Wine professionals distinguish more than 500 different aromas. It is difficult for us normal wine drinkers – and it proves to be a sensory challenge – to find the right wine for a dish. It’s easier to trust an expert. That’s why we asked wine expert Dagmar Ehrlich to choose the right wine for each course of our Christmas menu. The highlight: We have refined all our dishes with the spices that flatter the wine aromas. A brilliant idea that the Alsatian winegrowers had: Under the name “Festival of the Senses”, they created a “Grand Cru” spice mixture for each of five of their classic Alsatian wine varieties. We used them in our holiday recipes.
For the shiitake salad with sea bream fillet: The Albert Mann Pinot Gris Cuvée Albert 2009 – juicy and sweet on the palate with ginger, orange, physalis and tarragon – is the ideal partner for the spice mixture “Grand Cru Pinot Blanc – Pinot Gris”, dominated by bitter and spicy-tasting turmeric.
For the chestnut and apple soup: The fried apple slices bring acidity to the creamy soup, while the rosemary thalers served with it add a Mediterranean touch plus sweetness. The main spice, galangal, in the “Grand Cru Sylvaner” spice mix gives the whole thing a slight spiciness and a delicate bitter note. Lemon myrtle completes the combination with the fresh and elegant Sylvaner Réserve “Clos des Capucins” 2010. It impresses with its delicate smoky note, mineral-salty on the palate, with notes of ripe apples and star fruit.
For the herb and cheese quiche: the motto is spicy and ethereal. The main component fennel seed plus dried ginger in the spice mixture “Grand Cru Riesling” on the one hand and the mineral, herbaceous Riesling 2008 with a slight hint of caraway but at the same time fresh appearance on the other create a tension.
For the shoulder of lamb: The charming, yet refreshing Pinot Noir “Clos de la Faille” 2007 indulges in aromas of dark chocolate, vanilla and plums and develops a slightly marzipan-like note on the palate. In this way, he brings aromatic finesse into the glass, which is combined with the sweetish, caramel-like aroma of the sun-dried tomatoes in the “Grand Cru Pinot Noir” spice mixture. Paprika – half hot and half sweet – brings fire and a sweetish-smoky note, which optimally complements the fine sweetness of the wine and the braised lamb.
About the lemon-vanilla cream: The dry and fine-beaded Crémant d’Alsace is a blend of different grape varieties. The sparkling wine is lively, with green apple notes, some pear and citrus fruits. This goes well with the flavors of this dessert and the “Grand Cru Crémant d’Alsace” spice blend, which is dominated by horseradish with peach crisps and a hint of star anise.
