by Ethan Johnson
September 23, 2006

When you're on a journey of discovery through the world of wine, food matches become slowly easier to make and more exciting, instead of ye olde "white with white, red with red." Tonight was another step down that long road, as Mar made baked pasta with a tangy tomato sauce (and ground beef). Tomatoes are all about the acid. What wine can match up to it, and bring about the sought-after "third flavor" in the meal? Let's reach into the wine fridge:

Producer (Vineyard): Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler
Varietal (Grape type): Riesling
Vintage (Year): 2004
Country: Germany (Mosel)
Color: White
Cost: Inexpensive ($9 USD)

Swirl and Sniff: Pale and clear. Nice lemony scent, but not like household cleaning products.

Taste: OK, here's the acid I was talking about a few days ago. Nice lemony, sour edge. HUGE acidic, citrus-y feel, but not to the point of utter obnixiousness. The "body" of the wine is very light and relatively low in alcohol (9% ABV).

Pairing: As mentioned at the top, Mar made her killer baked pasta with a tangy tomato sauce. This wine did the trick, matching the acid from the tomatoes and really accentuating the buttery texture to Mar's cooking. Believe it or not, this paired well with garlic bread too.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

• Buy a case of for regular enjoyment
• Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
• Ask for when dining out or at a party
• Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
• Politely decline and never drink again, ever

This is a fantastic "utility" Riesling that is good to have at arm's length. Great on hot summer days, and the pairing with tomato-based dishes means you can carry it into the winter with ease.

A note about pairing: The wine ideally can stand on its own, and in this example, it does. I could have easily "just" drank the wine and not paired it with food. I also could have "just" eaten dinner without drinking any wine. The wine and the food should blend, like paints on a canvas. Think "yellow and blue make green." The yellow (wine) mixes with the - in this case - "red", and makes orange. This is what wine nerds are looking for. It's not a matter of canceling everything out and neutralizing the dish (and the wine), but rather blending, and creating something new. Or turning up the volume on qualities that you like in the wine and food on their own. Next time you're trying a tomato-based dish, try this or another Riesling and notice the sensory changes. Remember, if you're eating a citrus-based dish, look for words like "citrus-y", "acidic", or "fruity" that describe the wine. Pairing isn't about meat/food color, but flavors.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)