What to drink with New Orleans Culinary Gumbo
Edited by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady
For more than a century, Galatoire’s patrons have enjoyed
ageless New Orleans favorites such as Crabmeat Maison, Shrimp Remoulade and
Trout Meuniere Amandine. Galatoire’s traditional French Creole dishes are now
bursting with fresh new flavors, thanks to a revamped wine list that, just this
month, received the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator.
SOME THINGS IN NEW ORLEANS ARE BIGGER AND BETTER
Galatoire’s, the 102-year-old restaurant in New Orleans’
historic French Quarter, has expanded its list to include wines from all corners
of the globe—from Portugal to Australia, Hungary to South Africa— a fitting
compliment to the cultural diversity which flavors the city’s culinary gumbo.
WHAT TO PAIR WITH THESE CULINARY CREATIONS
Galatoire’s legendary tuxedoed waiters are now serving
Crabmeat Maison with a rich, flowery bocksbeutel of Bacchus – which, in this
case, refers neither to the Greek god of wine nor to the local super krewe, but
to a varietal crossing of Riesling x Sylvaner and Müller-Thurgau, with a taste
profile somewhere between Gewürztraminer and Muscat d’Alsace (a bocksbeutel is
the traditional local bottle of Franken, Germany).
The signature spicieness of Galatoire’s Shrimp remoulade is
mitigated by an array of Rieslings: from the affordable by-the-glass offerings
of Dr. Loosen and Elk Cove to the vertical selection of J.J. Prüm’s Graacher
Himmelreich Spätleses to the legendary “Clos St. Hune” botteling of Trimbach et
Fils.
Trout Meuniere Amandine meets its match in a
Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc from Domaine Dujac or a breathtaking bottle of Bâtard
from Domaine Leflaive.
Fried soft shell crab is equally at home with a Savennières
from Pierre Soulez’ Chateau de Chamboureau or a Portugese Vinho Verde from
Quinto do Dorado.
“One of the best kept secrets on the menu”, the hearty Lamb
chops with Sauce Bernaise, are just as well served by a modestly priced bottle
of J.L. Chave Selection Côtes-du-Rhône “Mon Cœur” as they are by any vintage of
Galatoire’s new seven year vertical of Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s legendary Hermitage
“La Chapelle.” Pinot lovers will find a small treasure trove of domaine bottled
red Burgundy as well as selections from California, Oregon, Italy and New
Zealand to help bridge that difficult gap between fish, poultry and meat.
SWEET ENDINGS
A full page of dessert wines – most of which are offered by
the glass – has also been added both for pairing with patrons’ final sweet
course and as a compliment to one of the few new additions to Galatoire’s
traditional menu: a signature foie gras appetizer!
Madelyn Miller is a wine, food and travel writer who gets
to Galatoire’s every time she visits New Orleans. Her favorite course is
dessert—or anything paired with a dessert wine. She loves foie gras. But that is
another story.
Read Madelyn’s stories on
www.travellady.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com,
www.americanwinery.com and
www.carladynews.com
Glass of wine picture by
Galatroix
All Other Pictures by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady |
