Rosé and food pairings
Spring is finally turning the tables on a seemingly endless winter! The days are getting longer, warmth is creeping back, and at least for those lucky enough to find a sheltered place out of the wind, thermometers are starting to display double digits. We're enjoying the chirping of birds and patches of small colourful flowers adorn gardens and ditches alike.
What do you associate with the dawning of spring? For those of us dealing with food, drink and service on a daily basis, springtime is the long-awaited start of a new and wonderful wine season! Spring means, among other things, the re-entry of rosé wine into both restaurants as well as the private sphere. Finally, we can step outside and fully enjoy nature and fresh air, and the delights of a well-composed picnic, or pique-nique as Rosenberg would say. What could be more wonderful than hanging out, either alone with someone you particularly like, or in a larger group, with an abundance of great food and drink?
So, do we have any hot tips regarding said rosé and food? Of course, we do!
When considering rosé wine as a beverage, the variations in quality, intensity and in amicable food pairings are as great as when exploring white and red wines, so you have to reconnoitre somewhat to find out the style and type of wine you are drawn to. Generally speaking, just as with white and red examples, wines from Europe, in wine circles referred to as "old world wines", are often a little more taught; thus displaying a little more acidity, a little more minerality and being more structured. Also generally speaking, European rosé wines are more food-oriented; not all strange considering rosé wine is traditionally a simpler, slightly less alcoholic beverage that farmers used to bring along to accompany their meals when working the fields. In summary, we can say that rosé from the new world, consisting of countries such as the USA, Australia, South Africa, etc., are pleasant companion wines, while their European cousins usually pair very well with food.
But what should we eat?
Foto Chicken and rosé wine av AS Food studio
In our opinion, the ultimate protein pairing with rosé wine is something as mundane as chicken! Chicken in most forms, in fact. If you analyse chicken meat, in terms of taste and texture, there are many components that marry very well with rosé. There is usually a light, although sometimes penetrating, mineral tone in all animal protein; and in chicken in particular, that taste note is wrapped in creaminess and with a certain hint of sweetness, which makes the minerality a little gentle, almost shy. And it fits rosé wine perfectly. Compare, for example, with wild game, where minerality stands out in terms of flavour and often lend a metallic taste, here a completely different fullness and roundness is required when pairing with wine. The fact that there is a modesty to the taste spectrum of chicken means that a rosé wine has room to slightly blossom, and to pull toward it the taste profile of the protein. The accompanying flavours and textures are the most important thing in this good match of food and wine, as rosé is not really capable of wide-ranging expressions; even the wine is a slightly modest rose.
Since rosé wines suitable for food pairings usually have a combination of quite high minerality and distinct fruitiness or berry tones, side salads generally work very well as an accessory to the chicken. Likewise, a chicken stew with few, but well thought through flavours pairs well with a nicely balanced rosé wine. A grilled chicken, where the Maillard effect is given free rein, is perfect for the mineral-driven notes and typically slightly higher acidity in these wines, which also makes fat-based sauces a good complement.
Of course, fish, seafood and other meat proteins are also suitable companions with rosé wines, as always what goes depends on your personal preference, and good advice is just a starting point for your own experimentation. Our philosophy when it comes to food and wine is that they should not only fit together, but they should elevate each other to even higher levels. When considering seafood and fish, we hold scallops to be a fantastic alternative protein, as the tender, slightly creamy flavour and structure and the finely tuned minerality pair well with many rosé wines. Many types of fish are a little too sharp and have too distinct of a saltiness to them, just as many meat proteins are a little too heavy in their profile, which requires more powerfully flavourful beverages to achieve a desired symbiosis.
Domaine d'Escapat's "Mes amis", mainly made with Syrah with a of small dose of Cabernet Sauvignon, is a classic "old world" rosé wine that pairs fantastically well with a chicken casserole we concocted on a roof terrace in La Ciotat a few years ago. A simple dish with humble roots, sprung from the same soil as the wine it accompanies, together a veritable symphony!
For 4 people
One whole chicken, fresh
Four medium-sized carrots
300 g celeriac
2 yellow onions
1 bottle of white wine
2 cloves of garlic
A hearty handful of fresh borlotti beans
Fresh thyme and sage
Bay leaves, a couple of leaves
Chili flakes
Salt and pepper
One whole chicken, fresh
Four medium-sized carrots
300 g celeriac
2 yellow onions
1 bottle of white wine
2 cloves of garlic
A hearty handful of fresh borlotti beans
Fresh thyme and sage
Bay leaves, a couple of leaves
Chili flakes
Salt and pepper
- Make a mire poix; finely chop carrots, celeriac and yellow onions.
- Divide the vegetable mixture into two parts.
- Brown one part in oil in a large pot, pour over a bottle of white wine with high acidity (a simple Riesling vi) and then refill the bottle with water twice and empty into the pot.
- The Maillard effect is almost always preferable, so brown the chicken parts all around together with a small pinch of chili flakes before putting them in the casserole.
- Tie a bouquet garni of thyme, sage and bay leaves and let it join the broth.
- Simmer until the meat falls off the bones completely, then remove the meat and place in a bowl.
- Strain the broth, pour it back into the pot and simmer it down until about half is left.
- Fry the remaining mire poix in a new pot, remove the beans from their pods, chop in the garlic and sauté for a while.
- Pour the vegetable mix into the pot with the broth and add the chicken.
- Let boil for a while.
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Divide the vegetable mixture into two parts.
- Brown one part in oil in a large pot, pour over a bottle of white wine with high acidity (a simple Riesling vi) and then refill the bottle with water twice and empty into the pot.
- The Maillard effect is almost always preferable, so brown the chicken parts all around together with a small pinch of chili flakes before putting them in the casserole.
- Tie a bouquet garni of thyme, sage and bay leaves and let it join the broth.
- Simmer until the meat falls off the bones completely, then remove the meat and place in a bowl.
- Strain the broth, pour it back into the pot and simmer it down until about half is left.
- Fry the remaining mire poix in a new pot, remove the beans from their pods, chop in the garlic and sauté for a while.
- Pour the vegetable mix into the pot with the broth and add the chicken.
- Let boil for a while.
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with a great loaf of bread, a well-aged hard cheese and why not throw in a few thin slices of salami for an extra touch of salt. And of course; a couple of bottles of chilled "Mes Amis" - salut, et bon appetit!
Written by
pea&Rosenberg
pea&Rosenberg
