Pairing wine and artichokes

Artichokes have long been labelled as a “wine-killer,” but is that reputation truly deserved? While it’s true that artichokes can make even the driest white wines taste unexpectedly sweet, this challenge is often exaggerated.

The key lies in understanding how artichokes are prepared and served. By understanding the basics of pairing wine and artichokes, you can transform this tricky vegetable into perfectly good match for your favourite wines.

Take, for example, the innovative approach of Simi Winery in California. They’ve found that chargrilling artichokes and serving them with garlic mayonnaise makes for a perfect match with their Sauvignon Blanc. This technique, along with serving artichokes raw or paired with rare meats, can help mitigate the sweetening effect that artichokes often have on wine.

Similarly, in Venice and across northern Italy, artichokes are often incorporated into creamy risottos, which pair beautifully with wines like Soave or Bianco di Custoza.

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.

You may also enjoy …

4 tips to bear in mind when pairing Easter lambAged Vouvray and wild boar terrineSalmon burgers with goats cheese and sundried tomatoes