Sommelier Notes for November

by Bill Summerville

Apèro

I would normally think of cava for these Apèro dishes, but the Basque region is known for Txakoli (pronounced Cha-koli) a wine that can be white, pink and sometimes red, generally has a slight spritz and low alcohol making it the perfect partner for the Apèro part of the evening. Honestly these wines are perfect for drinking anytime with anything or nothing at all.

White and pink txakoli are more like the smell of the sea than any notes of fruit or earth- I’m paraphrasing a writer whose name I do not remember- the sentiment is perfect. The high acid and and slight tannins make red txakoli more fun with a chill. The grapes are hondarabbi zuri and honarabbi beltza, white and red respectively. These grapes are rarely found outside of the Basque region.

Chicken- the most delicious blank canvas.

There are certain parts of chicken that have wonderful flavor and intensity like the skin when it’s crisped up in the oven or the succulent, earthy thigh, but because chicken is so easily transformed by its preparation it is the madeira, mushroom and truffle combination that becomes pivotal in the wine selection for this dish.

Go for a red with a little bit more earth than fruit. A more muscular rioja, maybe a malbec from southwestern France, or a more structured wine from Languedoc-Rousillon in the eastern Pyrenees might do the trick. And if you ventured outside of the region a beautiful burgundy might be the best of all.

Basque Cheesecake

For dessert we are going to cheat and leave the Basque Country and go straight to Southern Spain, specifically the region of Jerez for a sherry that is on the sweeter side. Now you may be thinking, “Isn’t all sherry sweet?” No. In fact most sherry is dry and delicious, but that’s a conversation for another day.

In the world of pairing food and wine there are many approaches, two of which are contrasting or complementing. In contrasting you cut the intensity of the dish with the wine’s acidity, tannins or bubbles- lobster with champagne for example. With complementing you create a pairing that is over the top by pairing with like on like-  lobster with a full, rich chardonnay.

With the cheesecake we’re going to take the complementary approach and pair with César Florido’s Moscatel Dorado Sherry (if you can’t find this look for something with a golden hue and honeyed overtones). The rich, luscious texture of the cheesecake and the never-ending complexities of the sherry- its silky golden raisins, ginger, marmalade, honey and baking spice come together in a little explosion of joy.

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