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Sommelier To Go: Three Wines for Brunch

Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 26, 2007 at 11:36 AM

Available only on Serious Eats, our Sommelier To Go, Joshua Wesson, sits down with us and gives suggestions for three kinds of wine to drink with a classic bagel-based brunch. Many people don't think of wine at brunch beyond sparkling wine or mimosas, Wesson says, but a nice Cava, Riesling, or rosé can pair beautifully with bagels, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and tomato.

FEATURED WINES
Sàniger Cava
If you're eating a nice slice or two of smoked salon on your bagel, the dominant taste is obviously the fish—it's salty, has a taste of the sea, and is smoky. The key is to find a wine that can cut through that, Wesson says. In much the same way that lemon is great to squeeze over smoked fish, raw fish—since the acid acid cuts through the fish oil—a crisp, sparkling wine can act as a stunt double for the citrus. This affordable Spanish Cava would work particularly well.

Kühl Riesling
But what if you add tomato to your bagel? Then, Wesson says, sparkling wine might not be the best choice. Instead, head to Germany, or anywhere that makes a good Riesling. "Lightheared , low in alcohol, mouthwatering with a kiss of sweetness, you couldn't ask for a better brunch mate."

Yalumba Y Series Sangiovese Rosé
Some poeple don't even want the fish—they just want the tomato. If you pick a dry rosé that's young and fresh and has a lot of fruit, then it will handle the fruitiness of the tomato.

More 'Sommelier to Go' Videos
Wine with Chocolate
Wine with Cheese
Wine with Burgers
Wine with Pizza

ABOUT JOSHUA WESSON
We like Joshua because he took wine and made it accessible to everyone. You can walk in to one of his Best Cellars stores with $20 and leave with a great bottle of wine and $5 in change—each bottle he and his colleagues scour the world to carefully select is $15 or less.

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