This
richly flavored recipe is laden with the essence of veal stock, aromatic
root vegetables and hearty guava concentrate. And for a little mystery
there’s the smoky heat of chipotle pepper sauce. When served with Root
Vegetable Gratin, you’ve got culinary aromatherapy!
This meal needs a rich red wine without too much tannin. Tannic wines don’t show well with the complex aromatic spice and chili heat combinations typical of Southwestern, South Asia, and Latin American Dishes—So look to a classic Zinfandel from Northern California’s Dry Creek valley or a Shiraz from Australia’s Barossa Valley.
Two examples immediately come to mind: the Zinfandel OVOC (“Old Vine Old Clone”) from Dry Creek Valley, produced by Alderbrook Winery in Sonoma County, and St. Hallett’s Faith Shiraz from the Barossa. Each is richly flavored, but with a different fruit profile.
Alderbrook OVOC Zinfandel has pronounced red fruit aromas and flavors, reminiscent of cranberry and red cherry. Alderbrook has produced award winning Zinfandel for nearly two decades and is located at the edge of Healdsburg, at the confluence of two of Sonoma’s most famous winegrowing areas: the Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys.
The St. Hallett Faith Shiraz has more black cherry and plum. One of Barossa’s pioneer wineries, St. Hallett dates to the mid-18th century and its winemaker, Stuart Blackwell, was recently named “Barossa Winemaker of the Year”.
Neither wine is very tannic, which allows the smoke/spice flavors of
the sauce to emerge without interference. And both are hearty and
complex enough to stand up to the richness of this extraordinary veal
dish.
Click here to View the recipe mentioned in this article:
Braised Veal Short Ribs Au Gratin With Guava and Tabasco Jalapeno Chili
Sauce & Root Vegetable Gratin