01. Snack Wines: Pinot Noir (The Truffle Wine)
Everything Pinot Noir + a zero effort snack pairing that will blow your mind
Welcome to episode 1 of SNACK WINES! My new weekly series where I’m sharing the best of the best wines to pair with your favourite savoury snack foods this summer.
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Snack wine (noun): A wine that pairs really fricken well with snacks.
Starting with my first wine love and arguably one of the best red summer snack wines of all time: Pinot Noir.
Yes, it’s wildly popular. And yes, I’m sure you already know Pinot Noir is great with snacks. But I’m here to tell you why it’s so great, who its best snack friends are, and exactly what your next Pinot snack should be.
Why Pinot Loves Snacks
Pinot Noir is a light, smooth, and crisp red wine. In other words, it has low tannins (so not super gritty or mouth-drying) and high acidity (which makes wine refreshing and palate-cleansing). Flavour-wise, it’s known for its bright red-fruit flavours (big cherry vibes), and some mulchy, mushroomy, earthiness as it ages.
Bolder reds with lower acidity and higher tannins (which cause that dry-mouth feeling) don’t love super creamy foods - soooo they’re harder to pair with dip… and we love dip around here - and they can easily overpower other flavours and textures. In comparison, our light, crisp, smooth texture Pinot loooves creamy textures, and it has a lot more food friends!! Bonus that with a little chill on it, it’s absolutely perfect for patio snacks in the sun!
How to chill your Pinot: From room temperature, put it in the fridge for 30ish minutes before pouring a glass. If it’s been in the fridge, let it warm up out of the fridge for about 30 minutes!
So, Pinot loves snacks, but who are its best snack friends?
Pinot’s Best Snack Friends
ONLY THE BEST THINGS EVER. Like cheese (Gruyère and Comté), French onion dip/French onion anything, smoked salmon, red fruit like cherries, raspberries and strawberries - especially paired with something salty, mushrooms, and my personal favourite: BLACK TRUFFLE.
So much so that we’re calling her “The Truffle Wine”.
The best pairings are usually found in similar places, and they always have a balance of matching and contrasting textures and flavours.
Keeping that in mind, here’s why Pinot & Truffle love each other so much:
Both Pinot Noir grapes and black truffles thrive in Burgundy, France, so we know that the whole “what grows together, goes together” thing applies.
Both are on the delicate side, so they work together rather than one totally dominating the other.
Pinot Noir has super bright red-fruit flavours (like cherry and raspberry), which contrast and complement all that black truffle savoury umami-ness.
As Pinot Noir starts to age, it’ll show more of those earthy/mushroomy notes. This matches the truffles just enough (without being too much, thanks to the bright red fruit that balances it out).
Black truffle is often paired with rich, creamy foods (like Brie!), and Pinot Noir’s acidity is exactly what those foods need to brighten things up and cut through the richness.
THE SNACK!
Mascarpone + spicy pomegranate jelly + black truffle salt + black truffle oil + fresh herbs (tarragon, basil, or chives) + tiny toasts OR TRUFFLE PARM KETTLE CHIPS!
The easiness-to-deliciousness ratio here is kiiinda ridiculous, and this pairing is beyond perfect!!
Just smear some rich mascarpone onto a plate, top with the jelly, sprinkle with black truffle salt, drizzle with black truffle oil, and finish it off with some fresh herbs if you have them! I used chives, but tarragon or basil would probably be best.
Now for the dipper: I went with tiny toasts (aka Paris Toasts) because I had them on hand, and they were truly AWESOME. They have that amazing crunch, and they’re basic enough to let the dip flavours shine! BUT, since making this, I had the pleasure of trying the new Miss Vickies Truffle Parm Chips. And if I could go back in time, I would one billion percent pair them with this!!!
Snack swaps:
Mascarpone → creme fraiche, ricotta, or cream cheese
Spicy pomegranate jelly → any other red fruit jelly! Sour cherry, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, etc. And if you can’t find a spicy one (and want it to be spicy), throw a few chili flakes on there with the truffle salt!
Black truffle salt/black truffle oil → If you don’t have the salt, add a bit of sea salt and drizzle with the black truffle oil. If you don’t have the oil, you can just leave it out! It’s awesome as is with the truffle salt!!
More Black Truffle Recipes (to pair with your Pinot):
→ Recipe Index: All Wine & Dip recipes + pairings
My Pinot Noir Picks:
Here are four awesome and very different Pinots I’ve loved from around the world!
Andreas Bender Pinot Noir (Pfalz, Germany)
OG Pairing: Stuffed Mushroom Pinwheels
Love, Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon)
OG Pairing: French Onion Puff-Pastry Dip Bomb
Alternative: Costco’s Kirkland Signature Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (awesome and <$20!)
Idun Crepuscule Pinot Noir (Elgin Valley, South Africa)
OG Pairing: White Truffle Garlic Parm Dip
Louis Latour Marsannay Rouge (Burgundy, France)
OG Pairing: Double-Stuffed Truffle Whipped Brie
She pricey, so here’s a French Pinot alternative: Domaine Jean Teiller Menetou-Salon Rouge (Pinot noir from the Loire Valley in France - way better value than from Burgundy!)
Still to come this week:
Thursday: New Recipe + Pairing → Dirty Martini “Toaster” Strudel & Sparkling Shiraz
Saturday: Everything Rosé Round-up for International Rosé Day!
That’s it!! See you next Wednesday for episode 2! Which wine are you hoping to see?
