Christmas fruitcake: impossible food-wine pairing?!?
Writing on Slate.com, Sara Dickerman wonders why fruitcake remains so unpopular. She points out that it’s rare among cakes to be aged (intentionally), aided by boozy fortification. And then she throws down the oven mitt with this challenge:
They are heavy, indeed, but that is OK: Fruitcake looks best in thinly sliced cross sections. [See image at right from Slate.com–ed.] Studded with fruit and nuts, it reminds me of salami’s piebald patterns of fat and peppercorns. Like salami, too, I think fruitcake tastes swell alongside slivers of nice old cheddar or parmesan. In, fact, I’d argue that fruitcake, with its aging and its complexity, is essentially the charcuterie of the baking world. If that’s not a way to get some traction among today’s foodies, I don’t know what is.
Oooh, charcuterie! Well, we should be able to pair that with wine–except for the rum, apricots, golden raisins, kalamata figs, coconut, and dates. So which wine with you pair with fruitcake? Or is it impossible?!?
On December 23rd, 2009 at 8:51 am ,boerinballingskap wrote:
Nothing else than a Vintage Port.
On December 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 am ,Bill Ward wrote:
We tackled this very subject last week in the heartland.
The pairing (Villa Wolf gewurz) worked pretty well, but no new converts to this odd seasonal dish were forged.
http://www.startribune.com/video/?vid=79464847&c=y&page=2&elr=KArks5PhDcU9PhDcU9PhDcU5PhDco8P77jyPhU
On December 23rd, 2009 at 9:22 am ,Rosa Maria Gonzalez wrote:
Port wine, a Galician tostado, a sweet Monastrell, a fortified Tannat, a German Riesling Kabinett or Spatslese, or most beautifully an aged rum or cognac (cognac is wine at is origin).
On December 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 am ,Erwin Dink wrote:
Ick.
Not the fruit cake. I can do that. But wine with it? Sweet wine with it?
Ick.
Time to bring out the espresso.
On December 23rd, 2009 at 10:33 am ,Mike Veseth wrote:
My solution is a bit of a cheat. Forget the fruitcake on your plate and go for fruitcake in your glass. Substitute a small glass of an Australian sticky or a PX from Spain. Chances are you’ll get all the aromas and flavors of the best fruitcakes and without the risk of breaking a tooth on a stray pecan shell. Cheers.
On December 23rd, 2009 at 11:45 am ,Jon Bjork wrote:
I’d throw a late harvest Zin at it!
On December 23rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm ,Joel Burt wrote:
Pinot Meunier, or perhaps Cru Beaujolais.
On December 23rd, 2009 at 1:56 pm ,Dr. Vino wrote:
Thanks for the thoughts! Here are some of the reactions from Twitter:
jamiegoode: @drvino That’s what Pedro Ximenez is for!
jmolesworth1: @drvino Oh, that’s an easy one – Madeira…or a mulled wine…
tampawinewoman: @drvino can think of all kinds of lovely sticky sweets from Australia for this-drink wine/ditch fruitcake
DuvaultBlochet: @drvino Madeira (Bual or Malmsey) or Tawny Port!!
FrankWine: @drvino I think a more raisiny old port. Though a Sauternes w/good acidity might cut thru the cloying sweetness.
winegenie: @jmolesworth1 @drvino – absolutely right on the Madeira. Malmsey preferred.
karrayertawines: @drvino I would have a liqueur frontignac with fruit cake…..
drvino: @jmolesworth1 what’s your preferred mulled wine recipe? I have yet to be convinced by it.
jmolesworth1: @drvino No specific recipe – have used packets of mulling spices before that do ok. It’s not my fav, prefer warm cider with a cinnamon stick
LENNDEVOURS: @drvino @jmolesworth1 Mulled wine? Come on…don’t do that to your wine.
sgoodwin: @drvino How about a Chinato from Piemonte? That’s what I’m planning to serve after xmas dinner.
HowardGGoldberg: @drvino Gallon of cider (a $4.50 bargain) from Samascott Orchards, in Kinderhook, plus cinnamon stick: delish. A quasi-Meritage apple blend.
forknbottle: @jmolesworth1 @LENNDEVOURS @drvino I always thought it was all about the aroma it fills the house with anyway… Who actually drinks it?
HowardGGoldberg: @drvino@jamiegoode On Sinai, God gave Moses the recipe for Pedro Ximénez so that the Jewish people could pour it on matzo brei at breakfast.
Follow along!
On December 23rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm ,BenjamÃn Berjón wrote:
Some aged pomerol taste like fruitcake to me. So why not…?
Cheers
On December 23rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm ,Tim wrote:
Whatever you drink, this is the best recipe
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FRUITCAKE
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 cups dried fruit
1 cup nuts
1 tsp. baking soda
1 gallon whiskey
Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure that it is of the highest quality. Pour 1 level cup and drink. Repeat.
