I sometimes wonder what my parents would have made of todays diet, which they would have found mysteriously devoid of meat and two veg. Of course, there are still people (some of my best friends and family members among them) for whom a meal isnt proper unless it includes some kind of animal-based protein, but, while I am an omnivore, I often go days without eating meat at all.
In the wine trade, however, theres still a tendency for the back labels to suggest meat and fish pairings, or to restrict vegetarian recommendations to veggie lasagnes or stews. The world of vegetarian and vegan cooking is as broad, if not broader, than meat, fish and dairy-based food, but many wine producers still seem to be mentally stuck in the nut-roast rut.
As Ive said before, when it comes to choosing a wine to go with a meal, its much more useful to think of the way a dish is cooked and the overall intensity of its flavours than simply focus on the main ingredient. If youre serving your vegetables lightly cooked or raw and crunchy, you want the sort of wine you would drink with seafood: a crisp, dry white or ros, for preference. Deep-fry them, however, as in tempura or any kind of fritter, and youd be better off reaching for a bottle of cava or crmant, or even champagne. When vegetables are seared, roasted or, above all, barbecued, meanwhile, they can take the kind of hearty red youd serve with a meat dish, especially if pulses such as lentils are involved. Theres also the seasonal element that applies just as much to vegetable dishes as to meaty and fishy ones: light, springtime food, for instance, calls for light, summery wines both red as well as white.
Articles on pairing vegetarian food and wine also tend to overlook that most desserts are vegetarian, if not vegan, which means you can have a field day with sweet wines such as the sublime, orange-blossom-scented Domaine Pieretti muscat from Corsica that features in todays pick.
Frustratingly, many labels still dont specify whether a wine is suitable for vegetarians; in other words, that it is not made with any animal-based products (some use milk-based proteins, isinglass or egg whites for fining, for example). Supermarkets have increasingly moved to making their own-label wines suitable for vegans, and clearly indicate that fact on the labels, but I had to check in the case of that muscat. I reckon that sort of information should be standard these days.
Mimo Moutinho Arinto Vinho Verde 2021 5.49 Aldi, 11.5%. Brilliantly priced, crisp Portuguese white to drink with raw veg and dips.
Villa Maria Earth Garden Sauvignon Blanc 2020 10.50 Tesco, 14%. Really vibrant savvy blanc in the classic Marlborough style. One for goats cheese salads or asparagus.
Via Zorzal Garnacha 2020 7.25 The Wine Society, 13.5%. Bright, juicy, gulpable red that would be perfect with grilled and roast veg. Spains answer to beaujolais.
Domaine Pieretti Muscat du Cap Corse 2020 25 Yapp Brothers, 16.5%. One for the sweet-toothed among you: aA gorgeous, headily perfumed dessert wine from Corsica. Would be heavenly with an apricot tart.
Pierre Jaurant Sud de France Ros 6.99 Aldi, 12.5%. Crisp, delicate, Provence-style ros at a decidedly un-Provenal price.
See the rest here:
What wines to drink with a plant-based diet - The Guardian
