In Creston, the weather might not look like summer has arrived, but there is a more certain sign that June is arriving. Local asparagus is in season and, for many of us, it will appear on our tables at pretty much every dinner until the short — six-week or so — growing season is over.
Asparagus has a reputation for being extremely difficult to pair with wine. The same amino acid, methionine, that reacts with about half the population to produce a distinct odour in their urine, also creates a sulphuric taste that doesn’t go well with a lot of wines. Before I give my own views on the subject, I thought I would check some websites and see what others have to say.
A writer for Epicure magazine kicked off the topic nicely: “No other ingredient, not even cheese or chocolate, is the target of such fear, disdain, and discussion. Asparagus has been likened to Kryptonite; it is the enemy, it ruins perfectly nice vino.”
She goes on to recommend grilling the asparagus until it is slightly charred or covering it with a cheese or hollandaise sauce, or creamy dressing. Wine recommendations included Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer or sparkling white wines.
"Asparagus makes everything you drink with it taste green," says Sid Goldstein, author of The Wine Lover's Cookbook. "The worst white wine with asparagus is Chardonnay, which not only tastes vegetal, but also exaggeratedly oaky. Steam or microwave the asparagus until almost done, then grill it and serve it with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. The grilling process — maybe it's the flavour of the char — takes the bitter edge off the greenness of the asparagus. Then you can create a harmonious balance by serving it with a wine that also has light green flavors."
A writer for the Wine Press Northwest forum says, “Pairing is not as hard as some would make it out to seem. Last night, Melissa had a glass of Gehringer Brothers 2005 Pinot Gris from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. It went really well with the steamed asparagus, thanks to the fresh fruit flavors and ample acidity.
“I went in a completely different direction: a Pyramid Thunderhead IPA. I was equally pleased, as the hoppiness of the beer with just a hint of sweet spiciness on the finish paired well with the asparagus, grilled sausage and risotto on my plate.
“The bottom line: A crisp white wine with good fruit and little or no sweetness should pair well with asparagus. If in doubt, try a regional microbrew.”
So there you have it. Difficult, but not impossible. Last week we were driving home from a weekend trip to Calgary and I starting thinking about dinner. I stopped to pick up some asparagus, nice large sausage buns and some tomatoes. As I headed down to the wine cellar I was thinking of Sauvignon Blanc. But, alas, there wasn’t a bottle to be found. As an alternative, I chose a Baillie-Grohman Gewurztraminer to go with our meal.
I put the asparagus on the grill after tossing the spears in olive oil. When they started to brown on one side I flipped them over and placed the open buns over the flame to toast. A minute or two before the asparagus was ready (lightly charred but still slightly crisp) I pulled the spears into closely packed groups of six or seven, then laid slices of double smoked white cheddar cheese on top. As soon as the cheese began to melt I slid the combination onto the buns, added a bit of mayonnaise, salt, pepper and tomato slices.
The sandwiches were, in a word, fantastic. So good, in fact, that I repeated the process the next night, adding slices of French herb salami. Restaurants should consider adding either to their menus. The wine pairing was only moderately successful. The Gewurz was slightly sweet and went beautifully with the smoked cheese, but less so with the distinct asparagus flavours. When we had the salami-added versions we opted for glasses of Corona beer. That pairing was just so-so, too.
My first wine choice, upon further reflection, would still be Sauvignon Blanc. A crisp, dry Sancerre from France comes to mind. For beer, I would opt for an Alexander Keith’s IPA.
But here’s the best thing: asparagus is so-o-o-o good that it doesn’t really need much help to make it taste great. And there is absolutely no need to complicate the cooking process. Toss them on the grill or bake in a 350 degree oven. Don’t cover them, steam them, boil them or do anything else — they should remain slightly crisp to provide maximum flavour and best sensation in the mouth.
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.