Big Bold Wines for Vegetarians

I have some friends who like big, bold red wines. I get that. I also have friends who are vegetarians and while I love vegetables with a few notable exceptions, purely from a flavor standpoint, I don't get that (I do get it if there are health issues and I'm not going anywhere near the treatment of animal issues). But, then there is the potentially confusing part which is how to handle loving big, bold red wines and being a vegetarian. Today, we explore this issue.

Perhaps the best way to think about this is considering the wine as a component of the meal -- the food part of the meal, that is. So, suppose, for example, you are preparing a rack of lamb. Would you consider any or all of the following with a rack of lamb: black pepper, black olives, chocolate, plum, blackberry, cigar box (yes, I know, that's not really a food element), sweet tobacco? You would? Well, what we have done there is deconstructed a classic Syrah or Shiraz if you hang out in the southern hemisphere.

So, what do we know about big, bold red wines generally? They are pretty acidic, perhaps not as wines go, but just in the general scope of acids and bases. Taking you back to high school chemistry which I might not remember very well, pH ranges (theoretically) from 0 to 14 with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most basis, pure water falling in at a 7. Typical for a big red wine is roughly 3.5. That's pretty acidic -- less acidic than vinegar and more so than tomatoes, generally. Bold red wines are bitter. That comes from the tannins. They are in-your-face intense. And, they coma at you with darker fruit and spices.

So, there is a food component: acidic, bitter, intense, and with darker flavors. For all you cooks who are not sommeliers, if you took those components and put them in a spice jar to go with a vegetable dish, what sort of dishes would you add that spice to?

Before we move forward, let's focus on the acidity. Tomatoes and garlic are both pretty acidic. And, they often go together on pizza. Let's suppose you deconstructed a pizza. And, suppose you took out all the basic items leaving only the acidic ones. You might have a dish with higher acidity than the wine. What this would do, in a vacuum, is make the wine taste dull and flabby. So, you need other elements to counterbalance the food acidity and this is where things like cheese and dough in pizza come in. The fat and more basic dough counterbalance the acidity to make the pizza very pleasing to lots of red wines. Another example of a vegetarian counterbalancer is risotto.

Ultimately, the problem with wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco) for a vegetarian, though, is the combination of tannin and intensity. To ensure that the wines do not overwhelm the vegetarian dishes, you will want to make sure you include a full compliment of fat and what is known as umami (the technical term for savory). There are lots that can do this, so you do have your choices, even if you are vegan:

  • Tofu
  • Beans like pinto, black, and white beans
  • Quinoa
  • Mushrooms, particularly shiitake
  • Molasses
  • Soy
  • Lots of nuts, nut butters, and nut oils
And, finally we get to the seasoings. Here are some that will tend to complement the big red wines:
  • Fennel
  • Paprika (the smokier the better)
  • Cinnamon
  • Mustard seed
  • Cumin
  • Black pepper and white pepper
So, there you have it. Vegetarians can drink big, bold red wines.




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