Wine pairing help for Mac and Cheese

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
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you know, the good stuff from the blue blox!

We are going to a friend’s house tomorrow night and they are making roasted tomato soup and then mac and cheese. WTF do I pair with this?

I was planning on taking a Pierre Gaillard Condrieu 2006 and some older red. Maybe BDX. But then they sent me the menu. Not sure what to take.

Anyone?

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I’m big on odd pairings as I tend to eat things like “leftover garlic bread” or “huevos rancheros” or “brown rice and mac and cheese” for dinner and open a bottle of wine. If it’s decent mac & cheese (good cheese, crumb top) something like a white burg, alsatian pinot gris or even cru beaujolais or jura/savoie red can go pretty well. Tomato soup is harder, I’d go back to a white burg or to the beaujolais/jura/savoie range. I have drunk Bandol with tomato soup as well. I’d avoid oaky wines and try to get a good combo of rich w/ good acidity. CdP could probably work as well.

I don’t think there is a perfect pairing though :slight_smile:

Tonight I played leftover cleanup and had improv fish tacos and garlic bread with Priorat. The fish didn’t really go but the garlic bread was dandy.

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When in doubt:


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You ask the expert on Mac & Cheese about pairings? Are you going to add American or cheddar cheese to this? Hopefully, bacon bits will be added. Lawry’s seasoned salt and pepper will enhance the flavors. Now, for wine, bring out your big, viscous, bad boys. With any of the above additions, the Mac & Cheese can take on any viscous Zin, Petit Sirah, Syrah, Shiraz, or blend.

Valdez Zin
Orin Swift Prisoner
Vicarious
Sean Thackery’s Sirius Petit Sirah [winner.gif]

or the biggest wine you think you have in the cellar. Kraft Mac & Cheese has a tendency to coat the tongue with its flavors and sticky cheese. The answer is a high alcohol, saturated, viscous wine to compete with the flavors.

Now that you started this thread, I think I’ll ask Carrie for some Mac & Cheese instead of the pre-made cheese raviolas she was talking about making for dinner. flirtysmile

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“Kraft Mac & Cheese has a tendency to coat the tongue with its flavors and sticky cheese. The answer is a high”…acid, possibly effervescent red / rosé that will cut and contrast and invite you back for more. Or some Flemish Red Ale with lactic cultures like Duchesse de Bourgogne.

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OK, I think I am getting it. Light and higher in acid yet big and jammy with a slight sparkle!

newhere

Also, it will not be the blue box Mac and Cheese, but I have no idea what toppings or kind of cheese it will have. In my wine bag I put the Gaillard Condrieu for starters. A 2002 Shaw Pinot from the Finger Lakes. A 2004 Bargetto Family La Vita, which is a Santa Cruz Italian blend. Should have some good acid I hope. And for dessert a 1995 Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls.

Eh?

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Lambrusco does sound interesting. But I’m not sure my friends will like it, which is also important. Cool idea…

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I just realized the obvious answer that for the tomato soup I should drink

Beringer Founders Merlot


right?

[winner.gif]

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And don’t forget the Beringer Merlot in case they serve tomato soup in a shooter … sorry, inside Sbrocco joke.

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What about Beaujolais Cru? A nice Morgon would have the power and acidity to handle the flavors. If you still want red with high acidity, head to the Jura for some Plousard or Trousseau.

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Amongst wine geeks there is a curious dichotomy: Lambrusco? “You’re kidding right?”…Bugey Cerdon? “Oh, thats so hip, did Kermit import it?”

The reason for this? We were not bombarded with oceans of crappy Bugey like we were with Riunite.

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Damn, I was just going to say that.

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Gruner Veltliner is amazing w/ good mac & cheese.

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Thanks everyone. Here is what we had
TNs from last night. Gaillard, Shaw, Bargetto, Dom. Du Mas Blanc - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was limited to what I had on my wine rack here. i didn’t feel like spending money on more wine since i’m trying to drink down my rack a little bit.

The mac and cheese had bacon on it which I didn’t know in advance. i would/should have taken a Cabot bacon fat. That would have been great with it and my friends would have loved it. Next time!