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.

In France, braised artichokes are a common accompaniment to fish and meat dishes, such as cod or veal, often prepared à la barigoule. This robust preparation can even be paired with a medium-bodied dry red wine like Marcillac. The secret? Balancing the artichoke’s flavour with other ingredients on the plate.

How to Pair Wine with Artichokes

A palate coating ingredient such as olive oil, butter or an egg or butter-based sauce such as hollandaise will mitigate its effects. If you’re dressing them with an oil-based dressing adding a little finely grated lemon peel seems to help.

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