1/17/08 Wine With Soup

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. We've all heard that wine is difficult to pair with soup or salad. But I can't disagree more. Today we will discuss a winter favorite and of course the wines that go with it. As when pairing wine with any food, the wine should compliment the flavor and style of the soup. Winter Soup is prepared in a couple of basic styles  pureed soups with a generally smooth texture and blending of flavors, and chunky soups in which the ingredients remain whole and the flavors distinct. Many pureed soups may have a cream or milk base and many chunky soups will have a broth base. The elements which I look to when selecting a wine for soup are texture and the flavor intensity. I want the texture and flavor of the wine to compliment the soup. For example: During the fall and winter we enjoy making butternut squash soups, it goes great with a spicy Gewürztraminer or Dry Riesling. Almost everyone makes a least one pot of potato leek soup now and then, and the rich texture of the soup pairs well with a creamy rich barrel fermented Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay. Try split pea soup with Italian white wines like Soave or Vernaccia, seafood soup with a tomato base like Cioppino are great with a dry rose or slightly chilled Beaujolais. If you enjoy Tomato Vegetable or Minestrone types of soups then a lighter style of Chianti or a dry medium body white wine works well. And of course, you can always ask for advice from your local wine merchant. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.