Wine with eggs- Nobody's Foolby Darryl Beeson We all miss Paul Newman. My favorite film would be "Cool Hand Luke" in which his character is a prisoner in a rough Southern work farm. In the most memorable scene, he places claim that he can consume 50 hardboiled eggs within a time limit. The bets go down all around and character Luke begins to gobble the eggs, one at a time, first without hesitation, then, lying on his back, being aided by George Kennedy's character. Will he do it? Other prisoners walk him around and massage his bloated belly. It is painful to watch, but in the end, he succeeds. It was just to prove that he could, while flashing a then forced Newman smile upon completion. Paul Newman defined the closeted husband, the polished hustler, the down and out lawyer, or perhaps the most endearing outlaw ever known in film.
His namesake line of food products are of higher quality than most and his belief in organic food under his own line was ahead of the time curve. He is quoted as saying that he "wanted to produce the kind of unadulterated food his father enjoyed eating in 1925," He had just begun to release a wine under his name, I'm told, before his demise. He combined his performance artistry with the artistry of the table at his restaurant appropriately named the "Dressing Room," adjacent to the famous Westport Playhouse where he and his wife Joanne Woodward helped to support things both on stage and off. "The two-year-old Dressing Room is exemplary as a casual but serious American restaurant, headed by chef Michel Nischan, whose dedication to seasonal, sustainable food is manifest in every dish served," says John Mariani, perhaps the nations premiere restaurant critic. "Newman often dined there." But back to the eggs. Most agree that this could be one of the hardest foods to match with wine. Eggs tend to diminish most wines with the yolk adhering to the tastebuds. Say that you are planning a brunch, maybe its a special wedding bruch, make the wine selection crisply acidic, remaining simple and light. Some advise sipping the wine after munching on some toast or bread. A fine Champagne or a crisp, relatively modest, off-dry bubbly will do just fine. Crisp whites ranging from Sauvignon Blanc to acidic northern Italian whites such as Pinot Grigio. If desiring a red, consider a lighter, fruity selection such as a Beaujolais, a simple Chianti or a Spanish Garnacha rather than a massive, tannic monster like a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Twelve white wines to match with egg dishes in alphabetical order: Barefoot Bubbly Pinot Grigio, California ($11) Bogle Sauvignon Blanc, California ($10) Dry Creek Chenin Blanc, Clarksberg, California ($11) Golden Kaan Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa ($10) J Cuvée 20 Brut Non-Vintage, Russian River Valley, Sonoma ($23) Kris Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, Italy ($13) Lake Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma ($15) Mionetto Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Brut, Veneto, Italy ($14) Robert Weil Riesling Spätlese, Rheingau, Germany ($39) Rodney Strong "Charlotte's Home" Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma ($14) St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc, Napa ($17) Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne" Blanc de Blanc, France ($175, but the eggs must be very good)
Six red and rosé wines to match with egg dishes in alphabetical order: Garnacha de Fuego imported by Jorge Ordonez, Catalayud, Spain ($15) Iron Horse Rosato di Sangiovese, Alexander Valley, Sonoma ($13, and it is often "sold out") Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, France ($11) Masi Ripasso Campofiorin Rosso dei Veronese, Italy ($15) Sebastiani Barbera, Sonoma ($23) Tapena Rosé, Tierra de Castilla, Spain ($10)
Regarding egg dishes paired with the proper wine, as a prudent wine professional, I very rarely consume wine before lunch time. I define lunch time as when McDonald's changes over from the breakfast menu at 10:30am. Cheers! Darryl Beeson teaches professional certification for www.internationalsommelier.com. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., "Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it." |
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