5 Wines for Burns Night
Laura on 22 Jan 2015
The traditional match for haggis would be a smoky Scottish whisky – often used in a sauce, or poured over the meat before serving. The traditional toast to the haggis, accompanied by a reading of Burns’ ‘Ode to a Haggis’, means that whisky has great significance during the feast.
But not all of us are whisky lovers, and such a delicious national dish does call for a glass or two of wine to celebrate the night.
To match this dish with wine, it is essential to concentrate on the key flavours and textures in the meat and the accompanying side dishes. Haggis has a robust, gamey-meaty flavour, with a kick of peppery spice on the finish, while the texture is soft, with a pleasing chew from the addition of oatmeal. Alongside this rich concoction is the comforting blandness of mashed potato and swede, sometimes enlivened with some buttered leeks or cracked black pepper.
We asked a couple of our Scottish wine expert friends to recommend 5 wines that would be the perfect match for this celebratory dish. Here’s what they came up with...
Spicy whites from Alsace – the people of Alsace like to pair their aromatic whites with salty hams and rich, buttery sauerkrauts. With haggis, a Gewurztraminer like Trimbach’s Gewurztraminer 2012 performs a similar function – the floral aromas of lychee, rose and five spice are fantastic with the peppery heat and salty richness of the meat. ‘Gewurz’ even means ‘spicy’.
Smoky whites from Mount Etna – from high on the slopes of Etna, Planeta’s Eruzione 1614 Carricante 2013 is made from a local grape that delivers flavours of lemon, peach and apple – it’s a bit like serving seared fruit with black pudding to cut through the richness.
Subtle fizz with hints of sweetness – the ripe, sweet fruit of top quality Lambrusco like Cleto Chiarli Pignoletto Brut is a great match for haggis. The light sweetness is brilliant with the earthy tones of the oatmeal and the pâté notes from the liver in the dish.
Juicy reds with a twist of black pepper – Bogle’s Old Vine Zinfandel 2012 is just right with any hearty meat dishes, especially this one. The lush raspberry and ripe boysenberry fruit flavours, with a hint of spiced chocolate, are ideal paired the rich pepperiness of the meat.
Rich and spicy Aussie Shiraz – Shiraz like Heartland’s Spice Trader 2012 has voluptuous dark fruits but also a lovely lift of juicy acidity and a peppery warmth. An additional drop or two of Cabernet lends structure and enough 'oomph' to take on the gutsy flavours of the Haggis.
‘Cheers’ - or ‘Slangevar!’ as they say in Scotland.
Many thanks to John Chalmers and Les Somerville from Enotria for their fine food and wine matches.
By Chris Penwarden