Wine pairing question -- celery root soup

S

shaun-in-to

Well-known member
The recipe says to serve with a white port, which for various reasons I don't want to do. The soup has an earthy flavour plus some smoky elements from bacon. I imagine a white would go well but I'm not overly familiar with whites, having drunk red most of my life (and we're switching to red for the pasta and the main). Any advice?

Thanks!

 
Celeriac

Shaun, where did the white port suggestion come from? I'm curious because your instincts are right on, in my opinion -- white port sounds absolutely awful with celeriac. Now, hmmm...what about a sherry? Like the Tio Pepe Fino from Gonzalez Byass? Or perhaps a Verdelho Madeira, which will pick up the smokiness from the bacon? Or for regular wine, perhaps a white Rioja?
cheers, Bonnie

 
Re: Celeriac

From Gourmet magazine (Feb 2006)--they suggest Ramos Pinto White Port with the soup. (The menu isn't discussed in Gerald Asher's column, or I'd know on what grounds they suggest this.)

White Rioja sounds interesting (I'm ashamed to say I didn't know there was one). And then I could use red Rioja for the rest of the meal instead of Chianti -- or is switching from white to red of the same wine frowned upon?

 
A Viogner would be nice, they have a richness

that would go well with the soup and enough acidity to cut through the bacon. If you can't find one then a Chardonnay that is "buttery" would be great!!!

When we make pot au feu with lots of celery root I usually have one of these with it. Don't over chill them though, it will inhibit the nice fruitiness of the wine!

 
Unfortunately my provincial liquor board doesn't carry white Rioja.

(That's "provincial" in more ways than one...)

 
another suggestion

Hmmm...maybe the Ramos Pinto is a drier white port - most white ports are medium sweet and I just couldn't see that pairing with the soup. In any case, Shaun, I completely missed the idea of pasta proceeding the soup and the idea of Italian wine. No prob. Another idea, then, is for an Italian Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) from northern Italy. That's hopefully easier to find than a white Rioja (and will also be less expensive, so that's good). It's one that also goes nicely with smoky food (I always like to pair it with smoked salmon, for example). A Pinot Gris from the Alsace of France would also work -- and northern Italy also produces some very good Chardonnays as well that would fit in with Heather's suggestion of a Chardonnay. Any of those should flow right nicely into the Chianti served with the pasta and main.
No, at least to my way of thinking, switching from white to red of the same region is nothing to be frowned upon.
good luck! Bonnie

 
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