Un pique-nique en Alsacea

A pique-nique with wine

It is the time to recall this grandiose summer we had here in Europe this year. A lot of sunshine and a tropical heat gave us great opportunities to stay outside.
I had a great time travelling through the Alsace in France and enjoyed the local specialities there. There are delicious things like pasty, salami and all kind of cheese, ah, and of course the baguette.

What else? Well, you know me good enough by now to guess what we had with the food: Of course, an outstanding wine of the region.

The Alsace is one of the French wine regions but given by its history and geography, next to Germany, it is more influenced by the German viticulture.
Here most wines are made of a single grape variety which is named on the bottle whereas in the other parts of France the wines usually are blended and the “appellacion d'origine” (designation of origin) is the predominant characterization.

Another analogy to Germany are the grape varietals which are cultivated here. Riesling is the most common one, alongside with Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc or the Sylvaner.

We had a Riesling together with our specialities at the picnic in the green near the lovely city of Colmar. Riesling is a great all-rounder to pair with a lot of different kind of food and flavours.

À votre santé!

White wine with the fish!

Roter Veltliner from Austria

Although this is not the full truth you will be on the safe side if you follow this rule.

The proteins of fish do not harmonize well with tannins and reds in general have got more tannins than whites. If you want to pair a red with fish you should choose one with soft tannins like a light Pinot Noir or a Rosé. Avoid also too heavy woodened ones and this applies to both, reds and whites. A heavily woodened Chardonnay would also not be the best choice.

We had a roasted gilthead, which could have coped with a light red but we choose a white grape called Roter Veltliner from Austria. This grape is a quite rare one and despite its name it is not related with the most famous Austrian grape, the Grüner Veltliner. It is a fruity type of wine with a crisp acidity. This one is called Wiener Symphoniker, because it was choosen as the house wine for the Symphonic Orchestra of Vienna.

Perfect for this symphony of a dish.

We call it Schnitzel

Variation of Schnitzel

You hardly find a traditional German restaurant not serving at least one dish of Schnitzel. The variations of Schnitzel is unbelievable, not only of different meat, like pork, veal or turkey, but also of different recipes. Most common is the Wiener Schnitzel (viennese schnitzel) which traditionally is a breaded veal escalope, served with potatoes or fries. There are others with a sauce e.g. with mushroom, the Jägerschnitzel (hunters schnitzel) or like we had, a Paprikaschnitzel with bell pepper (Paprika), tomatoes and onions.

But what to drink with a Schnitzel? Probably 9 out of 10 Germans you ask this question would say: Beer! Well, I am the one who answers: Wine. Of course! :-)

We had a Gelber Muskateller (Muscat blanc à petits grains), which is a quite aromatic wine. This one is from the German wine region Pfalz (Palatinate), a sun-blessed region in the south-west near France, producing opulent wines. The wine is semi-sweet which pairs quite well with the spicy and sweet aromas of the salsa. It definitely would also go well with asian food.

If you ever stumble into a German restaurant, have a Schnitzel and remember me by ordering a wine.

Old vine from the old winery

Riesling with chicken

Probably you wonder that ze German guy almost never talks about THE German grape, the Riesling. Well here we are!

For sure, Riesling is the best known German grape variety. It is well aromatic, usually of ripe peaches and flowers and it has a tangy acidity caused by the continental climate here in Germany. The wines of the Riesling are real all-rounders, to pair with a lot of dishes. And the wine is very long lasting, indeed it evolves quite well the longer you preserve it in the bottle (given that you store it dark and cool).

This one here in my glass is called “Alte Reben” which means “old vine”. But this refers to the age of the vines rather than to the age of the wine. It is said that the older the vines the better the quality of the wine. Old vines have a very huge rootstock to bring up the best of the soil and this makes up the quality of a wine.

Probably you can decipher the year date on the emblem of the winery, the Staatliche Hofkeller located in Würzburg, the heart of Franconia. The number is 1128 and yes, this is the year when the winery was founded. By this the Hofkeller is one of the oldest wineries in the world.

Today we paired our Riesling with a roast chicken, prepared with a marinade of honey, oil, paprika and herbs. Together with a fresh salad really delicious.

About bread and grape varieties

A German Brotzeit with wine

There are almost innumerous grape varieties in Germany but have you ever heard about how many variations of bread we have? Over 1,000! Yes, bread... different! And I am not talking about different shapes but of different recipes. Bread is kind of a national heritage and national pride. No surprise that we have an own meal we “celebrate” regularly, called Brotzeit (bread-time), like the tea-time in good old Britain.

Most common is sourdough rye bread, which you can have as basis for either sweet or savory toppings. Especially in the southern part of Germany you have a cold dish in the evening, with sausages, ham, cheese and pickles in all different variations. This is a Brotzeit.

I had goat cream cheese as basis layer and a topping of tomatoes, fresh and dried, with some green garnish from the herb garden. A perfect summer dish.

And what would suit better than a summer wine? The typical summer wine, in my point of view, is a chilled rosé. This one is a rosé of the Muskattrollinger grape from the Württemberg region, which is the main growing region of this grape. Muskattrollinger is a blue grape also known as Muscat Hamburg, which originally is a table grape. But the crazy Germans make wine of everything, even from table grapes.

The spicy, highly aromatic flavor is a reminiscent of the Muscat aroma and the slightly sweet taste pairs perfectly with the creamy cheese and the tomatoes. With 11% vol. alcohol this is a nice fellow for these warm evenings on the terrace.

What are your favorite terrace pairings?

Stay tuned

Lentils love Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc with fish and lentils

And I love lentils, yes and of course do I also love Pinot Blanc. You wonder why I talk about Pinot Blanc all the time but you can’t see anything of this in the picture? Well, this is because Pinot Blanc translates into German as Weissburgunder and that’s what you find on the label here.

In German all Pinots have this ending “-burgunder”, which means Burgundy grape. Pinot Noir is Spät_burgunder_, Pinot Gris is Grau_burgunder_ and Pinot Blanc is Weiss_burgunder_.

A ripe Pinot Blanc, preferably matured on the lees, has got the perfect creamy mouthfeel to pair with this smooth and earthy texture of the lentils. Yes of course, in this case the lentils are just the side dish for the pickerel but they are the predominant taste on the plate. The fish is fine with the white wine anyway so lets concentrate on the higher intense flavors on the plate to pair with our wine. This is quite often the sauce or the side dish rather than the main component.

Who loves lentils as much as I do (and as the Weissburgunder does)?!

What a great finale of the asparagus season!

Asparagus salad with Italian wine

In Germany asparagus is the first domestic vegetable in the year and from the start of the season mid of April until the last harvest - which traditionally is latest at the 24th of June – you won’t find a local restaurant not serving at least one dish with asparagus. Most common is the white asparagus, usually served boiled together with potatoes and traditionally paired with a light white wine like a Silvaner.

Fortunately the end of the asparagus seasons falls into the beginning of the strawberry season. A great chance to bring together both for a delicate salad. Green asparagus suits perfect with the delicious fruits and a sweetened vinaigrette.

This tasty salad goes pretty well together with a more aromatic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc. I choose one from the Northeast of Italy, the wine region called Friuli. The Sauvignon Blanc corresponds with its grassy and flowery flavors and its straight fruity taste on the palate quite well with the savory taste of the green asparagus and the fruity notes of the strawberries. Acidity on both sides - the wine and the vinaigrette - complete the flavor experience.

Enjoy!