can anyone chime in on what is considered classic food pairing for northern rhone whites (viognier and roussanne based wines)?
you know like: sauternes and fois, muscadet and oysters, barolo and tajarin w/tartufi…
whats considered classic with roussanne and or viognier?
cheers
I don’t think there are “classic” pairings, in the sense you’re asking about, for Condrieu, Hermitage blanc, Croze-Hermitage blanc, St. Joseph blanc, or St. Peray. If there are, I’ll be interested to hear.
And you’ll find a lot more Marsanne than Roussanne in the N. Rhone…
how about any pairings that you have seen or heard done successfully. so tricky. their low acid, high alc, fat roundness, combined with massive nose and flavours makes it quite tough to pair with stuff other than cheese, modern takes with sushi like cali roll with mango, etc.
or simple roast chicken i guess. i am looking for something inspired. something cool that makes logical sense of why its being paired with these wines.
I would bet they eat a fair amount of rabbit in that zone, could work nicely.
Some of these seem reasonable:
http://www.wine-food-matcher.com/wine-food-pairing.php?wine=Crozes-Hermitage-white
I don’t know of classic pairings but last year I was in search of French recipes with paired well with white Rhones in general.
Poulet au citron (chicken legs slow cooked in a lemon cream sauce. This would work with rabbit and veal too.) and cotes de porc aux pommes a la moutarde (pork chops browned then finished in the oven on top of thinly sliced green apples covered in a mustard cream sauce) were winners.
I think the classic pairing with Viognier is quenelles de brochet.
White meats with fruit based sauces/glazes (esp. like apricots, peaches, apple, pear, even tropical) work well. Also scallops or mussels go well with Herm Blanc, though avoid heavy/creamy sauces.
Everybody is spot on. I will also say that they pair well with asian dishes that incorporate aromatics such as lemongrass and ginger. These dishes often incorporate sesame oils, and the richness of that pairs well with the fatness of marsanne/roussanne.
HA! That explains why the Hermitage Blanc sucked with the pork, apples and mustard cream sauce. Interesting that the Condrieu and CdP Blanc were fine with cream sauces.
thnx to all for your 2 cents. i think i am liking the quenelles de brochette pairing quite a bit. will try for sure.