SAVOUR Manitoba

Asparagus 101 ASPARAGUS S pring is here and Manitobans are think- ing, "Yay, it's asparagus season!" Perhaps that's an overstatement. ere seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it viewpoint to these veggies. For those indifferent to these nutritious harbingers of the changing season, it doesn't help that they have a reputation for being hard to pair. (And we'll leave the other side effect that they're known for out of this story. It's a classy magazine, after all.) Naturally, you can look up what pairs well with asparagus and you'll get a list of whites, likely starting with Sauvignon Blanc. And if you followed that advice, you'd usually have a decent match. As with all foods, perfect — or near perfect — pairings can enhance enjoyment. It's doubtful you would choose the same wine for spicy loaded tacos as you would for steak tartar. And lime juice in ceviche is vastly different than a lime- flavoured macaron. To achieve the best pairings, the entire dish — including how the asparagus will be cooked — should be factored into the equation. Certainly, there will be times when you are using slim, raw spring asparagus spears, likely in a salad or on a grazing board. In this case, Sauvignon Blanc's acidic nature — and, in select cases, a natural hint of asparagus notes — matches well. But it's easy to forget the dressing or sauce. ese factor in too. In these cases, the acidity, salt and fat in the dish will determine your beverage choice. e higher the acidity in the dressing should lean your wine choice towards a higher acid wine. Creamy dressings or sauces offer a bit more flexibility. You should shoot for a high acid wine to cut through the fat or a fuller bodied wine to match the creaminess of the sauce. Cooking methods can also affect flavour in a dish and the subsequent wine pairing. Boiling and steaming retain the core vegetal flavour, whereas broiling or roasting can caramelize the vegetable. And because these methods typically require fat or oil to prevent food from sticking to the pan, this is another flavour boost. As we are heading into the barbecue season, remember that charring may now be thrown into the mix too. In these cases, a more complex wine can be called upon, rather than your everyday New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. en you have to look at the dish as a whole. What happens when asparagus shares a plate with protein? Steak, for instance, pairs well with full-bodied, tannin-filled, bold reds. But they aren't usually friends with asparagus. Find a red wine that is full-bodied enough to stand up to your steak but that also has a "greenness" to it that can complement the asparagus. ink pyrazines * in a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc or Chilean Carmenere, or a fruity Pinot Noir with stem inclusion * . Whether you can't wait to experiment with asparagus or are happy to let others indulge, this vegetable offers a solid lesson in overall paring. 46 SAVOUR MANITOBA | SPRING 24 – T H E TA S T E O F S P R I N G ! BY ALEX ALLARDYCE & CHARLENE ADAM * SEE WINOPEDIA ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE FOR WINE TERMS.

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