Match of the week

Chardonnay and charred aubergine with coriander chutney

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on July 19 2019 at 10:31

When I think of coriander I rarely think of chardonnay - more like a sauvignon blanc or a riesling - but the tasting sponsored by Wine Australia at Imbibe the other week before last really surprised me.

The event pitted Master Sommelier Clément Robert against Master of Wine Sam Caporn each of whom chose an Aussie wine to go with one of three dishes prepared by Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

Admittedly aubergine is quite a rich, savoury vegetable but it was the pungent Indian style coriander chutney that really made Sam’s match with the 2016 Petaluma Piccadilly Valley chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills sing.

Why did it work so well? I think because of the maturity, quality and luscious creaminess of the chardonnay (the current vintage costs £27.80 from Corking Wines), the fact that the dish was cold and that there was a good dollop of yoghurt on the side. (Dairy often assists a wine match particularly with chardonnay.) The slight nuttiness and smokiness of the aubergine also helped but it wouldn't necessarily be the easiest pairing to pull off at home if you didn't have Roger there to cook it for you.

It is worth trying oaked chardonnay with Indian food if you're in a restaurant though. It goes particularly well with creamy curries such kormas and butter chicken

If you’d like be able to check out all the food and wine pairings on the site you can buy a bundle of credits here to access my premium content.

And/or for regular updates on what and where I’ve been eating, drinking and travelling sign up for my weekly newsletter Eat This, Drink That, Live Well.