The mince pie dilemma
Because a lot of Christmas food is rich and sweet finding a matching wine can be tricky. What grape, if any, goes with mincemeat? In some parts of Ireland, it is the custom of the country of offer a glass of mulled wine with the mince pie. The combination of spicy morsel and spiced drink is an odd one and baffling to many a palate, but there you are. Mrs Rainy Day says it's traditional in the midlands, where she comes from.
As one heads to the south, however, towards Mr Rainy Day territory, a glass of port is often placed under the nose when the mice pies come around. This is certainly preferable to mulled wine, but the high alcohol content of the port can quickly eliminate the charm of the mincemeat. The graceful Quinta de la Rosa is unknown in these parts, which is a great pity as this delicate, almost feminine port would be an ideal compliment. What to do? Personal experience with delicacies suggests that a white wine might be a good match and, if your bank balance is exceptionally healthy, an Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett would be worth trying. Elegant, off-dry, it has a clean, frost-like freshness with a luscious texture. Talking of frost, if you want to go head-to-head with the mincemeat and have an unusual experience, try a Scharzhofberger Eiswein made from frozen grapes. Question: does global warming mean that the end of Eiswein?
