Wine With…Hearty Gazpacho

Wine With Hearty Gazpacho

by Paul Lukacs and Marguerite Thomas    

The tomatoes growing in containers on our roof deck are starting to ripen, which means many things to us – fresh tomato bruschetta, tomato sauce, tomato salad, tomato sandwiches — but most thrillingly it means that gazpacho season is about to take off.  The ingredients may vary, but always, always – unless we’re talking about white gazpacho-tomatoes are the ubiquitous ingredient in this summery cold soup.  Our most recent variation on the theme was borrowed in part from a recipe in Annie and Margrit: Recipes and Stories From the Robert Mondavi Kitchen (Ten Speed Press), a book full of many recipes that have inspired us since it was first published in 2003.  The other night we tossed coarsely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, raw onion, and bell pepper into the blender, and added minced garlic, a dash of cayenne, a couple of teaspoons of vinegar, ½ cup cold water, and about ¼ cup of lemon scented olive oil from Passolivo, a California olive oil producer based in Paso Robles (plain olive oil and a little lemon zest would yield similarly tasty results).  After chilling the soup for a couple of hours, we served it topped with homemade croutons (bite-sized squares of baguette tossed with olive oil and salt, spread on a baking sheet and baked until golden).  The Mondavi recipe calls for topping the gazpacho with some chèvre cheese, but since in this instance we were seeking a more aggressive flavor, we served a bowl of crumbled feta cheese at the table to be sprinkled over the soup.  We also added a heaping spoonful of salsa to each bowl: a mixture of coarsely chopped avocado, tomato and onion, plus minced cilantro, a splash of olive oil. a dash of red pepper flakes, and a grinding of salt and pepper.

The cheese and salsa added a wonderful new flavor dimension and, not surprisingly, also broadened the soup’s adaptability with wine.  Last summer, when we paired a more straightforward gazpacho with a selection of wines, one of our clear cut favorites was a sparkling wine.  With the more assertive flavors in this recent version of the soup, the Prossecco we poured with it this time was okay – but only okay, for while it was very refreshing thanks to its bubbles and tangy acidity, the wine’s delicate flavors were submerged under the attention-grabbing cheese and lemon elements.  This is not to suggest that a certain amount of delicacy doesn’t work well – indeed, crisp wines do echo and emphasize the refreshing character of the soup – but to be better than simply adequate with the dish, the wine needs to have enough assertive flavor of its own to tango with the forceful add-ons in the soup.  Incidentally, in addition to boosting the overall intensity of the gazpacho, the addition of feta and salad-like salsa also turned the soup into a satisfying one-dish meal, perfect for an informal, family summer supper. 

Selection

Approx. Price

Comments

Capel Vale, Western Australia (Australia) ‘Debut’ Unwooded Chardonnay 2007

(Imported by Tom Eddy Wines)

  $16

Fabulously fresh, this 2007 (yes, you read right) tastes so lively that it seems almost to jump out of the glass.  That vivacity is what made it such a good partner for the soup.

Fillaboa, Rias Baixas (Spain) Albarino 2006

(Imported by Folio Wine Company)

 $17

Full-flavored but only medium-bodied, this wine had sufficient citrus flavor to stand up to what proved to be quite a bold dish.  Its faintly floral bouquet meshed nicely with the tomatoes, avocados, and other veggies.

Haras Estate, Maipo Valley (Chile) Chardonnay 2006

(Imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates)

 $10

Though we tried a couple of other oak-aged wines that turned unpleasantly bitter when paired with the soup., this value-priced Chardonnay performed well.  It offered so much bright, juicy fruit that the wood stayed very much in the background. 

Solanes, Priorat (Spain) 2003

(Imported by McWilliam’s Folio Wine Company)

  $29

This delicious red, a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Cabernet and Merlot, overpowered the gazpacho, until we made sure that we had a piece of feta on our spoons.  Then the match suddenly proved harmonious.  The wine needed the weight that the cheese added to the dish in order to settle down and complement rather than dominate.

Wild Rock, Central Otago (New Zealand) Vin Gris Rosé 2006

(Imported by Kobrand)

 $16

Made with Pinot Noir, this rosé tastes both bright and substantial.  Satisfyingly dry, its red berry flavors harmonized nicely with the soup’s more vegetative ones.  Moreover, it looked just right.