How About Them Tomatoes!

Tomatoes are so bountiful in August, and many people scratch their heads all month as one wine after another doesn't seem to pair quite well enough. Sauvignon blanc and chardonnay rarely do the trick, and most red wine just smothers the ripe and juicy tomato flavor. Do not fear. There are many yummy and widely available wines to wash down your favorite heirloom. As you can tell, tomatoes have an abundance of acid. The key is to seek wines that balance that acid with softness. Some are cheap....er....inexpensive and some will cost you a few days work, but all will change your experience with tomato/wine pairing and hopefully, make your August a little cooler.

- VIOGNIER: Say it with me now, (vee-oh-NYAY). This grape is indigenous to Northern Rhone in southern France. Examples from France are more delicate (and more expensive) than those from North America and Australia, which can almost exclusively be attributed to alcohol content. The wine viognier grapes make is typically round and fleshy, loaded with VERY ripe fruit, and low in acid. Dry, table wine viognier is almost always meant to be consumed young so don't fall for special "deals" on older bottles from your local wine shop. The equation for pairing is simple; light and delicate tomatoes should pair with French viognier, big and meaty varieties with U.S. and Australian bottles.

- GRUNER VELTLINER: I'll put it this way, if you're eating a savory fruit or vegetable and you can't find a decent wine to pair with it, get some gruner veltliner. "GruVe" is famous for its ability to match with hard to pair summertime favorites such as tomatoes, asparagus, and brussel sprouts. Almost all gruner is from Austria and much of what's on the market in the U.S. is quite inexpensive. This juice is dry (although tremendous late harvest gruner is made in small quantities) and wonderful for summertime drinking with just about anything.

- PINOT GRIS & PINOT BLANC: In this case, I quite specifically mean gris and blanc from Alsace, France. Pinot gris from Alsace is considerably different than Italian pinot grigio. Alsatian gris is bigger and softer, ripe, and lower in acid. Just about any wine shop or grocery store carries inexpensive bottles, but the best will set you back $50 and up. Pinot blanc from Alsace on the other hand is cheaper, lighter, and drier than gris. Although it's more difficult to find than gris, the delicacy of Alsatian pinot blanc is worth the effort. As with different examples of viognier, pair pinot blanc with lighter, sweeter tomatoes and pinot gris with more muscular tahmahtahs. *If you must buy pinot gris and blanc from North America, choose those from Oregon. However, pay attention to alcohol labeling and select bottles listed as 13.5% or lower.*

- ROSE: Really, any will do. My favorites for tomatoes are from southern France's Rhone Valley, Provence, and Languedoc, as well as those from Spain's Rioja region. American bottles can work well, but are again usually higher in alcohol. Choose those with 13.5% hooch or less for maximum gratification!


I'll let you get going now. There are a lot of tomatoes to eat and not a moment to spare. But now you can drink some wine with them that actually tastes good. What a revelation!


Salud!

Evan. portlandwino.