What to DRINK With That – High Street & Street Food

DRINK editor Treve Ring asks local wine experts how they would approach pairing dishes and flavours. This time we are doing seafood – both High Street & Street Food.

Our Experts:

Bryant Mao (BM)
Wine Director, Hawksworth
Bryant Mao is the newly appointed Wine Director of Hawksworth, returning to Vancouver from the UK for the position. After working at Brix and George Ultra Lounge in 2006, Bryant was drawn to metropolitan hub of London, England with an eagerness to grow his knowledge and fuel his passion for wine, furthered by his time as sommelier at London’s acclaimed Chez Bruce. Bryant is working towards becoming a Master Sommelier, and is a welcome return to Vancouver’s wine scene.

David Stansfield (DS)
Corporate Sommelier for Daniel Hospitality Group, and Vancouver Urban Winery
David Stansfield is an independent wine contractor – wine nerd for hire – currently working as the Corporate Sommelier for the Daniel Hospitality Group and as the in-house Sommelier for the Vancouver Urban Winery, where he runs the popular Sunday School wine school. He also consults for local East Van restaurants Bestie and Cuchillo. In his 15 year career in wine, David has worked as a cellar hand, tour guide, sales director, online wine entrepreneur and presenter/educator. He’s happy to speak to anyone who will listen about the joys of drinking good wine.

Chris Turyk (CT)
Sales Manager, Unsworth Vineyards
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Chris passed the Certified Sommelier exam and the WSET Diploma program. When not driving a tractor or turning compost, you can find Chris harassing bartenders at BC’s favorite eateries! His favorite way to hear a wine described is, “Oh! That’s different.”

What to DRINK with:

High Street – Pan-Seared Scallops with Brown Butter, Hazelnuts & White Truffles with Fingerling Potatoes

BM. To pair with the natural sweetness of the scallops and the brown butter, an aged white Burgundy will be my first choice.  These wines, especially from Meursault, always have a hint of hazelnut to the finish, and the weight of the chardonnay and texture would work well with the brown butter and white truffles.  Aged vintage Champagne, blanc de blanc (100% chardonnay) could pair beautifully with this dish as well, due to the finesse from the bubble, the creamy texture, and the acidity will cut through the richness of butter and the sweetness of the pan-seared caramelization. Plus – aged Champagne always has a hint of nutty, gingerbread to the finish, a nice complement.

DS. This calls out for aged vintage Champagne. The maturation of the base wine and extended exposure to lees imparts a deep and earthy nuttiness that is picked up in the hazelnuts and white truffle while the wine’s vibrant acidity slices through the richness of seared scallops and brown butter. For my money, Grower Champagne (look for the tell-tale RM in small print on the label) offers great value and a greater sense of place. For hypothetical High Street money, I’m reaching for a Tete de Cuvee – the Head of the Class. Pol Roger’s Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill seems apropos.

CT. The budget went out of the window when the fishmonger suggested scallops and ditto with the truffles – no doubt from one of the multitudes of truffle vendors whom seem to crowd our streets these days. For this reason, I have no qualms in recommending a funky, woolly, well-aged Savennieres. Nervy acidity, sense of weight without being heavy, plus complexity of flavour will all add to the dish; the goal is to reveal the wine and dish in new and delicious lights. This small appellation in the Loire valley is the pinnacle of dry chenin blanc production and as a relatively small AOC you can add scarcity to your list of pros.

Street Food – Fish Tacos with Ling Cod, Lime, Garlic  & Cumin

BM. For the fish tacos, I will suggest a medium bodied white with fresh acidity or even with hint of sweetness to pair with the dish. Riesling from Rheingau, Rheinhessen in Germany, Australia Riesling from Clare or Eden Valley and Albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain could all work well with the dish.  They all have high acidity, so it wouldn’t become overpowered by the lime juice in the dish.  *Tip – off-dry German Riesling with a hint of sweetness is the natural pairing for any dish with a bit of heat and spice.  All the wines have lovely stone fruit and citrus flavor, working really well with the lingcod.  Serve the wine slightly chilled but not ice cold, so the flavour of the wine will come through like a palate cleanser after each bite of the taco.

DS. A tall can of Tecate with a slice of lime wedged into it. Does that count? It’s not wine and frankly it’s just barely beer, but it’s definitely street. Sometimes you’ve got to roll with context. If your heart’s set on wine, give it something sessionable like Portuguese Vinho Verde. In a glass, the flavours of fresh lime and green apple play nicely with the fish, citrus, and cumin. In a red Dixie cup, the slight fizz makes none of that matter.

CT. This new spin on a classic dish requires a classic style of wine with a new world twist, leading me to Oregon Pinot Gris. Oregonian gris doesn’t enjoy the fame that pinot noir does in the state, but can be every bit as characterful and delicious. One can expect a crisp and clean wine, sometimes with small amounts of residual sugar. Medium in body and usually surprisingly complex, Oregon pinot gris is an attractive wine, despite being at modest prices. Ripe apple, peach and grapefruit are part of the typical tasting note, with flamboyant Alsatian floral notes present in wines from grapes grown with ideal slope and exposure. The complex non-fruit flavors and aromas in the wine will compliment the strong and earthy flavors in the tacos.