanilla, honey, caramel, mint, and chocolate are also common aromas. A wine's nose might tell you if its young or old. It can tell you a lot about the conditions in which the grapes were grown - cool or warm climate, high elevation or valley floor, the types of soils; and how the wine was made - aged in oak or steel, new or neutral oak, New- or Old-World style. Over 70% of what we perceive to be taste is actually smell, so this "language" sets the stage for the next, which is...
Taste - This one might seem obvious, but wines tell a story with their flavors. Wines from cool climates tend to taste more restrained, spicy, with slightly higher acidity and lower alcohol. Those from warmer locales usually possess bigger, bolder fruit flavors with higher alcohol levels. Oak, if used in the winemaking process, imparts flavors of vanilla, toast, honey, and spice. Wines from single vineyards tend to be more dense and concentrated (even awkward when young), while "appellation" wines - those using grapes blended from multiple sites - are almost immediately approachable and more balanced. Likewise, a wine's taste can tell you how it was made. Bold, fruit forward styles usually indicate New World. Restrained, less approachable, more site-driven wines indicate Old World style. Tannic (astringent) wines are often a sign that the grapes and their juice were fermented whole-cluster, or at least with skins and stems. Of course, it's vitally important that a wine actually taste "good" to you. Otherwise, the rest of the story may never get told.
Experience - Not totally separate from the other two "languages" (in fact, the "smell" section of your brain is right next to the "memory" aisle), experience consists of those moments in time associated with a wine. All things being equal, a wine tastes better to me when I have walked on the soil in which it was grown, or met the winemaker whose hands rendered the product, or even just enjoyed the same bottle with friends one special evening. Perhaps the vintage of a wine is also a significant date to you, like the birth year of a child. All of these experiences - and many more - can be captured in a bottle of wine. Indeed, a recent trip to Santa Barbara wine country just opened up a whole new line of communication to me from the wines of that area (more to come in future posts).
As an enthusiast (not expert!), I strive to understand all three wine languages but, just as with The 5 Love Languages, one communicates more clearly to me, and it's "experience." Beyond just grapes, I believe wine is made up of time, place, and people. Experience helps me recall all three. What about you?
As for our Sunday School lesson...I'm pretty sure my love language is "service" (get your mind out of the gutter). Fortunately for me - and probably my wife - wine can be easily served. Liquid love, as it were.
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