How to match machas

One of the tasks the 12 semi-finalists at the recent World’s Best Sommelier competition in Santiago, Chile had to face was to suggest a red wine to match with a dish of machas, the local pink clams. Not the most obvious pairing so how did they cope?

Clearly a number of them had never come across the ingredient before but few identified the dish - a cold preparation with onions, tomatoes and herbs - as Chilean.

Frankly it wouldn’t have been a dish I’d have matched with red wine. In fact one candidate found it so hard to credit he disastrously launched straight into a couple of white wine recommendations not having listened to the question sufficiently carefully. Here are some of their suggestions (which I’ve kept anonymous as the session was held in camera)

Pinot Noir
The choice most of the sommeliers came up with though each had his or her own favourite: one Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007, a 2005 Southern California Pinot Noir, a 2007 Japanese Pinot Noir from Yamanashi prefecture, 2007 Elk Cove Pinot Noir from Oregon and a 2008 Leyda Pinot Noir, the only Chilean wine that was recommended though one sommelier suggested a Casablanca Pinot Noir as an alternative. Another suggested a 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin which seemed a bit grand for such a rustic seafood dish.

Gamay
The next most popular choice including a Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2004, a 2008 Moulin--Vent from Jean-Paul Brun (served cool) and a 2006 Gamay/Mondeuse blend from Savoie 2006

One suggested a Loire Cabernet Franc (which I think would have been my favoured option, along with the Gamay/Mondeuse) and another a 1990 Brunello di Montalcino which seemed a strangely inappropriate choice, I can only assume blurted out through nerves.

Some also found time to offer some alternative recommendations: a Pinot Gris, a white Ctes du Rhone, a Blaufrankisch, a sparkling ros and a Manzanilla

Obviously one of the requirements was that you had to specify the vintage but I was surprised at the age of some of the wines that were mentioned. It seems to me that a dish like this would benefit from a relatively youthful wine - though not one with huge tannins.

As I mentioned only one made their main recommendation a Chilean wine which was surprising though if whites had been in the offing I imagine at least one contestant would have suggested a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

Talking to one of the judges afterwards we agreed that our ideal choice would have been a dry ros. But then we didn’t have to pour for a customer who wanted red . . .

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