How to pair wine and asparagus?
Spring is heralded to foodies around the world when the first new shoots of Asparagus officinalis are beginning to appear in fairs and markets. White or green, thin or of imposing size, it doesn't matter: the joy of leaving winter behind is there, lignified in this emblematic spring vegetable.
But then we open the books or search the internet and come across a frustrating premise: asparagus is part of the family of “trick foods” for pairing with wine. Really? But isn’t there any way we can celebrate the arrival of this resplendent and joyful season in harmony?
POSSIBLE FLIRTING
It is common to find asparagus in wine compendiums or even specific wine-food pairing guides always appearing in the tricky ingredients section, those that are difficult to match with a good bottle, or even likely to destroy it. Asparagus, olives, artichokes, capers, eggs, mayonnaise, cheese, vinegar, canned fish, pickles and even harmless ice cream are all included there, or condemned to not dignify their existence by saying goodbye to the world without a sip of the most sacred of drinks, wine.
Logically, dishes like acidic pickled herring leave even the best sommeliers with the vaguest of wine pairing options, but our paradigmatic spring vegetables are far from this thorny reality.
At best, these basic pairing guides suggest pairing asparagus with a white Sauvignon Blanc grape, most likely from the cold Loire Valley in France or New Zealand, to bring out its herbaceous aromas and flavors.
However, this sommelier believes that the range can be much wider and more colorful, like spring. Indeed, the universe of tannic reds tends to clash with the herbaceousness and bitterness of asparagus, but in the range of whites, through to rosés, and arriving at light reds with soft tannins, there is so much “chemistry going on”.
DISMEMBERING ASPARAGUS
From a health perspective, the stars of this article are some of the most balanced vegetables in nature, rich in nutrients, fiber, vitamins A and C, and low in sodium and calories. The good news, of course, doesn’t stop there. From a gastronomic perspective, asparagus boasts a pungent flavor that is as unique as it is delicious. It is decidedly bitter when raw and green, a little less so when cooked and white. The white flavor, in fact, comes from the lack of direct contact with the sun when it is left covered in soil, thus preventing it from photosynthesizing. For “hardcore asparagus lovers,” it is a farce. I can see beauty in its elegant and tamed herbaceous expression. In terms of taste and texture, in addition to the bitterness, asparagus has a characteristic sweetness and fibrousness, which is less so as you approach the tender tips.
Of the more than 150 species of asparagus, both ornamental and edible, there is also a common thread in their olfactory profile. The pungent herbaceous side of raw asparagus comes from a group of substances called methoxypyrazines. The same pyrazines that give the vegetable flavor to the varieties of the Carmenet family, an eco-geogroup that includes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Petit Verdot, etc. Sauvignon Blanc, the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, although not included in the family, is an explosion of methoxypyrazines. These molecules, however, are broken down in the plant under the action of sunlight. In cold climates and with less light, Sauvignons are more pungent and redolent of asparagus.
Recent research has identified 132 major olfactory compounds in cooked asparagus.The main one, dimethyl sulfide, guarantees the unmistakable sulfuric touch of both our spring sprouts and broccoli, under thermal action. Through the Maillard reaction of the interaction of sugars and amino acids during cooking, several other components appear, and evoke mushrooms, chestnuts and boiled potatoes.
Other volatiles that contribute to the unique and pungent aromaticity of asparagus are phenylacetaldehyde with its floral performance, and hexanal which reinforces its green, germy, herbaceous side.
PROPOSALS
When I looked through my wine-food pairing books from different schools, the suggestions I found most often to avoid “an unpleasant clash with the tricky asparagus” were whites made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety or with an unoaked Chardonnay.
French sommeliers, despite having the fabulous Sauvignons of the Central Loire - Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon - or in Bordeaux, seem to appreciate the whites of the region even more. Alsace, especially dry Muscats or Pinot Blancs, when paired with asparagus. Perhaps because the tradition of growing this vegetable in the Alsatian Bas-Rhin and enjoying it at the arrival of spring is unbeatable there. Served with the classic sauces “gribiche”, “vinaigrette”, “mayonnaise” and “hollandaise”, it fits perfectly with these more aromatic, fruity and unctuous wines, rather than with the herbaceous and mineral austerity of a Sauvignon Blanc. With its pungency softened by these egg-rich and unctuous sauces, a sunnier and unoaked Chardonnay from the Mâconnais would also do well. In his spectacular series of pairing books Saveurs Complices, the “best sommelier in the world” Philippe Faure-Brac describes with emotion and technique how a Condrieu, an aromatic white wine with immense character from the Northern Rhône, made from the Viognier grape, works wonders to soothe the vegetal and sulphurous side of the “asperges tièdes sauce gribiche”.
