Bacon Parmesan Leek Dip & Oaked Chardonnay

Rich, creamy, packed with umami-ness, and perfectly paired with an oaked Chardonnay.

THIS DIP THOUGH. Seriously. The combination of crispy bacon, buttery leeks, and salty parmesan is absurdly good. If you’re a lover of savoury salty goodness, you will love this! But beware - this is what I would call an intensely rich umami-bomb of a dip, and one that you should absolutely pair with wine. The right wine will balance out the flavour and texture and create a dip-filled experience you’ll never forget!

When you pair wine with dip, you can eat more dip. - Steph

The Dip

This hot cheesy dip is everything. The bacon brings a smoky, salty, savoury richness, the parm brings in that lovely umami-ness, sharpness, and nuttiness, and the leeks bring a soft sweetness and herbaceousness. All of that, combined with a luxuriously creamy base, creates a dip experience that is the definition of indulgent!

The Pairing

What to pair with an indulgently rich, creamy, umami-bomb of a dip? A delicately oaked, cool-climate Chardonnay. A classic example of this would be a white Burgundy from France, but I decided to go with one from Canada! The Stags Hollow Renaissance Chardonnay from Okanagan Falls, BC. Because Canada makes some great wine, and this one is a prime example.

Why This Pairing Works

This wine is a lovely balance of crisp and creamy, which is exactly what this dip needs. It has the fresh acidity needed to cut through the fat and refresh the palate between bites, annnd a creamy texture that holds up to the creaminess of the dip. It also has fresh flavours of lemon, apple, and pear which contrast the richness, plus some matching smoky, buttery, and nutty flavours to amplify the dip’s flavours.

The Science Behind the Pairing

I love science, which is one of the many reasons I find food and wine pairings so fascinating. If you’re into this at all, here’s a fun little break down of the science behind this pairing!

Acidity vs. Fat

This dip is full of fat (the best ones always are), and fat is mouth-coating. This is because fat molecules are non-polar, meaning they don’t dissolve in water (or saliva). When you eat fatty food, those molecules coat the surfaces in your mouth, which linger and dull flavour perception.

Acidic wine, like a cool-climate Chardonnay, contains hydrogen ions. These break down fat into smaller droplets (aka emulsifies it) and makes it feel lighter. SO - when take a sip of an acidic wine, it chemically disrupts that fatty coating and refreshes the palate. All of that to say: When you pair wine with dip, you can eat more dip.

Matching Flavours

Oak aging gives Chardonnay those toasty, nutty, and slightly smoky notes, AND it contributes to the buttery flavours (a result of malolactic fermentation and the formation of a chemical compound called Aldehydes, which are responsible for that buttery flavour). Allll of these flavours can be found in the dip: The Parmesan’s toasty nuttiness, the bacon’s smokiness, the butter’s butteriness. And when flavours match, they amplify each other!

Matching Textures

Malolactic fermentation also gives Chardonnay a buttery, creamy mouthfeel. When wine and food share similar textures, they amplify each other’s qualities as well! A silky wine enhances the creaminess of a rich dish, making it feel even more luxurious, while a fresh wine with crisp, crunchy food can increase the perception of freshness. The brain also loves patterns, so when textures (or flavours) match, the brain interprets this as a good pairing! That doesn’t mean contrasting pairings aren’t fantastic, but there’s something magical about congruency in wine pairing.

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RECIPE: Bacon Parm Leek Dip

Serves: 6-8 as a snack
Time: 35-45 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes (10-15 for the bacon/leek mixture, 15-20 for the dip)

Ingredients

For the Bacon Leek Mixture

• 1 375g package of bacon, chopped

• 1 medium leek, finely sliced and rinsed