Ahoy, fellow enophiles!
It has been a few days since my last post and for that, I apologize; it seems finding a reliable Wi-Fi hotspot beneath the ocean has been remarkably difficult lately. I would call Verizon about the problem, but then they might discover I've been stealing the Independent Film Channel all this time! Oh, we mustn't have that now!
But this is a wine and food blog, not a technology blog. I digress.
As you can imagine, lemons are a rare and expensive culinary treat here in the ocean! They must either be pilfered from a sinking cargo ship, or purchased on the surface when one of us successfully infiltrates human society in disguise (...yes, we walk among you incognito. Terrified yet?). Needless to say, their difficult procurement means you will pay TOP dollar for lemons here below the waves, making them fit for a "special occasion".
I was recently in Miami (incognito) for a major trade tasting, and knowing my wife's birthday was coming up, purchased a few lemons to bring home to her. They are so cheap up on the surface! You humans practically give them away! Anyway, I figured I would use these to make human ceviche for her birthday which is one of her favorite dishes. Of course I married the one with expen$ive tastes...
Quick and easy recipe for human ceviche:
-1 young adult human (caucasian is easiest), blood drained and chopped into bite-sized squares
-juice of 8 lemons and/or limes
-1 large onion, coarsely chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jalapeno, finely chopped
-1 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped
-1 handful of fresh cilantro
-a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the human chunks and juice of 4 of the 8 lemons in a closed tupperware container, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Then drain the juice, adding the juice of the remaining 4 lemons along with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 more hour. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Makes excellent tacos!
I didn't feel like pairing my human ceviche with any of the usual suspects like New Zealand sauvignon blanc or Australian riesling; for this occasion, I wanted to do something a bit more challenging and special. Now, red wine is notoriously difficult to pair with any citrusy flavors and I've never had much luck with it but tonight was going to be different.
Enter Weinhof Scheu '07 Spatburgunder. In case you're from Alabama, "Spatburgunder" is German for "Pinot Noir" and Germany produces a fairly large amount of it, mostly from the Pfalz region. If there was ever a red wine to work with a dish brimming with lemony acidity, I knew this could be it.
First of all, let me gush about how good this wine is on its own. It's everything pinot noir oughta be and best of all, it will cost you $20 or less. It's quite an attractive alternative to Burgundy's ever-climbing prices I must say. Fairly light-bodied, it is packed with wild strawberry, raspberry, and not-quite-ripe cherry flavors with an earthy undercurrent. It absolutely beams with the same razor-sharp acidity for which Germany's best rieslings are so famous.
It's this acidity that enables this Spatburgunder to pair so well with such a zesty, citrus-based dish. It was a match made in heaven! So few red wines contain such a focused laser beam of acid and still manage to pack a complex and full palate of fruit flavors. It's an impressive balancing act. Each sip mingled perfectly with the flavors of the ceviche before cleansing the palate, preparing me for the next bite.
Can you tell I loved it? This baby gets 91 points from Robert. I bet it could drink well for a few years, but it would be a shame to lose that youthful acidity. If you're looking for an extremely food-friendly, affordable, and downright interesting wine, look no further.
Do you have another recipe for human ceviche? Hit me up. Robert Sharker and Mrs. Sharker are always ready for new experiences.
'til next time,
-Robert Sharker
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