Matching food and wine is one of the areas of liveliest discussion among wine experts, and also among those who don’t see themselves as experts, but just want something to enhance their enjoyment of a nice glass of wine.
In theory this seems quite straightforward: it’s just a question of choosing a dish and a wine to go with it. However, we’ve come a long way since the days of “it’s fish so it has to be white wine”, as more and more well-matched food and wine combinations are becoming established, especially with the greater array of grapes available nowadays.
So that you get the most pleasure out of your meals, we would like to suggest some foods to partner with DO Almansa wines.
The white grapes most widely used for quality white wines in the Almansa DO are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.
Wines made with Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo, which are characteristically dry and aromatic, should be served chilled, at between 8 °C and 11 °C, and are the perfect match for raw or grilled vegetables, starchy staples like rice, potatoes and pasta, and, of course, fish. But for a fuller-flavoured grape like Chardonnay, an ideal partner might be seafood, but it also goes well with rice, potatoes and pasta as above, grilled vegetables, and white meats such as chicken, with the wine served at between 11 °C and 13 °C. Finally, the sweeter Muscat (Moscatel) grape, with its slightly higher alcohol levels, goes perfectly with lighter cheeses, with cured meats or, of course, dessert, with the wine served at around 6 °C.
The red grapes most frequently used in the fine wines of DO Almanasa are Garnacha Tintorera, Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Syrah, Merlot, Garnacha Tinta, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir.
Wines made from Garnacha Tintorera are a sure winner with strong and full-flavoured dishes. This grape variety goes perfectly with meat. All the way from roast lamb to meat-flavoured rice and pasta dishes, via hearty stews and casseroles. It is a perfect match for sheep milk cheese, and more substantial vegetables such as sweet peppers and aubergines
Wines made with Syrah and Garnacha are often used to make rosé wines. This particular style of wine goes perfectly with seafood, grilled vegetables and white meat, and should ideally be served at between 11 °C and 13 °C. Tempranillo and Merlot grapes are often used for young wines, and their bright freshness brings out the flavour of stronger cheeses, and both red and white meat, as well as cured meats, and should ideally be served at between 14 °C and 16 °C. For red meat straight off the barbecue and for cured meats again, we turn to Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. These are high-quality wines with a high concentration of antioxidant polyphenols, and should be served slightly warmer, at between 16 °C and 18 °C.
Finding the perfect match can seem difficult to start with, but if you explore the possibilities you’ll find the perfect partner for every meal.
