Best match with fried chicken
At the beginning of last week I read a post about what would be the best food-wine match with fried chicken. A surprising thing to think about, because fried chicken isn't actually a dish I would choose to have a wine with. Apparently it can be done, and believe it or not the suggestion of the post was sparkling wine!
There were some question marks rised for me on this one, so I decided to go and investigate! I went to wine shop Oktober in Breda, the Netherlands and purchased a Cremant d'Alsace. A sparkling wine that was produces through the Methode Traditionelle and aged on its lees. The grapes used are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. These last two makes sure that the wine has a very creamy texture and enhance the affect of the lees. This should match with the oily, greasy character of the fried chicken.
Because I was not sure that sparkling was the best choice, I brought a very buttery Chardonnay from California to the mix. The idea I had was that the buttery, creamy texture of the wine, would suit better with the mouth feel of the chicken.
The fried chicken consisted of fried chicken legs and chicken fillets. Note that the legs were made just a little spicier than the fillets, so this would lead to a very different palate. In terms of texture the oaky Chardonnay was the best choice with both dishes. But in terms of flavour, the higher level of acidity from the Cremant matched better with the softer tender texture of the fillet, which has a bit of a neutral flavour as well.
The bit more spiced chicken legs had a higher taste level and made the Cremant more acidic, however the oaky Chardonnay made it taste heavenly. The creamy and oily feel of both the wine and the chicken had a beautiful interaction and made the wine feel more full bodied, which is only an enchancement for the flavour of the Californian Chardonnay!
This whole experience teaches me two things. First that the palate of certain dishes still can change, even though they were made somehow similar, and this alters the choice of wine almost immediately.
Second it shows how broadly matchable sparkling wines can be, and that they are so much more than a festive pre dinner drink!
And maybe third of all that Chardonnay shows once again that is such a versitale grape!
Please try this delicious and fun experiment at home.
tasted wines:
Gustave Lorentz Cremant d'Alsace Brut: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc en Pinot Noir
Bogle Vineyards, Chardonnay California
Both wines are available for purchase at wine shop Oktober:
Wilhelminastraat 52
4818 SH Breda
The Netherlands