 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Thoughts expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Food Network.
Sushi with sparkling wine is one of the most reliable matches in the
realm of gastronomy. But two serious obstacles can block the blissful marriage of futomaki and fizz:
 1. Many sushi bars don't serve sparkling wine; and
2. Many home cooks don't mess with sushi.
There are ways, of course, around these problems. One, you should be able to find a sushi bar that allows you to BYO. But just remember that a sushi bar without sparkling wine is also a sushi bar without sparkling wine glasses, so you'll have to BYOF as well (Bring Your Own Flutes).
Two, there's always take-out sushi. True, sushi never tastes as good 20 minutes away from the sushi bar as it does the moment it's made. But a bucketful of Dom Perignon ain't a bad consolation.
Three, you could take a sushi class at the local cooking school. It's really not that hard to master the basic stuff. After a session or two, you'll be making California rolls and opening California sparkling wine with equal proficiency. Or, you could simply buy some really fresh tuna, slice it up, spill some soy sauce in a little bowl, and announce: "I feel like sashimi tonight! Pass the Bollinger, please."
When you finally do get in front of some raw fish and bubbles, there
aren't many fussy rules to dance around. Most sashimi and sushi go beautifully with most sparkling wines. Still, here are some handy tips:
• With sashimi -- slices of raw fish -- French Champagne will interfere least. It's generally drier and less fruity than other sparkling wines. Look for Brut Champagnes; don't choose labels that say Extra Dry or Demi-Sec.
• When choosing your fish for sashimi, avoid those that are oily or too fishy. Mackerel and salmon roe (ikura), for example, may play havoc with your Champagne. Remember that in the world of sushi-and-wine matching, tuna is always your friend.
• If you're having rich-textured sashimi, such as yellowtail, toro, and salmon, you might want to choose a richer-bodied Champagne (Krug, Bollinger, Roederer Cristal).
• With sushi, I love drinking sparkling wines from places other than Champagne -- such as California, northern Spain and northern Italy. The bit of sweetness in sushi rice helps along the match with fruitier, less dry sparkling wines. If you can find a way to slip an avocado into your sushi somehow, so much the better.
• Don't go too far on the sugar meter. Less-dry sparkling wines are still not particularly sweet and will not go well with sushi items that are. I love ending a sushi bar binge, for example, with a hand roll of glazed eel -- but it wouldn't go well with, say, an elegant sparkler from Iron Horse in California, or Bellavista in Italy. Now's the time to go back to Champagne; close your meal, and your eel, with that fairly sweet Extra Dry or Demi-Sec you rejected before.
Finally, raise your glass, point it at the genius who has been slicing
and rolling, and intone that most appropriate of traditional Champagne
toasts: "Arigato!" He'll appreciate it, along with one of those flutes you brought along.
|
|
|
|
|
