Nothing fishy about this one

Lake Como in Lombardy, the beauty that had stoked the poetic imagination of Shelley, has two famous neighbours— George Clooney’s Italian villa, which featured briefly in Ocean’s 12, and Villa d’Este, the hotel that only the very rich can afford. Besides the lake, Villa d’Este has another star, and his name is Luciano Parolari. Famous as the “King of Risotto,” Parolari surprised me some time back by serving the delicately flavoured fish, Chilean sea bass, with a Barolo—a robust red wine from Piedmont.

Fish with red wine? With a Barolo, of all things? Parolari was turning two conventions on their head. One of the first things we used to be told about wine and food matching is that fish and white wines, especially a Chablis or a Sauvignon Blanc, were natural allies. That view has been challenged by adventurous souls who have approached food and wine with an open mind. But a Barolo? If you look up any wine classic, you’ll find the full-bodied “king of wines” being paired with meats for the stouthearted— beef and game, braised and stewed.

So, what was it about Parolari’s sea bass, steamed and served lightly drizzled with extra virgin olive oil with capers, that made it travel effortlessly with a Barolo? I suspect the dressing of olive oil and capers had made it possible (it was afternoon and we weren’t drunk, so I know what I am talking about).

The moral of the story is not to get weighed down by ancient wisdom. It always helps to have an open mind—in life as much as at a meal. Being adventurous has never hurt anybody, but you’ve got to temper your enthusiasm with one principle—the best wine and food match is one where neither is allowed to dominate the meal.

When you match food with wine, pay more attention to the sauce (or gravy) because your taste buds will register it first. But first, let’s tackle the nobrainers. Oysters are perfect with Sancerre or Muscadet, both French whites. Smoked salmon goes best with a bubbly, but with grilled salmon, I’ll only have a Beaujolais (a French red from a region of Burgundy that has acquired a personality of its own) or a Pinot Noir.

Now, what about fish cooked in tomato sauce? Or the classic fish soup, Bouillabaise? Or does fish served in cheesy sauce work with a white? And does anything other than sake marry with nigiri sushi?

These dishes seem to have been invented for a light-tomedium-bodied, fruity red wine—a Chianti or a Pinot Noir. A nigiri sushi (the one where the sliver of fish is on top of the rice ball) with a topping of tuna or salmon, without doubt, sits well with a Pinot Noir—try one from New Zealand, for, I believe, they produce the best. Daniel Rogov, Israel’s premier wine writer, suggests a dry Riesling, but I don’t necessarily agree with that view.

For the other three options, open a Chianti. The Tuscan wine goes particularly well with fish cooked in tomato or mushroom sauce. I recommend it also for a seafood pizza. But for fish cooked in a peppery sauce, I’ll go back to a Pinot. Before I wrap up, I must add that a Pinot tastes best when it is served 12-14 degrees C—otherwise, its fruit flavours won’t dance on your tongue. Let’s drink to that!

— Sourish Bhattacharyya is Executive Editor, Mail Today