Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

136 Chapter 6 Salt, Bitterness, and Bubbles

2

Water—

Moderate

Bubbles

3

Water—

High

Bubbles

1

Water—

No

Bubbles

Figure 6.1

Water Effervescence Samples

Aligote ́, a white wine from the Burgundy region of France that is the traditional wine used

to create the classic aperitif Kir, in which the chilled wine is mixed with cre`me de cassis. A

popular example of a semi-sparkling wine is Moscato d’Asti from the Piedmont region of

Italy. It is produced with varying degrees of effervescence but is generally lighter than true

sparkling wine. Fully sparkling wines are produced in a variety of locations. Champagne

is the most well known, but Spain actually produces more sparkling wine than any other

country.

In North America, good-quality sparkling wines are also produced in the cooler

regions of California and in Washington, Oregon, and Canada (VQA Niagara Peninsula and

VQA Okanagan Valley). Wine producers in Sonoma and Carneros are producing high-

quality sparklers in these cool climate zones. Northwest producers such as Domaine Ste.

Michelle (Washington) and Argyle (Oregon) are producing sparkling wines that have re-

ceived much acclaim. Canadian wine producers are taking advantage of the cooler temper-

atures and developing a strong group of brut sparkling wines as well as some interesting

specialties such as Inniskillin’s sparkling ice wine.

EFFERVESCENCE: THE GREAT EQUALIZER?

Effervescence creates another sensation to consider beyond issues of sweetness, acidity,

body, and flavor, and generally adds a significant food-friendly quality to wine. Effervescence

is perceived on the tongue and in other areas of the mouth. It has a cleansing and refreshing

effect on fat (cutting through it much like acidity in wine), salt, and bitterness, preparing

the palate for the next bite.

Recently, I experimented with the impact of effervescence on low, medium, and high

levels of salt (in air-popped popcorn) as well as four levels of bitterness in food (in iceberg

lettuce, celery sticks, Belgian endive, and radicchio). Using a trained sensory panel and the

exercises at the end of this chapter, the impact of bubbles was tested using straight effer-

vescence in water (using three levels: still, a 50/50 mix of still water and seltzer, and 100

percent seltzer) and effervescence present in wine (again using three levels: a still Chardon-

nay, a Moscato d’Asti, and a Champagne).

The findings can be described by two guidelines:

Rule #3: Highly salty foods work better with wines that have high effervescence.

Rule #4: The negative impact of bitter food is lessened when combined with wines of

moderate to high levels of effervescence.

For the tests of the impact with salty foods, effervescence in water lessened the negative

affects of high salt and cleansed the palate, as suggested in food and wine literature. One

hundred percent seltzer water had the greatest overall impact on cleansing the palate but