When the topic of difficult foods for wine turns up, it typically concentrates on rascals such as asparagus, artichokes and eggs. But citrus can be a lot more of a problem.That might surprise you, given that there are quite a few citrussy white wines, most significantly sauvignon blanc, but if the citrus flavour in a meal is dominant, as it remains in spaghetti al limone or chicken tagine with preserved lemon, say, you’re much better off with a more neutral dry white or a red, since the lemon in the meal tends to remove out the citrus in the wine.Intensely lemony desserts, such as the classic French tarte au citron, are much more of a challenge, since they need extremely sweet white wines that likewise match their acidity– late-harvest rieslings such as the Seifried number in today’s pick typically work best.Orange-flavoured desserts or cakes, such as orange polenta cake, can likewise be troublesome. Spanish moscatels usually satisfied, or attempt Hungary’s fabulously marmaladey tokaji.
(If chocolate is involved, you might always rely on orange-flavoured liqueurs such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier.)Other options? So far as puds are worried, cream or other dairy such as ricotta or cream cheese tends to mitigate the sharpness of lemon and lime. Lemon cheesecake is easier to combine than lemon tart, bringing
in white wines such as sauternes and comparable sweet bordeaux as options.With savoury dishes, too, there are typically other ingredients in a dish that will offset the citrus. In Greek lamb meals that are skilled with lemon, for instance, it’s the lamb -and often the feta– that kicks lemony whites such as assyrtiko into touch. It can likewise deserve keeping back on the lemon with, say, fish and chips, or a spicy salad to which you intend to add a capture of lime, and see how the red wine tastes without it. A fresh, citrussy white or a limey Clare Valley riesling in the case of the salad could well do the job for you.Finally, keep in mind that the acid in citrus will accentuate the sweet taste of any accompanying wine, so if you served a chardonnay, for instance, with a lemony meal, it would most likely taste richer and more buttery, and an already jammy shiraz even jammier. But that could, obviously
, be to your taste.Five wines that would work with citrus Fresco di Masi Bianco 2021 ₤ 13.99 golden acre red wines, 11 %. Fresh, crisp however not extremely citrussy, this attractive unfiltered organic white would drink really well with salads and fish dishes.Lion’s Den Assyrtiko 2019 ₤ 9.99 Aldi, 13%. Bright, lemony white that would be perfect with grilled lamb
with feta and mint.Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Old Vine Garnacha Calatayud 2019, ₤
10. 15%. Garnacha, or grenache as it’s understood in France, works brilliantly with abundant, orangey stews or duck with orange.Seifried Estate Sweet Agnes Riesling 2019 ₤ 16.99 a half-bottle Averys and Laithwaites, ₤ 17.49 Waitrose, 10.5 %.
My typical go-to with a lemon tart. Just luscious.Frappato 2020 Terre Siciliane, 13.5 %, ₤ 11.99 Averys, Laithwaites, or ₤ 9.99 if you purchase a case.
Pleasantly juicy Italian red that might easily take a lemony chicken or pasta dish in its stride. Offered out so quickly when they first brought it out, they’ve had to bottle more, so you might require to wait a week
approximately to get hold of it.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/mar/04/wines-to-pair-with-citrus