Comments on: Okra: an impossible food-wine pairing?!?

By: Fiona Beckett

Fiona Beckett — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:21:41 +0000

You’d be pretty unlikely to eat okra on its own so it would obviously depend what else was on the plate or bowl. Most like it would be something spicy so I would probably turn to Grüner Veltliner, my default wine in these situations. Gewürz would probably be too powerful unless the okra was in a curry.

And the slime thing? Agree, deep fry it and sparkling wine is the answer!

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:45:01 +0000

My first try would be a barrel fermented Viognier that exhibits concentrated varietal flavor with moderate oak influences. I believe a rich Chardonnay/Viognier blend would also work. Don’t forget about White Zinfandel. When I routinely try 10 wines with a single dish White Zinfandel(with balanced sugar and acid levels)typically ranks as the 3rd best match 7 out of 10 times! Thank you Dr.Vino for all that you do! -Cheers

By: Dylan

Dylan — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:17:47 +0000

Based on the good values Alder was talking about I would suggest a South African Sauv Blanc–hey if it doesn’t pair well, at least you got it for a great price.

By: Demetria

Demetria — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:45:49 +0000

We usually do okra african or indian style and then pair the dish with a wine that mingles well with the food and the spices.

By: Rori

Rori — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:10:33 +0000

I would just fry it. Whatever you would eat with fried food I would pair with it. Maybe something light, crisp, and refreshing like a sauv blanc.
I guess it might also depend on whether you fry it in a traditional cornmeal type beer batter or a light tempura batter. With the latter I would pair a light Rose.

By: Benito

Benito — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:36:23 +0000

For most of the areas around here, sweet iced tea or beer would be your authentic match, depending on whether you’re eating after church or down at a bar & grill. There’s an old tradition of the menfolk heading out to the toolshed (or barn, or garage) after dinner ostensibly to try some pickled vegetables like okra or to look at a new piece of machinery. And that’s when the whiskey bottle is produced.

Fried okra, a favorite preparation here in the Memphis area, would need to be paired with a light, crisp sparkling wine like Prosecco.

A thick gumbo, on the other hand, presents more of a challenge. I’m going to take a cue from Thai cuisine and suggest a Gewurtztraminer.