Gastro Traveling

Mirassou Merlot

It happened like this…I had almost finished my glass of Mirassou Merlot and it was time for dessert. I was poised to gulp the rest of it down and clear my palate for the farm made chocolate – chocolate chip ice cream I had waiting in the freezer. The coffee was brewing but I felt like bucking convention and being a culinary rebel. Room temperature wine paired with a mouth numbing deep chocolate iciness…wait, maybe I was already talking myself into why this wasn’t so crazy.

Isn’t it in fact common practice to drizzle warm fruit sauces over ice cream? Is not wine made of fruit? OK, I was sold. I let the coffee

Chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream

wait awhile and picked up the wine…I would be properly enjoying the remainder of this glass. With a couple spoonfuls of my favorite vice in a bowl, I dug in, had a mouthful, and let the ice cream slowly melt on my tongue. Strong dairy with rich chocolate permeated my taste buds and now just as I was swallowing the last bit, I tipped my glass, the Merlot’s severe complexity at first seemingly didn’t know how to react. Then the grapes’ tart sugars found their match with the ice cream’s silky overtones and quickly popped into a broad spectrum burst of sweet creamy tang. And then in a split second it was over.

It was addictive, I wanted to try it again…and again…until my glass was empty. So pairing wine with ice cream really isn’t as far fetched as I thought. Just make sure you don’t take a swig with your mouth still filled with ice cream. Then you have a disjointed gloppy sundae on your hands…something akin to maple walnut ice cream mounded with gummy worms and chocolate chips. Next up for me is a Gewürztraminer paired with freshly made peach ice cream!

photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky and Mirassou Merlot