fajitas

[n144mann]

ok guys....fajita are on the menu. Beef and chicken will be served, along with all the standard toppings. Ideas for the wine?? (we like our fajitas spicy, )

[Thomas]

Me, I like them with a cool, long, Mexican beer.

[n144mann]

That is what the hubbie likes too....but I don't care much for beer. Although he did have one in toas that was drinkable. Can't remember what it was....

[Bucko]

Nancy, I've found an average Champagne e.g. a Pacific Echo (Scharfenberger) is about the only thing to stand up to a spicy fajiti dish or Indian food - same principle as the beer - bubbles. Don't waste your money on expensive stuff, as the nuances are lost. FWIW.

Bucko

[Jason]

Yeah cheap stuff is a very good call. What about some the roses we spoke of in another area? Get them nice and cold and also you don't have to worry about the red meat/ white meat thing.

[Bucko]

Very good point, Jason.

Bucko

[Jerry D Mead]

Louis Martini's new Taste Matrix wine/food affinity chart specifically recommends Barbera or Zinfandel for Fajitas.

You can get a free copy and some recipe cards by sending a s.a.s.e. to: Food First, c/o Louis Martini, POBox 112, St Helena, CA 94574

JDM

[Randy Caparoso]

Nancy, several ways to handle spicy meats:

1. Bubbles - which Bucko hit right on the mark. If one of the meats is slightly oily beef, it might be a good time to try something completely exotic -- like Aussie sparkling reds, which would supply a modicum of tannin as well as zesty, Champenoise style effervescence. While the '96 D'Arenberg Sparkling Chambourcin is the lightest, dryest and most refreshing, the Yalumba Sparkling Burgundy offers broad, blackberry flavors and the '93 Seppalt "Harpers Rouge" Sparkling Shiraz has a lush aroma and mild but interesting bitter/sweet edge.

2. Slightly sweet whites or pinks -- especially if you're heavy handed with the red chili peppers. Nothing douses a tingling hot tongue like a touch of sugar buoyed by tingling acidity; although I'm sure that you're like me, and you don't like a lot of sweetness. The De Loach White Zinfandel, for instance, has just a whisper of sugar, but lots of fresh berry flavor and the slightest edge of bitterness (which would work great with the oily meats). From Down Under, both the Leeuwin Riesling (Australia's Margaret River) and the Villa Maria "Private Reserve" White Riesling (New Zealand) are just off-dry, combining crisp acidity with a little bit more body than what you normally find in Germany; although some of the contemporary Rheinpfalz halbtrockens (such as Basserman-Jordan's Kabinett and Von Buhl's Forster Pechstein) are made dryer (yet still off-dry) and a little fuller than what has been traditionally seen.

3. Soft, easy, lusciously fruity reds -- in this case, going for a bare minimum of tannin (to avoid fighting the chili) and youthful exuberance. Gamays and Valdiques are naturals, of course (check out Shooting Star, J. Lohr, Bonny Doon's "Clos de Gilroy" or the brand new Gallo-Sonoma Valdique). For something different, there are all kinds of wonderful "alternative" varietals. I recommend the Montevina "Brioso" (nouveau style Zin), a Refosco (a varietal with billowing cherry liqueur and espresso-smoke aromas) by either Montevina or Il Podere dell Olivos, Jed Steele's Shooting Star "Blue Franc" Lemberger, a Dolcetto by Per Sempre or Kent Rasmussen's "Ramsey," and last but not least (well, for me), a good Blaufrankisch from Austria (such as Pannonia's)

Sorry -- getting carried away again, recommending enough wine for an entire regiment. Might as well make it Fajita Night to end all nights!

[n144mann]

thanks to all of you for your help!! Have to go to the shop today to pick up an order I placed so will check out your recommends and see what I can find.

Nancy

Curm....thanks for the info on the pairing sheet

[Jerry D Mead]

I actually favor Randy's column #3...problem is finding Lemberger or Blau Frankish in all but the most sophisticated markets.Re the latter...the make the same wine in Moravia but call it something else...having a senior moment!

JDM

[n144mann]

Well Curm, I thought those looked fun too, and you are right...finding them is a problem for me. I have the Bonny Doon Clos de Gilroy. Looked for the Shooting star "Blue Franc", our shop carries lots of the Shooting Star wines, but not that one. Will have to ask the retailer about that....been wanting to try it anyway. (read about it somewhere)

Well, I put these things on the list and every now and then I do run into them and get the chance to pick them up, so I appreciate the ideas even if I can't always find them right away.

Nancy

[Randy Caparoso]

Nancy,

Well, now that we're on the subject... The largest grower of Lemberger or Blue Franc (the literal translatin of Blaufrankisch, the Austrian name for Lemberger) in Washington St. is Hogue Cellars. They used to make a very simple, fruity wine out of it; but the past two years they've put out a "Blue Franc" Lemberger under their specialty Genesis label (so I just call it Hogue "Genesis"). This bottling is a little firmer and richer than the Shooting Star, but not as friendly. Like the Shooting Star, however, the Genesis bottling has the typical grated black peppercorn/strawberry jam aroma of Lemberger, soft tannin and fairly elevated, zesty acidity (although not as high as, say, a typical Barbera's acidity). It's the kind of qualities that once made people speculate a kinship to either Gamay or Pinot Noir; when in reality (according to the ampelographers putting their magnifying glass to the leaf structures), Blaufrankisch/Lemberger is... unique unto itself! And of course, very versatile on the table.

There are also, by the way, a number of Austria producers who work with a grape called Blauer Zweigelt, which is a clonal cross of Blaufrankisch and something else. This wine tends to be even lighter than pure Blaufrankisch, but with surprisingly (to me) friendly, lush, peppery fruitiness. Very drinkable and nouveau-like. I've seen a good one out in the Western markets made by Heinrich. 'Nuff ampelographical chatter!

[n144mann]

Hey, must have been my day for wine shopping! I finally found a Blue Franc. I looked and asked about the Genesis, but could not get it. I did get one of the stores to agree to order me some of the Shooting Star Blue Franc. (they had it at the warehouse, but not at the local shop) I also found the WillaKenzie Pinot Gris I have been looking for. I am looking forward to trying them. You recommended the Blue Franc with the spicey stuff here, but was wondering what other pairings you would suggest. Thanks for the info!
Nancy

PS still looking for the Austrian one, but I am not holding my breath considering the trouble I had finding this one.



[This message has been edited by n144mann (edited 04-23-99).]

[Randy Caparoso]

Nancy, now you're making me feel real guilty about sending out on these wild goose (or Lemberger) chases. But I promise you, it's worth the search. So adventurous!

But it doesn't have to be. Really -- good, Kabinett quality German Riesling for whites and slightly chilled Beaujolais or even a soft, drinkable Pinot Noir for reds are perfectly good, easy-to-find wines for spicy foods.

But don't forget grape-fresh, zesty Australian "Sparkling Burgundy!" Whoops -- getting carried away with the esoterica again.

[n144mann]

Guilty?? Why? I enjoy it, besides, it is always fun to get your ideas! If I wanted just the easy to find ideas, I would ask my retailers or go by the standard pairing charts. Don't chicken out on me now! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] A little esoterica doesn't put me off. But distribution should make it out of the state where it is produced. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Nancy

PS-By the way, for me the search is a large part of the fun! We had the fahita dinner a long time ago with the Clos de Gilroy which I already had in the house, but I still enjoyed looking for the lemberger. Now we will have fahitas again or something else I think will go well with the wine.