Bacchus
It so happened that after my first experience with Hungarian wine last week, I went to a Hungarian dinner party. I was assigned to wine duty, and for this feast I had to do some research.
I ended up with another dry Tokaji, a pinot gris from Alsace, and for a red, a cabernet franc. The food: chicken paprikash (chicken with a sour cream and paprika sauce, and dumplings) with a cucumber salad, and a peach cobbler for dessert. It kind of had a southern U.S. crossover happening.
The red was the least successful pairing, I thought. It had a very strong flavor that was more than we were looking for. However, I can see how it would work in the dead of an Eastern European winter when heavy is exactly what you’re looking for in food and drink. But the whites were perfect for an L.A. evening in May.
The pinot gris was perfect before, during and after the meal: it’s good on its own, with spicy chicken, and with fruit. I’m kind of in love, actually. And though I’m still not totally convinced of the merits of Tokaji, some fellow diners described it as “weird, but in a good way.” I’m just happy to spread the love of unusual wine, even if my palate isn’t into it.
