For me, pairing wines is more than just thinking about which flavors work best together. Of course, you don’t want flavors that are at odds with each other on your palate, but you also want to make sure the textures are compatible. Food that’s heavy on the palate – with fatty meat or creamy consistency for example – sometimes need a wine that also has a bigger mouthfeel. That means wines with bigger body. Tina’s white chicken is a mouthfull! The chicken, turkey, beans and barley let their presence be known. I was concerned that a dry, acidic or minerally white – like a Sauvignon Blanc or Soave might just get swallowed up by this rich dish. I wanted a wine with more presence and body, so I opted for a Chardonnay.
The San Simeon 2019 Estate Reserve Chardonnay has just that kind of rounder mouthfeel that I was looking for. It adds some subtle tropical fruit notes on the nose, and a hint of vanilla and baking spaces that come from aging in oak, without being too big and buttery. A restrained and affordable Chardonnay from Monterey Ca that is still big enough to enjoy with richer dishes like the White Chicken Chili. Cheers!