A dish I frequently order at one of my favorite restaurants is grilled
scottish salmon with corn-meal crusted pan-fried tomatoes and a basil
sauce. I am aware that tomatoes can be difficult with wine, but these
tomato slices are pan-fried to the point of being very soft (in both
flavor and texture). Last night, I first tried a taste of a 2002
Louis Latour Grand Ardech Chardonnay, but found it too dry for my
tastes. I settled on a 2002 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, a pretty
nice wine, but I'm wondering if anyone has a wine-pairing suggestion
that might make my favorite dish even more enjoyable.

-Cherie

>A dish I frequently order at one of my favorite restaurants is grilled
>scottish salmon with corn-meal crusted pan-fried tomatoes and a basil
>sauce.

Oregon Pinot Noir is a good match for grilled Salmon but I'm not sure how it
would hold up agianst the tomatoes.
Bi!!

cherie wrote:

> A dish I frequently order at one of my favorite restaurants is grilled
> scottish salmon with corn-meal crusted pan-fried tomatoes and a basil
> sauce. I am aware that tomatoes can be difficult with wine, but these
> tomato slices are pan-fried to the point of being very soft (in both
> flavor and texture). Last night, I first tried a taste of a 2002
> Louis Latour Grand Ardech Chardonnay, but found it too dry for my
> tastes. I settled on a 2002 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, a pretty
> nice wine, but I'm wondering if anyone has a wine-pairing suggestion
> that might make my favorite dish even more enjoyable.

Cherie (I always cringe slightly at this salutation, thinking it too
familiar, but oh well!)
It's revealing to me that you found the Latour Chardonnay too dry,
as I'd suspect that you're not talking about residual sugar (which
neither wine should have) but rather the higher acidity of the French
wine. Or perhaps it was just lacking in fruit? I've had a few of the
Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnays, and they tend to be (to me) quite like
a California Chard, but less opulent than the better ones. You can find
opulence in French Chardonnay of course, but you must look to the famous
vineyards of the Cote D'Or in Burgundy and pay the price that they fetch
(and even then, you need to know the producers and years).
Big chardonnays are a great match with salmon, even grilled ones,
but you can also try a big scale Austrian Grüner Veltliner (a Smaragd,
preferably) or a Viognier (like a good Condrieu if you can find it).
Many people like Pinot Noirs with salmon, but I'm not one of them...

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton > wrote in message >...
>
>
> Cherie (I always cringe slightly at this salutation, thinking it too
> familiar, but oh well!)

Yes, well, given the fact that it's my NAME, I would rather you not
cringe at it!

> It's revealing to me that you found the Latour Chardonnay too dry,
> as I'd suspect that you're not talking about residual sugar (which
> neither wine should have) but rather the higher acidity of the French
> wine. Or perhaps it was just lacking in fruit? I've had a few of the
> Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnays, and they tend to be (to me) quite like
> a California Chard, but less opulent than the better ones.

I believe I am referring to the acidity. This is the third time in
recent weeks that I have tried a different French Chardonnay, and each
time I felt the same, threw my hands up, and reverted back to
California Chards. I won't pretend that I am not discouraged, but I
do intend to keep trying. For one, I'm looking to expand my horizons,
and I also cannot imagine a hot July in the South of France without
white wine.

You can find
> opulence in French Chardonnay of course, but you must look to the famous
> vineyards of the Cote D'Or in Burgundy and pay the price that they fetch
> (and even then, you need to know the producers and years).

It looks as though it is going to be "hit or miss" with me.

> Big chardonnays are a great match with salmon, even grilled ones,
> but you can also try a big scale Austrian Grüner Veltliner (a Smaragd,
> preferably) or a Viognier (like a good Condrieu if you can find it).
> Many people like Pinot Noirs with salmon, but I'm not one of them...
>
> Mark Lipton

Thanks, I eat quite a bit of salmon, so it will be fun to try some new
accompaniments.

