Green or white, grilled or sautéed: matching asparagus with wine needs some flair. Falstaff helps you make the right choice.
How to pick the right wine to go with asparagus? The match is said to be tricky but here is a low-down of numerous styles that go with all manner of asparagus recipes.
Both white and green asparagus call for distinctive wines, with full-bodied and also aged wines enhancing the enjoyment of that most spring-like of vegetables. Choosing the right wine depends not only on the vegetable itself but on the way it is prepared - taking this into consideration makes the perfect combination of asparagus and wine a complex but rewarding affair.
The basic criteria for a good asparagus wines can be defined as:
Both medium-bodied Grüner Veltliner, perhaps with a little bottle age, and subtle, understated Silvaner are great matches that are very popular in the white-asparagus-loving countries Austria and Germany. Silvaner is a speciality of Franken, and its tender notes of chervil and hay go really well with white asparagus. Likewise, the savoury nature of Grüner Veltliner, is a natural pairing for the fresh, white spears.
The perfect choice for asparagus, however, comes from the Pinot-family. Medium-bodied, expressive but understated Pinot Blanc has emerged as the finest supporter of the asparagus aroma; Chardonnay can also come into play if it is not overly oaked. A real eye-opener is fine Pinot Gris, ideally not too bold and with some bottle age.
Among the aromatic varieties, Sauvignon Blanc is a popular match; here, mature, full-bodied wines are preferable to those with spicy-grassy notes. Riesling is also often recommended but it is only suitable to a limited extent. Here, too, the acidity should not be too sharp, harmony is required, and a little residual sugar can be helpful.
Sweet wine and asparagus is not a common pairing. In Bordeaux, a slightly chilled Sauternes, is served with cold white asparagus tips as an amuse-bouche – a delicious variation.
