Thanks again to SAHMmelier for coming up with such a challenging dish in November’s Beer Versus Wine Challenge – Chicken Saltimbocca. Who would’ve thought that such a simple dish would be so difficult to create a pairing for? But sometimes simplicity in cooking doesn’t always equate to simplicity in flavor as Chicken Saltimbocca proves with its salty and savory notes from the prosciutto, appleness from the sage, richness from the butter, and light chicken breasts, creating an overall dish that is quite hearty.
As you can read from my pairing, we teetered a lot on what to choose as did most of you according to your comments. In the end, I think we all come up with some great suggestions and look forward to seeing which suggestion comes out on top.
- A Famished Foodie – I know Pinot Grigio is usually the suggested pairing, but that is not my jam. I’d go with a fruitier Merlot or a Barbera d’Asti. Both are great with food and prove that you don’t necessarily need to pair a white with chicken.
- Beer in my Belly – Hmmm. I’ll admit my first reaction is reach for a wine with this one, but someone needs to represent the brews so I’ll give it a try. I think a Belgian Tripel is the easy answer here, but really I want something a little different so I’d reach for Pretty Thing’s Fieldmouse’s Farewell. Its a grainy saison with a nice balancing grassy hop bitter bite. With the dish, I think the bitters will pair nicely with the sage, while the grainy malt and yeast character will blend in with the rich chicken, salty prosciutto, and earthy mushroom flavors. The saison funk, of course, will play nicely with most spices, seasoning, and vegetal flavors, too.
- SAHMmelier – So, I opened 3 wines with it. Pinot from SBC, Chisnti, and Dolcetto d’Alba. For me, the Dolcetto was the winner. Rustic, acidic, great fruit. If I had used white wine in it, I live the idea of the nutty, round Rousanne to take the edge off the salty and compliment the mushroom and acorn squash. Cheers!
- The Wandering Gourmand – We were up and down on what to pair as we’re not big white wine drinkers and I couldn’t think of a good beer suggestion. We have a bottle of Rose Prosecco that we almost paired, but it’s cold here. A red wine just seemed right given the weather. After a little Internet research, I read that a rustic red would go well. We paired a Chianti Classico from Gabbiano that was filled with tart red fruit that nicely washed down the saltiness from the proscuitto and the spice from the sage. The slight earthiness complemented to the light flavor of the chicken and the Marsala wine in the mushrooms. Chosen on whim, this was an ideal pairing!
- Talk-A-Vino – It seems that the classic recipe calls for the dry white wine as an ingredient in Veal Saltimboca. Assuming we are taking the classic route, I would go with Marsanne/Roussanne blend or single varietal wines, especially the new world versions. California or Oregon Marsanne, served at the room temperature, often has a great earthy and savory component (sapidity), which will perfectly meld with the earthy flavors of this dish.
- Le Calabash – Tafel Lager
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