I was interested to read Elizabeth David opining on the English habit of pairing sweet and delicate spring vegetables with deeply savoury meats then matching those courses to red wines which only complimented the latter. Her suggestion was to serve the vegetable dishes as a separate course (Italian style) and to match them with a more suitable and sympathetic wine. Her suggestions for stand alone veg dishes were carrottes Vichy (carrots cooked with butter sugar & a small amount of water), sugar snap peas and gratinated fennel. Her wine choice is a Lacrima Christi del Vesuvio but a soft cold glass of Montlouis would similarly bring out the sweetness of these delicate vegetable dishes.
At this time of year if the sun is shining it would be criminal not to take the opportunity to drink rosé. A particularly crisp and dry example is the Saint-Pourçain 'La Chinière' 2014 which would make a lovely accompaniment to Salmon with sorrel sauce and look beautiful too.
Reds can be good warm weather wines, especially light reds that are best served lightly chilled. Try the Saumur-Champigny: Domaine Filliatreau 2013 with Nigel Slater’s roast lamb with cumin and fresh mint. The omission of starchy potatoes and the addition of lemon and mint keep this roast light enough for a summer Sunday lunch.
By: Pippa Goldfinger.
