NEED WEDDING WINES?

Firstly, asparagus is such a delicately flavored crop that it needs to have complementary flavors in the wine paired with it. Something too fruity or too oaky would quickly overpower it. A very dry, crisp, mineral-y white is a perfect accompaniment, especially if the wine has a lot of acidic grapefruit and/or grassy flavors going on. This means looking to the old world for whites.

First off- Entre-Deux-Mers; one of the regions just slightly outside of Bordeaux and literally ‘between-two-seas’ (the Dordogne and Garonne rivers to be more precise…). The grapes that are generally planted here are Sauvignon, Sémillon, and the more difficultly cultivated Muscadelle. Expect to get a refreshing & dry white with a blend from this area. Perfect for asparagus spears.

Next up: Sancerre. Produced using Sauvignon Blanc grapes, this AOC region in the Loire Valley of France is known for its delicate, aromatic, dry whites. Sitting opposite another well-known wine region (Pouilly-Fumé) these delicious wines have been known for being food-friendly since the early 1970s. Un-oaked whites are perfect for asparagus as they don’t bring added heavier flavors to the lightness of the vegetable.

Another option would be to pair asparagus with Pouilly-Loché, from the Burgundy region of France. Known for producing elegant and dry whites, chardonnay grapes are the only allowable varietal in this region. Wines from this region are described using such words as ‘gingerbread’ ‘grapefruit’ and ‘roasted hazelnuts’, much richer in flavor than other asparagus paring choices, but still light enough not to overpower the flavors. This particular wine would be best paired with asparagus in a hollandaise or cream sauce. A richer dish, but one that still preserves the flavors of those earthy green spears!

Chateau Martinot 2009 Entre-Deux-Mers
Reg. $15.99 | INSIDER $14.99 | Mixed Case $12.79

Chef Tracey Stoner Crannell  Chef Tracey trained at the Baltimore International Culinary College and has been chef at restaurants from Captiva Island, Florida, to Nashville to Seattle.  But the bigger the kitchen, the further removed the chef gets from actually preparing the food that you eat.  When she joined the Portalis Wine Bar team in September 2007, she returned to her basic love of cooking in what her chef husband calls her “dollhouse” kitchen.  There she took on the task of expanding our menu so that our customers would view us as a place to eat dinner while drinking their delicious glass of wine instead of just a place to have a snack.  She has exceeded our expectations … and we think our customers’ as well.