Wines 101 – Fagottino Salmone and Indivia

I recently published the recipe for a puff pastry log filled with Salmon steaks, spiked with the Belgium salad Endive. At the same time I invited several people in the industry to suggest the most appropriate wine to accompany this delicate entrée. This exercise, which I hope to reproduce once a week, can be a great way for everyone to learn a little about the balance between food and wine. Choosing the right wine can turn a great meal into an unforgettable experience.

One of the things most people do not immediately realize when they begin tasting wine is that, in most cases, the wine is a compliment to a meal and is not something to be consumed alone. Exceptions to this are Prosecco and most white wines as before dinner drinks. So saying, “I drink only Sassicaia,” usually means that the individual is trying to impress and has not arrived at an understanding of wine and the passion of wine. The Italian Wine Guy has been promoting this idea for many years. I call him “John the Baptist” of wines. He tirelessly preaches, with over 20 years in the wine business, the gospel of quality wines, not expensive, and the importance of choosing the appropriate wines for the occasion.

I was particularly impressed with the suggestions of Shelley Lindgren. She is the wine maiden (that means director) at A16, a restaurant in San Francisco. Her choices indicated that she was able to identify the flavors of the recipe and propose an heirloom wine of Friuli that would accentuate the natural flavors of the Salmon and mitigate the bitter of the Indivia without overpowering the entrée. I have never been to A16, but any restaurant that can count on this type of professional passion and competence has to be good.

Shelley’s Suggestion:

The recipe sounds delightful and is making me very hungry. It is a segue from the shark pairing to this delicate preparation of salmon. Although there was some thoughts of medium bodied reds with vibrant acidity like the Moccagata's Barbaresco style, I recently tasted the wonderful wines from Damijan and imagine the bitterness of the endive, richness of both the salmon and puff pastry would be suited for the Ribolla Gialla from Damijan, Venezia Giulia IGT 2003. It would offer a similar body to the dish and allow all the intricate flavors to not go unnoticed.

Italian Wine Guy's Suggestion:

1) Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria would be nice. Light red with a liveliness and body that will hold up to the salmon.
2) Prosecco - either the Cartizze from Bisol or the Vigna Paradiso from Montesel. Creamy and delicate, the bubbles would be nice with the puff pastry and the endive.

Guy Stout, Master Sommelier and owner of Stout Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, is a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and on the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators. He suggests:

I would go with something to down play the endive but match up with the marinated salmon and the rich protein , GravLoks style?

Like a Prosecco from Mionetto "Sergio Mo", or Rotari Brut Rose from Trentino, a Feluga Pinot Grigio or Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Planeta.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion with us.


Tags: Gourmet Food Friuli Italian Wine Italian Recipes Salmon Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy