Wine & Fondue

A friend and I are going to have a little wine and fondue party on Valentines Day for all of our single friends, and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions as to specific wines that they think would go well, preferably under $15?

Looking for matches for swiss cheese w/ granny smith apples, and then for chocolate (dark, w/ Baileys) and berries.

Your suggestions are very much appreciated!

Thanks,

K

A friend and I are going to have a little wine and fondue party on Valentines Day for all of our single friends, and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions as to specific wines that they think would go well, preferably under $15?

Looking for matches for swiss cheese w/ granny smith apples, and then for chocolate (dark, w/ Baileys) and berries.

Your suggestions are very much appreciated!

Thanks,

K

Hey K,

For the "swiss" and green apples I'd try a german riesling, probably a spatlese to match up to the sweetness and acidity of the apples and to contrast the smooth creaminess of the fondue. For the chocolate and berries an LBV Port should be a great match. Whatever you do, have fun with it. If your budget allows, try a few different wines to compare with each other and the food match. Like maybe trying a full bodied, fruity Cal.Cab. with the chocolate and maybe a Moscato d'Asti with the cheese.

Have fun, post notes,
Aaron.

What wine are you using in the cheese fondue?

I would go where I think Cynthia is going. Use the same wine you use in the fondue. For the chocolate I would go for a Maury such as the one from Mas Amiel.

You are in DC, maybe you can find a Chasselas (sp)--Swiss wine. If not, go with the wine you use for the cheese, if not Riesling, maybe Chenin Blanc.

For the chocolate you've got two good suggestions--LBV Port and Maury--but I doubt your under $15 can be met.

Old Vine Zinfandel (Bogle) has a raspberry quality to it that does well with chocolate, and it's a dry wine, under $15.

Thanks, everyone! I'm not sure yet what we're planning on using in the fondue, but I'll make sure to include that as one of the drinking options. I like the idea of trying a few different styles, so I'll hunt down some of those mentioned.

I also really like the idea of the port, so I'll probably just spring for that myself (we're asking everyone to contribute, which is why we're trying to keep the price down).

I'll report back w/ notes!

A friend and I are going to have a little wine and fondue party on Valentines Day for all of our single friends, and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions as to specific wines that they think would go well, preferably under $15?

Apremont is an idea that comes to mind, although I'm not sure how well it's distributed in the USA. Take a gander here:

http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions/apremont/1

Apremont is a perfect idea--wish I had thought of it.

Apremont is a perfect idea--wish I had thought of it.

This is where I should beam with pride and pretend I really know something about wine and food. Truth be told, I recalled Apremont being the popular wine in a local fondue restaurant I was in years ago (turned into a half-assed Tex-Mex place since then) and seeing it was in the price range, thought it might be a good idea.

It of course also has the regional logic that sometimes works, Savoie food, Savoie wine

Randy,

When I had a wine shop in Manhattan I was among the rare breed who carried Apremont. I had one customer who lived in Savoie and spent a few months each year in NY. He thought I was a genius for stocking the wine. I thought the wine was quite a nice food pair product and quite reasonable in price.

I also really like the idea of the port, so I'll probably just spring for that myself (we're asking everyone to contribute, which is why we're trying to keep the price down).

I'll report back w/ notes!

Since you're in the D.C. area check out Trader Joe's. They have some surprisingly acceptable Aussie ports. Benjamin's comes to mind (I think that is the name -- it's in a dark broad flat-bottomed bottle hard to miss). We haven't been up that way in a while, but I suspect they still carry that. It would make a good introduction port for your guests.

We made cheese fondue last night up in the Adirondacks. I carried a bottle of the 2005 P. Boniface Apremont, as it was half the price of the only Fendant my local store had (I think Fendant is Chasselas). Worked fine for the cooking, but I was less impressed with the wine than I had been in past vintages- it's always light, but this was more dilute. Maybe an off bottle, as I had liked a small taste more at a fondue party over holidays.

As to distrbution, the Boniface Apremont is pretty widely available (a Parker QPR fave I believe, though it certainly doesn't fit the stereotype of his tastes).

We were using a fairly classic (I believe Valais) recipe- 2 parts Comte, 2 Beaufort, and 1 Emmenthaler; though store was out of Beaufort and we used Gruyere. Rub pot with garlic, melt cheese with white wine, a dash of kirsch.