Page 12 - Uncorked Magazine - Winter 2017

w’redreming o itewne Crima

BAKED SALMON

In its baked form, aky, silky and
incredibly delicate, an ideal white wine
match for salmon is the fashionable
Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc
coast in the South of France. Picpoul
is a white grape that grows across the
southern part of the Rhone Valley and
throughout the Languedoc. It’s famous
for matching well with sh, but Picpoul
is also used to make vermouth. It’s this
limy, botanical, heathery cordial aspect
of the wine that so delicately lifts and
counterpoints baked salmon.

The perfect
marriage of salmon
with bright and Tomás’ pick
crisp white wines

Though we’re surrounded by sea and Les
criss-crossed by rivers teeming with Flamants,
every kind of fish and seafood, the Blanc de
mighty salmon still holds pride of Blancs
Picpoul de
place in our hearts and on our plates. Pinet 2016,
At Christmas it occurs in two forms: €12.99
either baked or more often smoked
and sliced for nibbles at parties and
as a starter course at the big meals of
the festive season.
SMOKED SALMON
OR GRAVLAX

In salmon’s classic smoked or gravlax
form, Sauvignon Blanc remains the go-
to match by a substantial margin. In the
past, Sancerre, and occasionally Pouilly-
Fumé, dominated this match. Today,
New Zealand’s Marlborough region is
king, and for us here in Ireland there’s
hardly a better choice than a wine
blended and choreographed in Bantry Tomás’ pick
Bay in Co. Cork. The wine is, of course,
Graham Norton’s Own Sauvignon Blanc.
Norton has deftly avoided the teeth-
jangling acidity of many Sauvignon Graham
Blancs and found a gorgeous medium Norton’s Own
line of ne cut and complex, layered Sauvignon
Blanc
ripe fruit mid-palate. Smoked salmon Marlborough
was made for this delicious wine. 2016, €14.99
10 | UNCORKED CHRISTMAS 2017

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