Mushrooms & Wine
Wild mushrooms can be quite demanding in their choice of culinary partners and prefer wines with subtle and mild flavours. While a delicate potpourri of mixed mushrooms requires a full-bodied wine, flavours should not be too overwhelming.
Facts
-
2019
The chanterelle was the mushroom of the year
-
The fourth
Saturday in September is celebrated annually as European Mushroom Day.
-
About 2kg
mushrooms are consumed per capita in Germany every year
Delicious pairings - Wild mushrooms and wine
Take porcini, for instance: These most exquisite of all edible mushrooms form a perfect symbiotic relationship with a Pinot Blanc that is full-bodied yet delicately fruity. Even rather mature wines are great companions, since the subtle flavours of the mushrooms make them appear youthful and fresh. A mild acidity retains the harmony of this delicate, melt-in-the-mouth dish.
More expressive dishes, such as porcini or other mushrooms that have been fried to crispy perfection in butter, harmonize well with heartier wines with a fresh, fruity acidity, such as Riesling – a delectable alliance.
Wild mushrooms play a pleasant supporting role alongside a roast. In this case, the roast takes precedence in selecting the wine companion. However, wines such as a smooth Pinot Noir from the Ahr region or a subtle Meunier (Schwarzriesling) from Württemberg take care that the delicate mushroom flavours don’t get lost in this expressive mélange.
Mushrooms as a main dish, with a rich creamy sauce and dumplings, require a subtly fruity fresh Riesling that counters the exquisite opulence of the dish with its vivacity.
Autumn creations - wine harmony guaranteed
Whether you require a companion for delicately flavoured wild mushrooms or pumpkins: In the cellars of the German winemakers, a parade of fantastic wines is ready to give a brilliant performance on your table. And Wines of Germany has a few simple guidelines for you to follow – to avoid even the slightest hints of disharmony creeping into these alliances.
Wild mushrooms such as porcini, bay boletes and chanterelles
Braised, wild mushrooms tend to display extremely delicate flavours and acquire a melt-in-the-mouth touch. Most often, they are lightly sautéed in a frying pan with onions, only seasoned slightly and rounded off with a dash of lemon, in order to preserve their subtle nutty taste. Suitable wine companions should also help to retain the delicate mushroom flavours. A gentle Pinot Blanc or a Silvaner from Rheinhessen does a great job.
Crisp-fried in butter, porcini develop very distinct nuances. Their typical flavours form a delicious alliance with the delicate roast aromas. A smooth Riesling with a moderate fruity acidity is a welcome companion. It showcases the spicy nuances of the mushrooms. As far as red wines are concerned, a more distinctly fruity Pinot Noir or Portugieser fits the bill.
In a creamy sauce, mushroom dishes are not exactly light fare. A full-bodied Riesling or classic Pinot Gris makes for a happy combination. The wine’s balanced acidity, subtle richness and maybe even a hint of residual sugar are excellent counterparts for the potpourri of flavours created by braised mushrooms, cream and fresh herbs.
Mushrooms play an expressive supporting role alongside a roast. In this kind of menu, the roast takes precedence in selecting the wine companion. However, it’s a good idea to also pay attention to a harmonious relationship between wine and mushrooms. Smooth red wines with balanced tannins such as Pinot Noir from Baden or the Ahr region are commendable. Hearty red wines rich in tannins would take center stage here – and drown out the delicate mushroom aromas.
Can wines themselves develop a mushroom or champignon aroma?
Yes! This aroma manifests itself in earthy, spicy tones such as forest floor or foliage, but in extreme form it can also develop into an off-flavor. This strong mushroom note is caused, among other things, by the substance geosmin, which in turn can be caused by botrytis infestation.
Varietals
More recipe ideas
with pear wedges Chicken breast strips
with pear wedges
- 500 Gramm Hähnchenbrustfilet
- 2 reife Birnen
- 200 ml Birnensaft
- 100 ml Sahne
- 1 ganze Zwiebel
- 4 EL Olivenöl
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Cut the chicken breast fillet into strips. Peel the onion and cut into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the meat in it. Add the diced onion and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Wash and peel the pears, remove the skin, cut into wedges and sauté in the pan. Deglaze with the pear juice and allow to reduce slightly.
<p
<p>Finally, add the cream and season to taste.
- Müller-Thurgau (halbtrocken & feinherb)
- Kerner (halbtrocken & feinherb)
with wild mushrooms Cream of potato soup
with wild mushrooms
- 300 Gramm geschälte Kartoffeln
- 100 Gramm Wurzelgemüse
- 100 Gramm Waldpilze
- 1 ganze Zwiebel
- 1 ganze Knoblauchzehe
- 30 Gramm Speckwürfel
- 40 Gramm Margarine
- 750 ml Brühe
- 200 ml Sahne
- 1 Zweig Thymian
- nach Belieben Petersilie, Butter, Salz, Pfeffer, Muskat
Clean, wash and finely dice the root vegetables. Finely dice the onion and garlic clove and finely chop the thyme. Sauté the diced bacon with the margarine in a pan until lightly browned, add the diced onion, garlic, root vegetables and thyme. Sauté, add the stock and cook for 2 minutes.
Finely grate the potatoes, add to the soup and cook for a further 5 minutes, add the cream, season and flavour. Clean, wash and chop the mushrooms and sauté in a pan with butter. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley and pour over the soup when serving.
- Riesling (trocken)
- Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)
the "Frankfurt Green Sauce" Quiche with herbs
the "Frankfurt Green Sauce"
- 200 Gramm Mehl
- 100 Gramm Butter
- je 1 Bund Kräuter für Frankfurter Grüne Sauce (Petersilie, Kresse, Kerbel, Borretsch, Sauerampfer, Schnittlauch, Pimpernelle)
- 100 - 125 Gramm Schwarzwälder Schinken
- 7 ganze Eier
- 125 ml Sahne
- 100 Gramm Frischkäse
- 1 EL Zitronensaft
- nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer
Knead the flour and butter with 4 tbsp water and a teaspoon of salt to form a smooth dough. Line a mould with it and leave to cool for 30 minutes.</p
<p>Hard boil 4 eggs. Wash, drain and finely chop the herbs from the Frankfurt green sauce. Cut the ham into wafer-thin slices and spread on the pastry base. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small
and spread over the top. Mix the 3 eggs, cream and fresh cheese and season with 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, then fold in the herbs. Spread the mixture over the pastry base.
Bake at 180 °C (gas mark 4) on the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes.
- Riesling (trocken)
with ribbon noodles Coq au Riesling
with ribbon noodles
- 1 ganzes Huhn
- 0,4 Liter Riesling
- 0,2 Liter Sahne
- 1 kl. Glas Cognac
- 2 Stück Schalotten
- 1 Stück Knoblauchzehe
- 1 Stück Eigelb
- 1/2 Bund Petersilie
- 1 EL Mehl
- 50 Gramm Butter
- 1 EL Olivenöl
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Carve the chicken. Heat approx. 50 g butter with 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken pieces until light brown (without the lid). Season lightly with salt.
Finely chop the shallots, peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the parsley and add everything to the meat. Sauté briefly with the pan closed. Pour the cognac over the meat and light it (flambé). Deglaze with 1/3 litre of Riesling and leave to simmer for half an hour over a low heat. If necessary, add a little more wine and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm for a short time. Mix 1 tbsp of flour with 1 egg yolk and the cream and whisk into the sauce. Flavour with salt and pepper. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Serve immediately.
This goes well with tagliatelle.
Variant:Fry 150 g fresh mushrooms in 50 g butter and add.
- Riesling (trocken)
