Nagh, fish `n chips with Chenin Blanc!!! Who would have thought?

The other evening, along with our Mike B and his wife, I attended a local tasting featuring wines to go with fast food! Have to say it was one of the most interesting tastings I have been to and plenty of discussion amongst the 20 participants.

The Food and Matching Wines.

1) Vegetarian Nachos (guacamole and salsa).

NV Pares Balta Cava Brut (Penedes, Sp.)
`05 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)

2) Fish`n Chips.

`04 VF Ferme Rose (Languedoc)
`04 Rudera Chenin Blanc (S Africa)

3) Chicken Wings.

`05 DuBoeuf Chiroubles Flower Label, Beaujolais Fr.

4) BBQ Duck.

`05 Tait "Ball Buster" Shiraz-Cab-Merlot (Barossa Valley)
`04 Ravenswood "Zen of Zin" Zinfandel, Calif.

Evenings Thoughts.

1) The Balta is an organic cava and very good value. Dry and nicely balanced, with some nuttyness and apple skin. The Brancott is an old favourite of mine, has the classic Montana nose of green pepper-asparagus-mushy peas but slimmed down these days! Many liked this with the nachos

2) With the fish`n chips the Rudera was the outright winner of the evening! Who would ever have thought that? This wine has class and is a must buy if seen on the shelf. The Vieille Ferme Rose was good too with the food but was better with the nachos I had put aside.

3) The Beaujolais and the baked wings were a very good match as well! Very many votes at end of the evening. This is a good wine forumites, good balance, typical cherry and strawberry, love the violets on the nose. Smells bigger than it tastes was one comment, but I liked it very much. Terrific matchup too.

4) Aaagh, the BBQ duck! First time I tasted the Ravenswood I was not too impressed but entry level and went well with the food. I remember the old days taking along the `85 (?) Lytton Springs to my local chinese restaurant!! One comment at tasting was "this Ravenswood does my mental and physical health no good whatsoever".
The Ball Buster? Store owner said that more women buy this than men! Lotsa chocolate, very masculine and 15.5% alc. One participant waxed lyrical thinking "it reminded me of my wife-she does not go with anything". See, I told you we had fun.

Not sure what the surprise is about. SA Chenin is super and a very good match with fish dishes, although I prefer unwooded (or wooded so you can still taste fruit).

Chicken wings without Labatt's draft? Unthinkable!
Sounds like good time!

All very interesting matches, showing how wine can also be used during those times we would normally drink beers & ales.

However, last week I had fantastically aromatic (i.e., lots of hops) IPA with a fish and chips dinner. As much as I love wine, I just cannot see how it could possibly have come close to matching the enjoyment of that pairing.

-- Clark

Although I don't buy from fast-food chains, I often make at-home versions of the foods. I defy anyone to find a better chicken Burrito match than Tavel Rose. For some reason, the only deviled egg with mayonnaise pair that works for me is Beaujolais. Also, nothin' goes better with popcorn than Muscadet -now, if only they sold it at the cinema...

Prost!
Bill

Not sure what the surprise is about. SA Chenin is super and a very good match with fish dishes, although I prefer unwooded (or wooded so you can still taste fruit).

Hi Peter, I love CB but never thought of matching with true Brit fish`n chips!
Out of touch when living in the colonies I guess.Overall the Rose was good with most of the foods as I suspected.

Bob, inspired by your post I decided to have fish'n'chips last night with a bottle of the KWV 'Val du Chene' 2004 Chenin Blanc that has just won the 2007 WINE magazine Chenin Blanc Challenge (see http://www.winemag.co.za/content/online ... sp?in=1011)

This was a surprise win for a large volume (27.7K cases ) inexpensive wine (45 rands) over runner up the small volume (600 cases / 120 rand) FMC Forrester Meinert 2004

Anyway -- it was CORKED!! If only they'd used screwcaps.

Anyway -- it was CORKED!! If only they'd used screwcaps.

Well, I drove up to Paarl and took the corked wine back to KWV. 'Oh dear', they said, we don't have any left. It all sold out as soon as the magazine announced its win. I lay down on the floor kicking and screaming until they found one in their wine library. (OK, I looked sad, said how I'd been looking for the wine since I read about its win when I was in England and the store ibought if from was a long long way awa and there was none left in local shops. And I suppose they got fed up with me making their tasting room look untidy.)

So I opened it last night with hake and chips. And. Well, it didn't knock my socks off on opening -- I suppose I was expecting hordes of angel choirs -- but it was jolly good complex wine that I appreciated more as I drank it .

2006 KWV 'Val du Chene' Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc
(South Africa, Western Cape)

Subdued floral nose. First taste impression is the taste of cork (not corked), but it opens out in mouth with opulent greengage and ripe lime flavours. There's some unctuousness and the wooding adds structure without imposing.

Rec price 45R I paid 50R (6.80USD)