Wine Pairings for Persimmons

WINE PAIRINGS FOR PERSIMMONS

as recommended by Karen Bonarrigo & Merrill Bonarrigo

  • Persimmons grow worldwide and are found in a wide array of culinary dishes from sweet to savory.
  • Persimmons are easy to store for winter use. Freeze them or dry them.
  • Semi-ripe they are crisp like a plum. Very ripe they are like sweet apples or pears with a mushy texture.
  • See Michael Vidrine’s Gardening Tip column on Persimmons.
  • Sweet ripe persimmons have a honey character and can be used like ripe apples or pears in desserts.
  • Persimmons semi-ripe have strong tannins that give a chaulky texture can be used in many savory recipes that call for tomatoes. The tannins give a flavor weight that can complement red wine.
  • Wine pairings with persimmons vary by ripeness of fruit or recipe. Astringency of the persimmons can complement the acidity of the white wine like Pinot Grigio or Blanc du Bois. (the fruit flavor of a ripe persimmon reminds me of the fruit flavor of Blanc du Bois)
  • Sweetness of Persimmons adds balance to the sweet-heat savory dishes.
  • In a spicy full-flavored dish like the Vintage House Persimmon Salsa, a medium red like the Reflections of Love makes a big dish statement. Flavor weight of the spicy salsa is balanced by the big fruit of the wine.
  • If the persimmons are used in the recipes as an ingredient, pair the appropriate wine to the strongest flavor in that dish.

 

Recommended wines:

Merrill and Karen Bonarrigo, Wine and Food Pairing experts at Messina Hof Wine Cellars, Inc.

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