We all know the tried and tested, albeit somewhat tired conventional food and wine pairing wisdom. Big, bold reds with hearty red meat, crisp white wines with seafood and leaner meats, and sweet wines with dessert. Granted, these are good guidelines that should make for a satisfactory food and wine match more often than not, but there’s more fun in breaking with the familiar and experimenting with combinations you won’t find on a sommelier’s recommendations list. We tried these offbeat pairings with some popular Douglas Green wines – and the results were refreshingly different and very tasty.
Douglas Green Chardonnay Viognier with sweet and sticky ribsBet you’re thinking, surely you must be mistaken because it has to be red wine with ribs right? But it’s no mistake, pork ribs marinated in a sweet and sticky sauce make an excellent match with a fruity, fragrant white wine. The stone fruit and tropical flavours of this wine, coupled with its floral notes, echo the sweet, fruity tanginess of the marinade. It also works well with spicier versions of this sauce and won’t overpower the delicate meat.
Douglas Green Pale Cream Sherry No. 1 with sushi
Sherry is regarded by many as an occasional winter tipple, to be enjoyed by the fireside or as an aperitif. But did you know dry sherries pair up brilliantly with seafood? The crisp, balanced acidity and refreshing palate of this dry sherry, coupled with a slight hint of umami on the finish, make it the ideal companion for sushi. Adventurous wine drinkers take note, there is more to Sherry than pre- and after dinner sipping, it’s much more versatile than you think!
Douglas Green Pinotage Rosé with fried chicken
Beer is traditionally the go-to choice when it comes to a drinks pairing for everyone’s favourite take-away, fried chicken. Yet the chicken’s rich and savoury skin begs for a wine that has a lively acidity to cut through the fattiness, but also a little bit of residual sugar and ripe fruit flavours to counteract the salt in the dish. Overall, this off-dry rosé is a great palate cleanser and balancing match for the crispy, full-flavoured chicken.
Douglas Green Merlot with roasted marshmallows
Whoever said that red wine doesn’t pair well with sweet stuff has obviously not tried this combination, which we think is destined to become a South African classic. We all love to braai marshmallows over the fire for dessert, and we can now reveal that it is a cracking partner for red wine! The trick is to pair your roasted marshmallows with a soft, juicy red with unobtrusive tannins that will harmonise with the smoky notes from the braai, but won’t overpower the gooey decadence of this sweet treat.