-Cherie

"cherie" > wrote in message
om...
> Mark Lipton > wrote in message
>...
> > Big chardonnays are a great match with salmon, even grilled ones,
> > but you can also try a big scale Austrian Grüner Veltliner (a Smaragd,
> > preferably)
>
> Thanks, I eat quite a bit of salmon, so it will be fun to try some new
> accompaniments.
>
The GV Smaragd will probably be very dry, and so possibly not to your taste?
A Rheingau Kabinett might be your kind of wine... anyway it is a traditional
recommendation for salmon. (For trout I tend to choose a semidry Mosel
Spätlese)
Anders

On 6 Mar 2004 11:27:19 -0800, (cherie)
wrote:

>I believe I am referring to the acidity. This is the third time in
>recent weeks that I have tried a different French Chardonnay, and each
>time I felt the same, threw my hands up, and reverted back to
>California Chards. I won't pretend that I am not discouraged, but I
>do intend to keep trying. For one, I'm looking to expand my horizons,
>and I also cannot imagine a hot July in the South of France without
>white wine.

Cherie, french chards require significant willingness to lighten one's
wallet, if you want to get any real satisfaction. And I might add,
aging is essential. A recent tasting of top flight chablis revealed
that some of these wines were not quite ready to drink, even though
they were 20-30 years old. You have picked a very difficult type of
wine, where you will find a lot of disappointment, but every now and
then, absolutely mind-blowing wonders.

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

"cherie" > skrev i meddelandet
om...
> A dish I frequently order at one of my favorite restaurants is grilled
> scottish salmon with corn-meal crusted pan-fried tomatoes and a basil
> sauce. I am aware that tomatoes can be difficult with wine, but these
> tomato slices are pan-fried to the point of being very soft (in both
> flavor and texture). Last night, I first tried a taste of a 2002
> Louis Latour Grand Ardech Chardonnay, but found it too dry for my
> tastes. I settled on a 2002 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, a pretty
> nice wine, but I'm wondering if anyone has a wine-pairing suggestion
> that might make my favorite dish even more enjoyable.
>

As soon as somebody on this NG mentions salmon, sure as ... heck ... up pops
the Swedish gentleman and says, Alsatian Riesling. Alsace Riesling tends to
have a bit of up front fruit - it is not really a good idea to compare it to
German (OR Austrian) Riesling - acidity (as a rule, or guide line) less
predominant than in German (OR Austrian) (and I realise that right now I am
doing just what I advised against, to wit, comparing them), a very slight
amount of residual sugar ... works well for me. And since the tomatoes
apparently are very well done, they may co-exist peacably with the Riesling
as well. I think.

However, if we are limiting ourselves to Chardonnay, I´d try a St Aubin from
Drouhin - small commune, big producer, mayhap not very exciting but fairly
dependable, and prices not stratospheric.

HTH

Nils Gustaf

--
Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se

Mike Tommasi > wrote in message >. ..
> On 6 Mar 2004 11:27:19 -0800, (cherie)
> wrote:
>
>
> Cherie, french chards require significant willingness to lighten one's
> wallet, if you want to get any real satisfaction. And I might add,
> aging is essential. A recent tasting of top flight chablis revealed
> that some of these wines were not quite ready to drink, even though
> they were 20-30 years old. You have picked a very difficult type of
> wine, where you will find a lot of disappointment, but every now and
> then, absolutely mind-blowing wonders.
>
> Mike
>
> Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France
> email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail

Nothing to do but keep trying, then, I guess. Though it doesn't seem
that I will be encountering any mind-blowing wonders with my current
strategy (random wines by the glass at good restaurants). I might
have to invest in a bottle or two, as I've been doing with the reds,
though I'm nervous about the prices I might find!
Thanks,
Cherie

>Nothing to do but keep trying, then, I guess. Though it doesn't seem
>that I will be encountering any mind-blowing wonders with my current
>strategy (random wines by the glass at good restaurants). I might
>have to invest in a bottle or two, as I've been doing with the reds,
>though I'm nervous about the prices I might find!
>Thanks,
>Cherie
>
Cherie,
Try a Meursault. You can find them in the $20-$40 USD range at most wine
shops. Good Chablis can also be found in that price range also. One could
spend quite some time drinking Meursault and Chablis before moving on to the
other Villages in Burgundy. Auxey-Duresses is also a good inexpensive place to
start but I think that the Meursaults and Chablis will start you a little
closer to a profile that is more familiar. One final note on Chablis. They
can range from quite acidic and minerally to quite rich so I would ask your
wine merchant for his recommendation. Jean-Marc Brocard for instance makes a
wide range of Chablis at a wide range of price points but I think his style
produces a type of Chardonnay that you might be more comfortable with at first.

Bi!!