Last night my friend had a few of us over for a delicious dinner of hoisin-marinated salmon, sauteed snow peas, and brown rice. YUM! I would have paid $25 at a restaurant for that!
I was tasked with bringing a bottle of wine, so I did some research to see what pairs with salmon. I've had salmon and wine a million times, but I never seem to find the right match. Salmon has a very strong, fatty flavor but a big factor is also what spices are used. After consulting my wino friends and doing some research, I decided to bring a Pinot Noir. So I went into Nectar Wine Lounge on Steiner/Chestnut to purchase a bottle (they'll pour you tastes of the wines that they feature by the glass and by the bottle "to go") and ask for advice. They poured me 3 different pinots, they had their interesting differences but had one main (sort of bad) thing in common: too much tart cherry flavor. This tart cherry flavor is what tends to repel me from pinots (but I'm still trying to be open-minded), but I ended up just picking one at random (they were all the same price too) because I was running late and I hoped the salmon's fattiness would work well with the tartness.
The verdict: O'Reilly's 2007 Pinot Noir, Oregon, $20. It was medium to light bodied, had a somewhat resistant texture (didn't slide down smoothly, wasn't quite "rough"). Aromas of plum, cherry, and a little heat, the flavor was tart and flat and the finish was moderate. Paired with the salmon, the pinot did not get any better. Paired with the pinot, the salmon still tasted delicious. Long story short, I wish I got a sancerre, sauvignon blanc, or something bright and lemony which would be like a fresh seasoning on the somewhat sweet salmon.
I did, however, sort of like the pinot with the snow peas. They were a little spicy, and that spice masked the tartness of the pinot and brought out more fruits. It wasn't that remarkable, but still.
Anyway, didn't like salmon with this pinot. Any tips?
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"What went wrong"? I think that's a little harsh... I actually didn't think it was that bad. It was a decent pinot, just slightly forgettable. The Salmon was awesome; the hoisin sauce gave it a layer of complexity that the pinot just couldn't match. What might be interesting with this dish is a more complex wine (a Syrah? Tempranillo?) that could hold up to the Salmon with character, but also stand on its own vs the snap peas. I know that's totally different than what you were thinking Laura with a bring/tangy white... but why not try both? :)
ReplyDeleteYes! That sounds like a great idea. And honestly, what I learned from the Culinary Institute of America, is that you really don't know until you try. So, therefore, let's try a buncha stuff til we get it right!
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