A Future for Yummy Albarino
Thursday May 29 9 pm
Allen & Delancey Restaurant.
Technically, I’m a wine professional. I know I’m supposed to stick my snobby nose in each glass, pause, contemplate and perhaps comment, quietly, as if to myself but loud enough for my companion to hear, something like, “Hmm. Briney. Is that a hint of… Nutmeg? Cumin? Strange.” But honestly? I’m just a wine consumer who happens to buy wine for a living. The highest praise I have for a wine is, “Yummy.” And, on the night in question, I’m hungry, so I ignore the two glasses of Albariño which were just poured for me and I bury my nose in the menu.
We are at Allen & Delancey, and I want everything. But that might be too much, even for two people, so we agree to share and quickly order enough food to stop a Shetland pony dead in its tracks. I know we were supposed to consider the two Albariños we were drinking, but the Fois Gras and the Veal Canneloni with Sweetbreads looked too good to pass up. I have a hard and fast rule when it comes to wine and food pairing: Order whatever you want; how bad could it be?
As it turns out, not bad at all. I had expected Albariño to be a little too heavy for the Sea Scallops and too light for the Veal, but I was wrong. The Dona Rosa 2007, Bodegas Martínez Serantes, is medium-bodied but fresh and crisp on the palate. Its subtle brininess was the perfect compliment to the shellfish. The Laxas 2007, from producer As Laxas, was fuller—more rich and deep. And it wasn’t shy at all. It stood up to that Veal and Sweetbreads plate and brought more flavor out of the meat rather than overwhelming it like a full-bodied red might have.
The challenge, then, was to find a dish that was not made better by the wine. Peekytoe Crab Ravioli was rich and creamy and the acidity on the Albariño cut it perfectly. A salad of pickles, leaves, fruit and fungi would have been naked without the wine. Even the Fois Gras with Rhubarb worked with the Dona Rosa, although I must admit, a sweet wine might have been better. Call me when they start making Albariño ice wine. Sounds yummy.
—————————————————-- Brian Keyser
Brian Keyser is the Owner and General Manager of Casellula Cheese & Wine Café in Manhattan’s Hells Kitchen.
