You want to bring wine to a dinner party but you don’t know what the host is serving? Are you responsible for providing the wine for a potluck? Imagine a table with everything from spanikopita, arancini, samosas, and empanadas to barbecued chicken wings, French fries, and curried lentils—oh my! What wines to offer?
First, here’s what not to do. Avoid overly oaked wines or wines without enough acidity and also wines that are high in alcohol. Take a pass on obscure grapes and wines that are light in terms of flavor. You need a heavier wine to battle the cacophony of flavors you’re likely to find at the potluck table. What to do? Select wines, both red and white, with balanced acidity and bright fruit.
White wines that will work include an unoaked Chardonnay, Viognier, a fruit forward Chenin Blanc from France, South Africa or California, Albarino, Gruner Veltliner, and an off dry Riesling.
My pick? Burgans Albarino. The winery is located in Rias Baixas, the most important winegrowing region of northwestern Spain. A bright greenish yellow in color with golden highlights, the nose is fruity with hints of ripe apples, apricots and characteristic peach aromas. The palate is rich, yet mellow and balanced.
Potluck-friendly red wines include Barbera, Grenache, Gamay, and most grapes from the Italian coasts and the southern regions of Italy, such as Puglia, Sicily, Calabria, and Sardegna.
My pick? Franco Serra Barbera. It is produced by the Sperone family that has been making affordable premium wines for four generations. Ruby red in color, this wine presents red fruit, spice, and just a whiff of tobacco on the nose followed by a palate of raspberry and strawberries. Franco Serra is a very food-friendly wine due in part to the light tannins and wellbalanced acidity.
Two other foolproof choices are a rosé and a sparkling wine. Rosé can roll over every flavor from artichokes to Thai chiles.
My pick? Elicio. From noted French winemaker Raphael Trouiller in Avignon, Elicio is a blend of 70 percent Grenache and 30 percent Cinsualt that is aged in stainless steel tanks. A bright pink color, the nose and palate offer currant and raspberry. The popularity of this wine throughout the Benelux, Germany, Denmark, United States, and Japan speaks to its versatility.
Bubbly is always your “go-to” selection on an international table. My Pick? Gruet Blanc de Noir. Made in the méthode champenoise in New Mexico, Gruet, praised by New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov, is widely available and reasonably priced.
A blend of 75 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent Chardonnay, Blanc de Noir is, as Gruet says, “incredibly versatile with all styles of food!” A lovely pale salmon color in the glass, you will find aromas of berry and pear and a very smooth and round palate with a warm and toasty finish. Perfect to bring to a covered dish party, it’s not a bad idea to keep these four wines on hand for your own leftovers night!
Gina Trippi is the co-owner of Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Committed to the community, Metro Wines offers big shop selection with small shop service. Gina can be reached at gina@metrowinesasheville.com or 828.575.9525.
