3 minute read
This passion project is, at heart, just a way for me to explore pairing my favorite home-made dishes with some of my favorite wines (or wines I wanted to try). In the posts that follow, you’ll find entirely vegan, gluten-free dishes because that’s what my husband and I eat. Don’t worry, though, no flavor was sacrificed in the production of this food.
What does “Plants & Plonk” mean?
“Plonk” is UK slang for cheap, uninteresting, nothing-y wine. I’m doing my bit to change that negative meaning here. Many people see wine as an exclusive – even a luxury -product, but it doesn’t need to be expensive to be good. There will be 40 pairings posted here over the next year ranging from 10€ to 27€. Most fall somewhere in the middle (the average price of all the wines is 15€). So whether you’re splurging for a special occasion, or looking to lift a mid-week slump, I hope there’s something here for everyone.
Why plant-based food and wine pairings?
The idea for this project was born as I began transitioning to a plant-based life a few years ago. I found loads of resources I could tap into when I wanted to veganize my favorite meat- or dairy-focused dishes. But there are paltry few resources on pairing wines with the plant-based versions of those favorites. Likewise, it’s pretty rare to find plant-based dishes listed in the recommended pairings for wines I want to try. Even the wines themselves aren’t always clear about any animal-products used in their production. Plant-powered lives are becoming more and more mainstream, yet wine-pairing with this rapidly developing cuisine remains on the fringes.
But who besides fancy restaurants even pairs food with wine anymore? Especially when so many wine professionals (myself included) stand firm behind the idea of drinking whatever you like with whatever you’re eating. I mean, if the combination of California cabernet and supermarket sushi works for you, I’m not here to tell you to stop. So why bother? What’s the point?
Have you ever seen Disney’s Ratatouille? When Remy the rat talks about combining different flavors? “Each flavor [is] totally unique. But, combine one flavor with another…and something new [is] created!”
That’s what happens when you get a pairing right – when you have a really tasty dish and a delicious wine that works perfectly with it.
We actually already do this with food, if you think about it. Peanut butter and jelly. Raspberry and chocolate. Tomato and basil. Sweet with sour. Salty with bitter. Spicy with creamy richness. If we just think of wine as another flavor group, we can expand the possibilities of those glorious combinations.
So what’s the plan?
I designed 40 pairings for the next year, and we’ll find out together which ones cause fireworks and which are…well, less successful.
Along the way, we’ll delve into some broader themes, too. Of course I’ll explore the principles of pairing, particularly how it changes (or doesn’t) with plant-based dishes. But I’ll also touch on which styles of wine are great for keeping on-hand with plant-based food (in case you want to stock up). And on a larger scale, I want to look at how we can better talk about and describe wine – the ones we like, the ones we want to try, and the ones we can afford.
See you next week for the first pairing!
celeste radosevich 