Turn on electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still okay. Cry another cup.
Turn off the mixer. Break two legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares. Check the whiskey.
Now sift lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.
Grease the oven.
Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out the window. Check the whiskey again.
Go to bed.
Who in the hell likes fruitcake anyway?
On December 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 pm ,chris robinson wrote:
Easy one – Madeira, but search out some old Rivesaltes, which are a bit of a rarety but worth trying.
On December 24th, 2009 at 7:21 am ,Bruce Ward wrote:
Hmmmm . . . . A slice of rich Fruit Cake with a glass of Morris Old Premium Liqueur Muscat from Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia – a marriage made in Heaven!
On December 24th, 2009 at 8:40 am ,Dermot the laugh wrote:
Hi Tyler – a realy good Moscato d’Asti works well as it’s sweet but refreshing and helps to lift the palate after a heavy dinner and pud!
On December 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm ,The Wine Mule wrote:
Vin du Bugey-Cerdon VDQS. Sparkling, just a little bit sweet, refreshing, not very alcoholic (8%). Try the “La Cueille” from Patrick Bottex.
On December 24th, 2009 at 1:55 pm ,Corbin wrote:
Vin santo
On December 24th, 2009 at 4:17 pm ,Ed Thralls wrote:
I would dig some tawny port or madeira with that as well
On December 25th, 2009 at 9:27 am ,daveA wrote:
Tawny port or Cognac (yes, brandy from grapes is a wine, no?)
On December 25th, 2009 at 2:45 pm ,Nancy wrote:
I must respectfully object to the constant theme of sweet thick wine with sweet thick cake. I vote prosecco, if not toasty, biscuity champagne, as dry as possible. Why is it forbidden — and I’ve come across this in experts’ books lately — to pair dry sparklers with sweet desserts? To me the match is obvious and delightful.
On December 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm ,Steve wrote:
Fruitcake is definitely not unpopular in the UK. Today we had both fruitcake and its richer, heavier and sweeter sibling, Christmas pudding. It sounds like a nightmare to most Americans, myself included but it was actually very good. The nice thing about fruitcake is that it’s a fairly dry dessert so will pair with most sweet and semi-sweet wines very well. A tawny port was perfect. The traditional pair for Christmas pudding is PX sherry which for me is just too much – they’re practically the same flavor.
Nancy, the reason dry sparkling wines are not recommended with sweet deserts is that they make the wine taste sour. There are few rules in wine and food pairings, and this is one of them.
On December 26th, 2009 at 12:34 pm ,Glen Siegel wrote:
Special Reserve Madiera and Fruitcake
On December 27th, 2009 at 7:28 pm ,Helen Waite wrote:
Bruce Ward has hit the nail on the head. Aussie muscats are a great match. Unctuous and raisiny. Great in the northern hemisphere where I believe it’s just a little bit cool at the moment.
On December 28th, 2009 at 3:37 pm ,Richard wrote:
I’d grab a bottle of a nice Late Harvest Zin!
On December 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm ,Cohen wrote:
Late Haverst Muscat, Yalumba Museum Reserve, Australia. Great Pairing.
🙂
On January 10th, 2010 at 8:39 am ,Impossible wine pairing? Chex Mix (stinky Jura wine and Cory’s thoughts on tasting notes) « Do Bianchi wrote:
[…] you think that Dr. V minds that I borrow his “impossible wine pairing” schtick? I’m sure he […]
On February 9th, 2010 at 3:11 am ,Nikki wrote:
Ooo, mulled wine is no profanity if you make it right! Forget the cheapy spice packets. Cook it up yourself using something dark, fruity, and dry (like Dornfelder, or if you’re in the States, maybe a fruitier Merlot):
1 bottle (.75l) red wine with good fruit (but not sweet! It should be deep and mellow)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
shake of nutmeg
If you’d like: 1 piece of star anise and/or 3 pieces of cardamom
2 tbs brown sugar
Combine everything in a medium-sized saucepan and heat slowly until it’s a nice, hot drinking temperature (not too long, you’ll cook off all the alcohol). Add a splash of cherry brandy, if you’d like.
Serve steaming in mugs with a piece of Stollen (German fruit cake) or gingerbread.
The trick is to use a lovely but not shamefully expensive wine. The quality of your mulled wine depends on the quality of your ingredients, of course. 🙂
Enjoy!
On February 9th, 2010 at 2:51 pm ,AG wrote:
I think a port is strong enough for this…a 10 year old fonseca will be excellent!
On October 17th, 2011 at 4:50 pm ,Stephen Reynolds wrote:
In Germany, mulled wine (Gluhwein) goes down rather nicely with cake.