THE JOURNAL | FOOD & DRINK

What To Pair With:
Mushrooms

In this series our teams sit down together to celebrate a seasonal ingredient and find the bottles that make it shine. This month, Chris, Head Chef at Ham Yard, and Lawrence, Group Sommelier, talk mushrooms. From delicate Scottish girolles to rich woodland varieties, discover the wines that complement these autumnal flavours...

Wide shot of three bottles of wine on a table for Firmdales journal article about pairing wine with mushrooms.

Chris:
After a long summer, it feels like autumn is finally here. One of the things I’m excited about as we head into this cooler season is the abundance of mushrooms.

Lawrence:
Mushrooms are one of those ingredients that can completely change depending on the variety and how you cook them, so when it comes to pairing wine, I think it’s always best to start with the dish.

Chris:
Okay then, how about we start with girolles? Also called chanterelles, these are delicate and can even have an apricot aroma to them. For this variety, don’t over power them. A deliciously simple autumnal lunch or dinner would be pan fried girolles served on toasted sourdough, topped with some pickled shallots and tarragon.

Lawrence:
I have just the thing for that - pinot gris from Alsace. The same grape as pinot grigio but made in a richer, riper style. Pinot Gris ‘Le Fromenteau’, Josmeyer, 2020 has lovely texture and a savoury character, with enough freshness to work with the pickled shallots.

Chris:
Moving on to something richer, you can buy packs of mixed woodland mushrooms which are more intense, often including the likes of porcini or penny buns. These will be great served with a potato and Parmesan cream and confit egg yolk.

Lawrence:
This calls for a red. Marsannay, Sylvain Pataille, 2022 from Burgundy has bright red fruit, freshness but also forest floor notes that work so well with mushrooms. The acidity will also cut through the richness of the Parmesan and egg yolk..

Chris:
And finally, the most indulgent of the three - mushroom vol au vent with Lincolnshire Poacher and black truffle.

Lawrence:
Here I’d choose Barolo ‘Serralunga d’Alba’, Garesio, 2019 from Piedmont. Nebbiolo is a classic pairing for truffle, with its floral aromas, bright acidity and firm tannins working particularly well with the richness of the mushroom, cheese as well as truffle.

Chris:
Now all that’s left to do is open the bottles and get cooking!