Wine With…Omelets

Wine With. . . Omelets

by Paul Lukacs and Marguerite Thomas

‘A glass or two of wine,’ wrote the late Elizabeth David in a celebrated 1959 essay, ‘is an enormous enhancement of the enjoyment of a well-cooked omelet.’  Ah, but which wine?  When Ms. David reminisced fondly about omelets she had enjoyed in restaurants in France, she confessed that the local reds served with them had been nothing special.  She speculated that whites might have fared better, but admitted that this may have been a passing fancy.  ‘As a wine drinker,’ she noted, ‘one’s tastes are constantly changing.’

When we selected fourteen wines to try with omelets, we too were not sure what to expect.  One of us thought that whites would fare best; the other bet on reds; but neither was particularly confident about the match.  Further complicating the matter was our choice for the omelet filling-Gruyere cheese and pungent, salty Black Forest ham-making the dish rich and satisfying.

It turned out that we preferred a few more reds than whites, but plenty of wines of both colors proved disappointing.  All the delicate whites we tried (including an Italian Pinot Grigio, an unoaked French Chardonnay, a South African Sauvignon Blanc, and a Spanish Rueda) simply died when tasted with the omelet, as the ham in particular obliterated their subtle flavors.  Conversely, the bigger reds we sampled (an Aussie Shiraz, California Merlot, and Chilean Cabernet) seemed too powerful.  They were fine with the ham, but we couldn’t really taste the eggs or cheese.  In addition, a dry rosé, which we both had guessed would do well, turned bitter and unappealing.

What sort of wines did well?  Weightier whites and light-bodied reds, as well as a rich sparkler, almost all of which displayed a bit of sweetness.  Whether coming from ripe grapes or toasty barrels, that hint of sugar provided an appetizing counterpart to the salty ham; and these substantial but not over-powering wines had just the right amount of heft to complement the omelets.

Because omelets tend to be casual fare-part of what Elizabeth David called an ‘almost primitive and elemental meal’ rather than a ‘great occasion menu’-we intentionally opened wines costing $20 or less.  If your cellar and wallet allow, though, more costly and potentially more complex wines should be fine choices.  Mumm Napa Valley‘s ‘Cuvée M’ sparkler was our very favorite omelet partner, but we did wistfully wonder how a vintage Rosé Champagne would have fared.  As Ms. David wrote at the end of her essay:  ‘One of the main points about the enjoyment of food and wine seems to me to lie in having what you want when you want it and in the particular combination you fancy.’      

Selection

Approx. Price

Comments

Banfi, Chianti Classico (Italy) 2004

(Imported by Banfi Vintners)

  $13

As in most winning food and wine combinations, texture made a difference.  Neither overly hefty nor too delicate, this wine’s light-to-medium body proved to be just right for our omelets.  In addition, its cherry-scented fruit meshed nicely with the ham and cheese.

Joseph Drouhin, Brouilly Cru Beaujolais (France) 2005

(Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby)

 $15

Some Beaujolais might prove too insubstantial for this dish, but the Brouilly’s bounce of fruit and gentle hint of sweetness enhanced the wine’s basic gentility, making this a quietly fulfilling match.

Estancia, Monterey (California) Chardonnay ‘Pinnacles Ranches’ 2005

 $12

We’ve been known to rant about how difficult it is to pair oaky wines with food, but this California Chardonnay proved that when the oak is balanced with ripe fruit the wine can, in fact, go beautifully with the right dish.  In this case both omelet and wine were fleshy and flavorful, and all the disparate components were linked together by buttery overtones.

Mumm Napa, Napa Valley (California) ‘Cuvée M’

  $19

This match confirmed our conviction that sparkling wines and egg dishes fit together like hand in glove-especially when, as in this case, the sparkler has a little flesh on its bones plus a hint of sweetness peeking through.  Furthermore, bubbles inevitably scour the palate and offset the richness of egg, cheese, and ham.

Saintsbury, Carneros (California) Pinot Noir ‘Garnet’ 2005

  $20

Once again the sweetness of ripe fruit was a plus.  While red wines with overt tannins were antithetical to the omelet, this Pinot’s silky texture had just the opposite effect.  Furthermore, a hint of smokiness in the wine forged an appetizing connection to the ham.  It was an altogether simpatico relationship,