I'll start off by saying I've never heard of this varietal - Auxierros Blanc. That being said, perfect pairing!!!
My dinner recipe tonight is courtesy of Cooking Light, October 2008, or, really, right here on the web... http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-spinach-10000001842335/ I've made this dinner before (maybe I've even paired it before - who knows). Seriously, quick & easy and and a favorite of hubs & I. My older son likes it, too - younger son, he doesn't like much, so it's not surprising he won't even try. I decided to go with a white for this because there's no red sauce - it's a nice, light olive oil with some other phenomenal flavors - Prosciutto, Cheese, deliciousness...
The wine was a WOTM from Amanti Vino. The grapes were grown in Alsace, which is a region in France that borders Germany. You'll find many of the same grapes grown in Alsace as Germany, but I've found them to be less sweet - I usually prefer an Alsatian Riesling to a German one (usually). Anyway, back to the wine. Since I've never heard of the grape, I checked around a little... It is primarily grown in France's Alsace region, and most often used as a blend. I read (though not necessarily agree in this case) that it's highly acidic and bland, with a high alcohol content (this bottle actually says 11-14% - I've never seen that range before). In various locales, Malbec is called Auxerrios, Chardonnay is called Auxerrios Blanc, and Pinot Gris is called Auxerrios Gris.
Before I get into all the specifics of tonight's pairing, I should mention I have a little cold. Not bad (or I wouldn't waste the wine), but it might make things taste differently than they should. The color, not at all skewed by my cold is a nice straw yellow, so I'm not expecting it to be too bland - it's not terribly pale. On the nose, I am getting some light fruit, green apple maybe. After my initial swirl, I do get a light floral note, still heavier on the apple. A quick taste before we eat (I do enjoy a little wine while I cook, part of the enjoyment of cooking), Mmmmmm... Not bland, but somewhat acidic. This is all good, though - the saltiness of the prosciutto, the parmesan (side note - I do grate my parm fresh rather than the recipe suggested pre-shredded) as well as the cheese tortellini ~ the acidity in the wine does a fabulous job of bringing this altogether into an enjoyable food & wine pairing. Or, as I like to call it a Party in the Mouth.
I hope you get the chance to try out the pairing or, at least, the wine or dinner recipe on their own.
In Vino Veritas!
