My first thought was a higher acid botrycized wine as some mentioned above. Other options include a higher dosage bubbly done in an oxidized style or some other white with thicker texture. How about an amontillado or a sparkling wine from modena? <>
Yes! One of the greatest food-wine pairings I’ve ever had was a JJ Prum Auslese with foie gras and diced Japanese apple-pears. Off-the-charts great, so I don’t think liver kills all wines.
But John - foie gras is . . . is . . . foie gras! It is in its own food category entirely! It goes with pretty much anything any time because it’s foie gras.
There’s a tiny little Chinese dumpling place that opened a block from my old house. They only make three kinds of dumplings and that’s all they serve. Actually two kinds of dumplings and one kind of steamed bun. Usually it’s Char Siu Bao (BBQ pork steamed bun). These guys don’t use pork - they stuff it with foie gras! And they opened a month after I sold! Last time I was there a couple months ago, Mayor De Blasio was in getting his batch. Ain’t gonna be no foie gras ban in NYC any time soon.
Chicken liver, used in chopped liver, is not in the same category.
Beef liver or calf liver is in a different category entirely. To me it tastes like some kind of organ that filters out everything toxic and poison, with a hint of fecal matter to tie it all together.
About three years ago I went out to dinner with my older brother and he ordered liver and onions. I asked him WTF and he said he’d have that with my mother on occasion when they ate alone because nobody else in the family liked it. So I’m wondering if there’s a genetic component to its appreciation?
They’re not exactly the same, but last time I had sweetbreads I had a big Argentine Malbec, and last time I had kidneys I had ale. Both of them worked well enough.
I’d have an Amarone or dry Lambrusco.
Gewürztraminer. I promise. You’re welcome.
Cheers,
Bill
Sweetbreads are a great pairing for big wines. Maybe its the creaminess. I haven’t had those for like forever.
I think the place has closed, but Chez Napoleon in the theatre district in NYC made great ones. Whole platters for an entree.
There can be few here who buy and drink as much Auslesen as I do, but I would never consider it with calves liver, which is a very fine dish.
I’d go Northern Rhone.
Chicken livers, pasta and a good slightly acidic red like Chianti.
Always like liver and onions( bacon too )- haven’t had it in years.I’d agree with bill and go with the Nebbiolo
You have lots of choices here but this is a difficult match. From the above list, I like the 2002 Tondonia Riserva. I had
this in Spain recently. It is lighter than usual and tasty too. It has a good flavor profile to match the dish and won’t be overwhelmed by the iron in the liver.
I think this is the major problem. Southern Rhone and Northern Rhone would work. Add a little extra meat or bacon to that dish. Southern Rhone especially will occasionally have a little iron note. NSG from the South with a producer like Gouges would work too I would think. Nebbiolo would work well too in an older style. Good luck!
My $.02
Weird. I haven’t had foie gras, but several people who have had it many times have told me that it tastes just like I’d expect: like a richer, fattier version of other types of liver. Chicken and calf liver, both of which I’ve had many times, taste extremely similar to me. If anything, I’d say calf liver tastes cleaner than chicken, not the other way around. Even monkfish liver tastes almost the same, but with the expected salty/fishy undertone, which is subtle enough that it is really almost identical to other types. To me, liver seems to all taste very similar, regardless of its source.
Having had sparkling wine with monkfish liver quite a few times, I think it wouldn’t work here for the same reason it doesn’t there: the food completely overpowers the wine. Nebbiolo sounds like a good call, but I’ve never had the pairing.
This turned into a very fun thread.
So the dish was delicious, if, in all truth, decadently disgusting. Our friend actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit. The perfect pairing, by far, is a dirty Beefeater martini, bar none. Having said that, we did open some wine, in part based on the responses here.
I decanted a bottle of the Barbaresco and opened a bottle of Nenin as well. Both really sung, especially the bordeaux (julia child notes that one drinks left-bank bordeaux with liver and onions, for what it’s worth). The barbaresco paired better as it was rather austere and tight, with a great racy dark cherry finish that wasn’t totally cut by the liver’s metallic quality. We opened a 2007 Disznoko Tokaji mostly for dessert but tried some with the food, as it was the closest thing to auslese riesling I had on hand. With chicken livers it would be fantastic, but calves liver has a meatier quality that doesn’t mesh with sweeter wines. I imagine rhone wines would work best if you prepared the dish in the more modern red wine & bacon style.
On a related note: fried chicken livers with a spice & apricot liqueur glaze paired with aged sauternes sounds like heaven. Something to try.
I’d pair it with Zocor or maybe Lipitor. ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
From your list, my vote would be with the 00 Nenin. Its plump texture, fruit profile and earthy nuances will complement the dish very well.
Aside from your list my top 2 choices would be:
Burlotto Nebbiolo or Pelaverga
or
Coudoulet de Beaucastel
Love the dish. Usually look to the Rhone or Piedmont.
JD
Or, to add some thread drift, I would recommend nacho cheese.
Sorry, but this is NOT about seafood. 
Guess none of you ever ate Kosher liver. Not chicken liver but beef liver that has been koshered with salt then broiled. The only thing that went with that was our dog who would eat anything we put under the table.