New Zealand Listener - 09.07,2019

42 LISTENER SEPTEMBER 7 2019

THIS LIFE

G
ET

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IM

AG

ES

1kg carrots, sliced

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

800ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 orange, zest and juice

flaky sea salt

8 prawns, peeled and steamed (try to find

wild-caught Australian prawns)

3 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the

shallots, carrots, ginger and cumin. Cook gently

until the shallots and carrots soften, then add

the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and

cook for 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and purée

the soup with a blending stick or in a blender. If

the soup is too thick, add some water.

Reheat the soup, add the orange juice and

zest, then season to taste with salt.

To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with a

couple of warm prawns and some dill.

Serves 4.

Wine match: riesling. l

by Michael Cooper

WINE

W

ith its long history, classic

vineyard sites and famous

brands, the world of wine

is often seen as settled, immutable.

However, behind the scenes lies a

different world, where it can be hard

to separate fact from fiction. Here

are some facts about wine that you

may find interesting:

If you taste three glasses of exactly

the same wine, which has been

labelled with varying prices, the

higher the price on each wine, the

more you will enjoy it. Blame “price

prejudice” – our knowledge influ-

ences how we respond to wines.

If red colouring is added to a

white wine, everyone thinks it’s

a red wine. That’s according to a

famous study in 2001 by Frédéric

Brochet, who dyed a white wine

red and gave it to 54 students of

oenology, who were all tricked.

Apparently, our senses of smell and

taste are easily overridden by visual

cues.

We love a bargain. Research into

wine-buying behaviour in Auckland

found discounts exert even more

influence on our choice than price.

We are highly likely to be motivated

by a $5 or $7 price discount – so it’s

no surprise wine producers often

“price up to price down”.

Wondering why his own wines

won a gold medal in one compe-

tition and nothing in the next,

statistician Robert Hodgson analysed

wine shows in California. When

Hodgson gave judges exactly the

same wine three times in a row, the

wine would rate 91 out of 100 at the

first tasting, then be given 87 or 95

at the next.

Can music influence your wine

buying? An article published in

the Journal of Applied Psychology

examined the effect of playing cer-

tain types of music in a wine shop.

German wines sold at a faster rate

when German music was played,

and French wines sold better when

French music was played.

In restaurants, we commonly

order the second-cheapest wine

on the list. This suits those of us

who feel we wouldn’t appreciate

anything more expensive, but don’t

want to look cheap by ordering the

very lowest-priced wine. Unfortu-

nately, restaurateurs are often aware

of this habit and use it to their own

advantage, by putting wines they are

eager to get rid of in the second-

cheapest slot. l

The weird

world of wine

From taste-testing

to buying, there is

truth in wine.

If you want to jazz up your carrots, try these

flavourings and accompaniments.

■ Spices such as cumin, caraway, paprika, star

anise, fennel seeds and black pepper as well

as black and white sesame seeds.

■ Herbs such as chervil, thyme, dill, fennel,

mint, parsley, coriander and winter savory.

■ Oils and fats such as coconut oil, butter, olive

oil, sesame oil and greek yogurt.

■ Garnishes such as chopped feta, grated

cheddar, chopped spring onions, citrus, and

spice and nut mixes such as dukkah.

■ Mash cooked carrots and parsnips together

with plenty of butter and chopped parsley,

or make carrot “chips” in the manner of

french fries. The sugar content in carrots is

high, so it’s important to keep the cooking

temperature low to avoid burning the edges.

Carrot companions

Mount Brown Estates Grand

Reserve North Canterbury Pinot

Gris 2018

Invitingly scented, this partly

barrel-fermented wine is weighty

(14.5% alc/vol), with strong peach-

and pear-like flavours, a sliver of

sweetness, gentle acidity and

loads of drink-young charm. Great

value at $20.

WINE OF THE WEEK