Blaufränkisch and salmon?

WINE TALK
1

Does that work? Or else I’m going with trousseau or poulsard tonight…

2

I am not an expert on Blaufränkisch by any means, but that has never stopped me from commenting on a topic before. :wink:

As I have read in a couple of books by Jancis Robinson and in articles in wine magazines, as well as CT and producers’ tasting notes, some Blaufränkisch wines can exhibit a smoky note in taste. I don’t know if this is favorable (are you serving fresh or smoked salmon?).

Otherwise, I feel like a good Blau can complement a stronger flavored, oily/fatty fish like salmon well.

Of course, please defer to the experts.

3

I could certainly see a lighter, Moric-styled Blau working with salmon.

4

Totally could work. Whether it will work well or not depends on the BF. But if it’s halfway decent, it will be fine. Should have nice acidity and a spicy note. I’ve had a fair amount and don’t know about smoke, but maybe she’s referring to what I refer to as spice. But real smoke isn’t something I’ve ever found, unlike some other wines.

I’d go with it. In fact I have. People have been trying to pair Pinot Noir with salmon for a few years now - I guess because they get salmon from Washington and Oregon and they decided to grow Pinot Noir in Oregon it’s supposed to be some kind of natural pair. It isn’t and BF will work far better.

5

It’s a possibility, but I think Trousseau is a better bet. Blaufrankisch can be a bit smoky and peppery so meat is generally a better option I feel.

6

I would do something else but that’s just because I don’t think anyone has ever made a blau worth drinking…so maybe my comment should be taken with an entire shakers worth of salt…

7

Thanks for the input, everyone. The wine in question is the 2012 Schiefer Eisenberg. I decided to Pungo it to have a taste, and given its fair bit of acidity, I’ll give it a shot (the salmon prep is pretty just a simple pan-fry with salt and pepper). If I hate the pairing, I’ll pull the Jura. Will report back with my findings.

8

I like the pairing: High acid wine and fatty fish. Yum.

9

Try a side by side comparison with the Blaufrankisch and a high-acid white wine. I would bet the latter will pair far better.

10

There are superb example out there. But you might not like the grape, e.g., I don’t like Syrah and Gamay, and consequently considered a defective enophile :wink:

11

Just pull the Jura’s and you’ll be a step ahead in the right direction. Not a fan of lemberger under even the best of circumstances.

12

Here’s the tasting note. I don’t think it’s as bad as some of the posters made it out to be. I wouldn’t say it’s earth-shattering or life-changing, but it was certainly a pleasant and enjoyable bottle.

  • 2012 Schiefer Blaufränkisch Eisenberg - Austria, Burgenland, Südburgenland, Eisenberg (3/15/2016)
    Quite carbonic, so give this the good ol’ Fourrier shake. Tart black fruit on the nose, with a touch of syrah-like spice and smoke. Really nice florals too. The palate is quite acidic, and has some fresh fruit flavours, along with brisk minerality. I could see this being served chilled, even. The fruit is perhaps a bit tart, but this is refreshingly delicious all the same. (88 pts.)
13

Just pull the Jura’s and you’ll be a step ahead in the right direction. Not a fan of lemberger under even the best of circumstances.

Aye but that’s the problem. You’re talking about Lemberger. That’s what they call it in the US. I’ve had one that’s good and a few that were OK. But there’s some good stuff made in Austria and even better in Hungary. Not all - in fact most suck. But some that are really good.

14

Well, Blaufränkisch is either made in the traditional style, no (new, small) oak, prominent acidity, typical dark-berry-fruit and more or less rusticity …
or a more modern style, fruitier, softer, lusher, acidity less in the foreground, but sometimes with oak influence …
often also in a cuvée with other varieties like Zweigelt, St.Laurent, CS or Merlot.

It depends on the Salmon (smoked?) if and how well it could go with a BF … my usual opinion is that most wines can go with most dishes IF you really like both … and drink enough water in between … I would prefer it to a wine which “theoretically” should suit better, but which I don´t really like …

some Blaufränkisch wines can exhibit a smoky note in taste. <<

“smoky notes” are not really typical for a BF, except it comes from the barrels …
in any case I would prefer a traditional BF to a “modern one” in this instance …

15

Disagree heavily.
I have tasted some good BF from Hungary (usually made in cooperation with Austrian know-how, I agree that the quality is better than 10 years ago), but the highlights, the best, most individual and greatest BF are - no doubt - be found in Austria …

[winner.gif]

16

browsed through Paul Achs, Wachter-Wieseler, Uwe Schiefer, Moric, Kollwentz,
Muhr-van der Niepoort and Rosi Schuster yesterday at ProWein.
stylistically varied and widely so;
uniformly excellent.

then tasted enough Lemberger from Württemberg to gag a maggot… them boys aint there yet…

17

Right so.
I have no idea who is at ProWein, but if possible you should also try wines by
Gernot Heinrich, Grassl, Krutzler, Ernst Triebaumer (ET), Nittnaus, Gesellmann, Markowitsch, Weninger, Preisinger, Gager among many others … and the whites by Stefan Potzinger …

18

Ahhhhhh, yes…spoken like a true LosAlamos guy, Drew. We are cultured to speak like an authority and any subject we choose,
even when we don’t know Jack$hit on the subject at hand!!! [snort.gif]

I think a lighter-style of BlauFrankisch would work well w/ salmon. Sorta depends on how the salmon is prepared.
Pinot is a good match to salmon…and a lighter BlauFrankisch should also work. Some BF can be pretty heavy-handed/
earthy/loamy…but there’s plenty of lighter ones out there.
Tom

19

I do not want to spoil the party but it could be that that the BF even would have performed better without the fish and vice versa?

20

I have tasted some good BF from Hungary (usually made in cooperation with Austrian know-how, I agree that the quality is better than 10 years ago), but the highlights, the best, most individual and greatest BF are - no doubt - be found in Austria …

Disagree back, but only partly. I think that the overall quality in Austria is better although by diminishing degrees. But the best BF I’ve had was Hungarian. Sadly however, not available any more. And there’s good BF made in Hungary w/out any Austrian help. Around Sopron they’re close, so folks like Wenninger has vineyards on both sides of the border, but in Eger it’s different.

I’d love to find some in the US. Best I’ve found is from Michigan. There’s some OK done on Long Island now and a small bit in CA that I haven’t tried, as well as the Washington versions. Only the Michigan one can hold a candle to the European versions and a few months ago I was told that winery also is having problems and may be closed. Too bad but man, talk about dreaming - trying to sell BF in Michigan!