More specifically, drink the FEL 2017 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris if you love acid. At least that’s what Art would say, with a shit-eating grin on his face no doubt. Art was my hilarious host for my visit to Cliff Lede Vineyards. He was by far the coolest old dude I’ve ever met. I’ll be honest, I stole this little acid play on words bit from him.
Now, I’m not talking about LSD. I’ve never dabbled there, though I can’t speak for Art. I’m talking about that bright, refreshing, mouthwatering acidity some of my favorite wines bring to the table. I love acidity in wines. And Art loves acidity in wines. And as soon as that FEL 2017 Anderson Valley Pinot Gris hit my lips I knew it was a match made in heaven!
Not only did I have a vision of me and this wine alone on a tropical beach somewhere, but I immediately started dreaming up all of the delicious dishes to pair with her. Butter poached lobster with a basil pesto risotto. Mussels steamed in white wine and butter with chorizo, calabrian chile peppers, parsley, and lemon. A super spicy Thai green curry. Or maybe even my easy Thai noodle soup.
In my opinion, medium to high acidity levels in wine are ideal for interesting food and wine pairings. Especially for rich dishes, as the wine can have the effect of cutting through said richness. One of my personal favorite combos are spicy dishes with high acid white wines. The trick here is to be sure the wine has lovely pronounced fruit characteristics too. Acid can have the effect of enhancing the heat, but the acidity in the wine along with the heat of the spice really allows those fruit notes to shine. A good rule of thumb is to match the acidity level of the wine you are selecting to the acidity level of the dish you are cooking or ordering at a restaurant. If you end up with a wine too high in acidity for your liking, choose a salty dish or add a touch more salt to whatever you’re eating. Salt will decrease the perception of acidity on your palate.
Needless to say, I was smitten with the FEL Pinot Gris from the moment I tasted this beauty. I purchased two bottles while in Napa and I would have bought more. But I’m happy I purchased two because even though I was trying to save both to enjoy separately alongside two of my dreamy dishes and a special someone, I ran out of patience and I opened one.
I told myself: You should totally taste this again. It practically counts as studying for your WSET test coming up. So I opened one without having planned and grocery shopped for my perfect food pairing! Let me tell you, it was worth it. And luckily I have the perfect spicy Asian fusion stir fry in my back pocket for last minute meals like this. I like to do the stir fry with ground turkey for a quick weeknight dinner. This time around, I happened to have leeks in the refrigerator and they were a surprisingly tasty addition to the dish. Leeks are in!
Tasting Notes: 2017 FEL Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley
Quick Weeknight Asian Fusion Stir Fry with Ground Turkey (Or Whatever Protein You Want)
2017 Fel Anderson Valley Pinot Gris + Spicy Asian Fusion Stir Fry = Love
The Pinot Gris immediately cut the heavy heat and saltiness of the spicy stir fry. The bit of creaminess on the palate from the partial sur lie aging likely helped here while fresh bursts of basil and cilantro in the dish complemented the citrus and verbena aspects of the wine. As the stir fry was flavored with fresh lemon juice and rice wine vinegar, it stood up well to the high acidity of the Fel Pinot Gris.
The heat of the stir fry made the wine go down effortlessly. The rich palate lingering long after each sip until the next bite of spice-packed stir fry starts the cycle over again. Pairing the two together was like a wild rollercoaster ride for the senses. Hot and spicy climbs, acid packed plummets, each change of flavor throwing me for a loop while craving more.
