Over the last couple weeks some fine filleted Manitoba fish has been enjoyed with some fine wines purchased at various locations through the city. I made some notes and are posting those thoughts in the 'So to sum it up...' format.
Combination: Pickerel in a Green Curry Sauce with Fetzer 'Valley Oaks' Gewurztraminer
Grape(s): Gewurztraminer
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: Listed on bottle as California but website boasts Monterey, Santa Barbara & Mendocino
Closure: Cork
Price: $14 plus tax
Recommend: Yum. Buy but needs flavourful food, is a bit much on its own. This is an old stand 'buy' for spicy fare at our house.
Fetzer
Combination: Corn Flake Crusted Pickerel with Concha y Toro 'Casillero del Diablo' Sauvignon Blanc
Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: Listed on Bottle as Central Valley, Chile but website lists Maule, Maipo & Casablanca with %
Closure: Cork
Price: $11.5 plus tax
Recommend: Good to buy and leave in fridge for any occasion. Decent with pickerel but probably should be paired with a different crusting or style, was more enjoyable solo.
Concha y Toro
Combination: Pickerel lightly floured and cast-iron fried with butter, served with lemon wedges. Wine with was Cave Spring' Off-Dry' Riesling
Grape(s): Riesling
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: VQA Niagara Peninsula (Beamsville Bench, Creek Shores, Jordan Bench)
Closure: Cork
Price: $13 plus tax
Recommend: Very, very tasty. The acidity was refreshing and cut through the butter.
Cave Spring
2 comments:
Nice capsule reviews. I am also a big fan of the Casillero Sauv Blanc, but I've never tried it with pickerel.
I'm curious about the use of the off-dry Cave Springs. How did the wine's sweetness match with the lemon and butter? I'm sure the acidity helped (as you noted), but I've usually gone with dry Rieslings and lighter fish (especially trout).
The wine's sweetness with the fish was perfect. I have had the Off-Dry before and had found it dances on your tongue with big flavours of fresh peach and grapefruit. When using cast iron you cannot cook with acid so the pickerel soaked up the butter and salt. The lemon was squeezed on after and combined with the existing flavours and really made the wine sing. For me the other key was the sides - we did nothing heavy, no mashed potatoes, etc. We did a simple salad with fresh strawberries and a very light balsamic. I often find a wine with a bit of 'sweet' a.k.a. Off-Dry can punch up an otherwise simple meal.
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