Wine For Picnics - Salads

by Andrew Barrow, Posted Jul 13th 2006 @ 12:03PM

For me a picnic just isn't a picnic without some leafy bits pocking out from the Tupperware. Of course being Slash-foodies we don't just throw a bag of ready mix into the cooler, no sirr-ee-bob. Seeing that salads are generally light fare involving little actually cooking a white wine or a rosé are a better match, generally, than a red. And who wants a hefty glass of red under the sun anyway?

Party/Layered Salads - often there will be more than one type of salad on the go at once, especially at picnics. I would go for an Australian white wine.

Seafood Salad - throw in some prawns, a little tuna or crab and the salad is a different kettle of fish. Here go to a Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre for example), a crisp Italian white or a Muscadet. If the seafood is up-market (lobster or langoustines for example) move the price of the wine up too. Go for a decent Chablis.

Meat Salads - anyone adding roast beef to the green stuff? Or how about duck breasts? Here is where a light red should work better. The Loire again comes into the frame with Chinon or go to Beaujolais and serve it slightly chilled. If there is chicken or ham in the mix I would go back to an unoaked Chardonnay.

Salad with Cheese - match the wine to the cheese. Sauvignon Blanc with goat's cheese, a dry Riesling with blue and the like.

'Native' Salads - here I am talking Greek Salads go for a Greek wine and the like; Spanish ingredients call for a Spanish wine etc. But places like Scandinavia (these throw dill and cream together) do not have much in the way of wine production to pick from. So for these go for light Chardonnay's. Cucumber Salads with yoghurt and mint would be better with a Sauvignon Blanc.

Filed Under: Spirit of Summer, Drink Recipes
Tags: food and drink, food and wine matching, FoodAndDrink, FoodAndWineMatching, matching salad and wine, MatchingSaladAndWine, wine, wine and salad, WineAndSalad