Food and wine pairing : Which wine should you drink with asparagus ?

Asparagus is considered impossible to pair with wine. Yet, it's possible… Discover beautiful pairings thanks to Beaux-Vins !

Asparagus ... Any wine lover knows that, this met is a real torture when it comes to pairing it with a wine. It seems so difficult to pair them that some go so far as to say that it is impossible to do so and refuses to pair them. However, there are good pairings, especially with wines from the Loire Valley.

Asparagus is the ultimate spring food : April to June for white asparagus and May to June for green asparagus. With such a short season, do not hesitate for months to choose the wine that will sublimate them !

It is not totally silly to consider this vegetable as the sworn enemy of wine... With its vegetable flavours, root and fibrous texture ; it's hard to imagine a wine that could pair it. We will focus on white wines because the tannins of a red wine would bring out the bitterness and kill the subtlest aromas of your asparagus. The ideal is to focus on white wines, dry and aromatic, without being woody and endowed with a nice freshness.

Cold asparagus and wine

Who says white asparagus, said Sauvignon from the Loire Valley

White asparagus grows underground, hence its livid color. It has a delicate taste and a particularly soft texture. To pair these asparagus, often presented as an appetizer, we need a white wine particularly tense and without a barrel ageing marked. Sauvignon Blanc perfectly meets these expectations with vegetal notes and a nice freshness that will go well with this. The Loire Valley imposes itself with the wines from Touraine, from Sancerre or from Pouilly-Fumé.

Who says purple asparagus, said dry Muscat of Alsace or Chenin of the Loire Valley

The purple asparagus is none other than a white asparagus that has been intentionally left out of the ground before picking it up. The point having seen the light, the asparagus then naturally colored. It evolves on notes more fruity than white asparagus. To oppose the bitterness of this type of asparagus, we naturally turn to a dry muscat from Alsace or a chenin de Loire whose very fruity flavours and tension will meet the flavors of purple asparagus.

Who says green asparagus, said Viognier or Marsanne from the Rhône Valley

Green asparagus grows entirely in the open air and soaking in light, this asparagus naturally turns green. This asparagus is clearly the most tender and aromatic. To pair the vegetal notes of green asparagus, the Viognier of a Condrieu, ideally old, seems to be the ideal solution. The exuberant aromas of yellow fruit and honey, perfectly respond to the creamy texture and the slight bitterness of these asparagus. The Marsanne sharing common traits with our Viognier – although less exuberant –, it will work just as well and is more financially accessible.

Hot asparagus and wine

Who says hot asparagus, said Saint-Joseph from the Rhône Valley or Pessac-Leognan from Bordeaux

I tell you right away, for me eating hot asparagus is a total contrasens ! However, I know that few of us want to eat them only cold so I will still give you some wine ideas to pair your hot asparagus.

Served hot, asparagus is often accompanied by fatty meat such as bacon. This association calls for more ample and fatty wines than our asparagus served cold. Although a Condrieu is a wise choice, I owe you other choices of wines. Staying in the Rhone Valley, you can sublimate your hot asparagus with a St. Joseph, a Crozes-Hermitage or even a white Saint-Peray. Concentrated and complex, the white Pessac-Leognan has a rich and fresh palate that is sufficiently balanced to pair your hot asparagus.

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