Help with a wine for Gumbo

[Robin Garr]

The beer with gumbo thing is just as inauthentic as wine. If we're talking deep south alcohol is frowned upon in all its forms, so the real accompaniment is unsweetend iced tea.

Hold on there, podnuh ... we're not talking Scots-Irish Protestant Deep South here but Catholic Acadiana, where beer isn't merely optional, it's <i>required</i>.

(Added by edit: Also, in the Deep South, I believe sweet tea is the standard; unsweet would be seen as a Yankee affectation.)

The beer or the ice tea would be a local's choice, so I've seen. But the Gruner sounds lovely.
When I break down a gumbo for wine pairing it starts with the meat choice - seafood vs. everything else. Your ocean meats would seem to rule out all but the lightest reds. I'd save the Zin for a chicken and andouillle version.

To my mind next in the breakdown would be the herbaceous qualities of a good gumbo. Your holy trinity of onions, peppers and celery are in there. Seafood gumbo often calls for some thyme. And most good gumbos are finished (often just before service) with file (fee-lay!).

Light and refreshing, seafood friendly, herbaceous? How about a Cab Franc Rose? One from the Loire would underscore the French aspects of the Cajun. But I am thinking of a Washington Three Rivers Winery rose I had this summer.

As for tomatoes and Gumbo - I like 'em. You can argue authentic or not but its really moot by now (2006, eh). Tomatoes help bind the ubiquitous oil in the stew, oh yeah. Also adding that much desired uh...umami quality. To each his own tomato.

Now what to drink with aligator gumbo? That's one for a pro.

With all that seafood and a possibility of some degree of spiciness? I'd reach for an acidic white like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.

Richard

Well I just finished making the roux, stock and andouille sausage mixture (I'm serving it Friday so the seafood part will wait) and it is definitely spicy . The sausage and the spice mixture (three kinds of pepper, thyme and salt) give it a serious kick. I think beer is a definite choice but I'm also beginning to think the reisling may be a better fit than the Gruner Vetliner to counter the spiciness.

[David M. Bueker]

The spicier the gumbo, the more you will want some richness (without alcohol to boot) in the wine. I would find a Riesling Auslese, and if you can get an older one that would be even better. Then you will have richness, low alcohol and some sweetness to balance the heat.

And hey Robin...there's plenty 'o them Baptists down there in the deep south of Arcadiana. I married into a family of 'em.

there's plenty 'o them Baptists down there in the deep south of Arcadiana

You know the old saying:

Palestinians don't recognize the Jews
The Jews don't recognize Mohammed
Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store

I did worse than you -- I married into a family of Nazarenes....

Well I always struggle with this. Isn't an aged QmP Riesling a bit overclass and perhaps just too nice to pair with gumbo? I mean back in the day even a poor family on the Gulf could eat seafood gumbo regularly. It's homespun, bayou comfort food for goodness sake (indeed).
And won't an Auslese's complexity get lost amidst the gut-warming richess of the stew?
If sweetness is the balancing point, why not a White Zin? Sorry, can't get rose out of my head...

[Robin Garr]

there's plenty 'o them Baptists down there in the deep south of Arcadiana. I married into a family of 'em.

You speak from experience then! I can tell you without marrying one, though, that there's an awful lot of boozin' it up, dancing, gambling and other good things that most Baptists don't approve of around New Iberia and Breaux Bridge and environs, and it's a mighty different culture than, say, rural Alabama or Georgia ...