Ann Vogel’s Israeli Couscous Autumn Salad has many flavors to pair with: sweet, tangy, nutty, acid, honey, apples, cranberries and grains.
When looking for a wine that would work with everything going on in this dish, we decided a wine from the Mediterranean region — with its crisp and refreshing notes and just the hint of sparkle — would be a match made in heaven for your mouth.
On a recent trip to the local grocery store — and after returning from Long Beach to dig up some razor clams — Mary spied a familiar bottle that she hadn’t had in some time. The wine was the perfect match for the razor clams.
It’s not a full sparkling wine, but it has a tingly effervescence that cleanses the palate when eating fried foods.
The wine was a luscious Vinho Verde from the DOC region of Northwestern Portugal. This white wine’s main grape is Alvarinho, but up to six other grapes are also used to make the wine, including Avesso, Azal, Pedernã, Loureiro and Trajadura.
This wine is always drunk young — within a year of release. It is crisp and refreshing like a slightly tart autumn apple. It’s a light to medium bodied wine with a low alcohol content, around 9.5 percent.
For Vogel’s couscous, we recommend a Fâmega Vinho Verde. It has citrus, bright apple and fresh pear flavor that’s pleasant and mellow and has flowery aromas. In finishes with delicious notes of mineral and citrus peel.
This wine should be served very cold, around 40 to 45 degrees. It can be found at Fred Meyer for $8.
