Wine with Choucroute Garnie?

WINE TALK
1

My only Alsatian wine is the 2002 Weinbach StC L’Inedit. Would this work? Otherwise I’ve got some German and Austrian rieslings, and my wife is lobbying for white burgundy.

Thanks!

2

Weinbach’s Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine l’Inedit in any vintage would be too sweet for choucroute garnie (or royale), but that’s just me.

Best,

N

3

Thanks–that was my apprehension.

4

Any Nikolaihof laying around?

5

choucroute is so acid, I’m not sure what wine would really work. But what do I know?

6

Depends on the Kohl. My sauerkraut is not that acidic. It has paired wonderfully with different vintages of ZH Riesling Rangen and Riesling Clos Haueserer.

7

Go with the Austrian Riesling.

8

For Alsatian wines, I prefer Pinot Gris, or Gewurtz. Austrian Riesling sounds good, but I’ve never done it.

9

The typical choucroute garnie in Alsace is not as acidic as those I’ve had elsewhere. A good dry Alsatian riesling does fine in my experience. Recently, a bottle of 2012 Domaine Mittnacht Frères Riesling Les Fossiles did wonderfully.

10

Well, this recipe washes out all the salt and cooks the kraut with gin, wine , stock…Has never struck me as especially acidic. Sounds like a good reason to open some Austrian riesling.

11

I was about to say every choucroute garni recipe I’ve used calls for a combination of at least 2 of rinsing, soaking, or cooking in wine. NEVER had one too acidic for wine. I usually use Alsace, but Kab and trocken German and all dry Austrian Rieslings have been fine. I even had a great combo with Alto Adige Silvaner once.

12

It used to be regarded as correct to cook the dish with wine but to drink beer.

13

I’ve always made choucroute as a good excuse to open lots of Champagne. There’s plenty of fat in the choucroute and the accompanying sausages and bubbles and high acid are a great pairing imo.

14

Randy, you have a wide choice of fine dry Alsatian Rieslings in the DC area wine store kingdom. Inedit is too sweet. Gewurz and Pinot Gris from Alsace, too. Go for dry Rieslings such as Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile or a recent vintage of Rene Muré Riesling, since 2004 or so they have been making superlative dry Rieslings. Or Josmeyer Hengst. Or Albert Mann Schlossberg from a vintage like 2008 or 2010. Or Paul Blanck Schlossberg. Lots of great dry Rieslings from Alsace and since the meal is Alsatian, I would go for an Alsatian Riesling. But beer is not a bad choice either :slight_smile:

15

I thought beer was the choice for non-Alsatians? neener

16

+1

17

I just had this the other day and decided to pair it with a Weiser-Kuenstler Trabener Gaispfad Trocken from 2012 that was more brutally dry, minimalistic and acidic than I had expected. The combo was a disaster. Next time I’ll try something like a Feinherb Riesling or perhaps something like Ostertag’s Zellberg. If that doesn’t work, that’s it for me, I’m switching to beer :slight_smile:

18

[winner.gif] [winner.gif]

Knowing Randy, I think you just said the magic word he has been waiting for.

19

Greetings Darryl! Alsace does have some fine beers! Fischer and Meteor come to mind, often enjoyed with choucroute!

20

Alsatian Gewurz, Pinot Gris and richer style Riesling are the classic accompaniments. I think that while both German and Austrian Rieslings–no sweeter than Kabinet, though–would work, because they have some spiciness, they don’t have quite the body of Alsatian wines. An unwooded, rich white Burgundy, particularly if its body gave it a touch of sweetness, but no more, might indeed work. I don’t know about yours, but my wife’s palate is excellent and I frequently trust it.