Thursday, August 23, 2012

Domaine Trapet Ox Auxerrois 2007 paired with Pasta w/ Prosciutto & Spinach

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!