In particular, I would also add the Austrian whites of the grape variety Green Veltliner, with its spicy aromatic profile and voluminous mouthfeel, and German whites from the Silvaner grape variety, especially from Franconia, explosive in terms of green tropical fruits, impressions of grass and even asparagus, to accompany them with immense success.
Fortunately, there are many Portuguese whites that pair well with asparagus, from quality Sauvignon Blancs produced locally (see the tests below) to wines with a more aromatic and unctuous profile, as preferred by French sommeliers: Alvarinhos in particular. For those who still prefer a herbaceous edge to the taste, enhanced by the green pungency of the dish, I asked two of the best Portuguese sommeliers, Manuel Moreira and Rodolfo Tristão, which native white grape varieties can offer a vegetal or herbal touch in their aromas: Fernão Pires, Arinto, Loureiro, Verdelho, Gouveio, Cerceal, Uva Cão, Fonte Cal and Síria. Although none of them carry the opulent methoxypyrazines of Sauvignon Blanc.
Finally, I recommend that readers ignore the manuals that proclaim that reds are forbidden with asparagus. Simply choose lighter reds, with discreet, soft, slightly astringent tannins. Reds with this profile and with a herbaceous “twist” of Cabernet Franc abound in the area of Saumur-Champigny, Touraine in the Loire, in Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil. Fruity and elegant Pinot Noir from the Old or New World also works well, without drifting into that unpleasant metallic aftertaste.Beaujolais and its “crus” go even further and can produce beautiful red wine/asparagus pairings. In Portugal, as an option for lighter reds with pleasant vegetal notes, I suggest less full-bodied reds from Beira Interior with the Rufete grape variety, or entry-level wines from good Dão producers, which are therefore less tannic and astringent.
TESTS
I steamed fresh green and white asparagus, and chose two national Sauvignon Blancs that I really like, for some pairing tests. I also made a classic “sauce gribiche” to make the game more difficult. The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc from Casal Santa Maria is possibly the ultimate example of the cool-climate Sauvignon rich in pyrazines in Portugal, with green pepper, capsicum, asparagus, and freshly cut grass. The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc from Cortes de Cima is a beautiful example of Sauvignon rich in thiols (a compound of sulfur origin), with citrus, grapefruit, passion fruit, cat urine, and broom flower.
The results were surprising. Without the gribiche to accompany it, the white asparagus, which is less herbaceous (less pyrazines and hexanol), fared better with the Sauvignon that is richer in pyrazines, Casal Santa Maria. The green asparagus, on the other hand, required more of the two whites, but the Top Cuts, rich in thiols, had its fruit better preserved and softened the pungency of the vegetable more efficiently. In short, the white was better with the greener wine, and the green was better with the whiter wine!
With the gribiche sauce on the side - by the way, what a spectacular combination! - the situation changed completely. The addition of sulfur compounds from the egg to the sulfur from the asparagus provided an incredible dialogue of molecules with the Sauvignon, which is richer in thiols - also sulfurous -, Cuts from Above. And the richness of the egg, the sharp edges of the capers and chives, and the touch of vinegar also blended much more harmoniously with the fattier, less austere texture of the less green and cold Sauvignon. For both white and green asparagus, the Cortes de Cima proved to be more complete and better complimented our main actor in this pairing.
When the sommelier’s work had already turned into leisure, I helped myself to a sip of a delicious dry Muscat of Alexandria from the Sierras de Málaga DO. I thought about not telling my readers about this, but the wine was simply incredible with all the asparagus, with or without the gribiche, beating the Sauvignons. Wise Alsatian sommeliers, I thought. And the enticing floral that is one of the olfactory descriptors of asparagus continued in the floral Muscat in the aftertaste, reminding us of the arrival of spring, as it should be.