Celia Hay matches wine to her eggs cooking class recipes from Bite
Eggs en cocotte
With salmon, we often default to chardonnay but sometimes the oak-driven styles take over and dominate the food, especially with fish. I find that a dry style of pinot gris can offer enough acidityon the palate to balance the richness of the salmon. Quartz Reef pinot gris is an excellent example of this style. Handmade in Central Otago by well-respected winemaker, Rudi Bauer, it has a creamy, almost oily texture on the palate with delicate citrus, nectarine and spice in the finish. Quartz Reef Pinot Gris 2011.
For the eggs en cocotte with pinot noir recipe, you do not want a wine that is too fruity or jammy, as it requires something more savoury to work with the silky egg white and the rich flavours of the meat jus. Greenhough Nelson pinot noir shows delicious red berry fruits but on the palate offers interesting dried thyme and bay leaf characters. It works well with this intriguing dish. Greenhough Nelson Pinot Noir 2010.
Omelette
For the classic omelette. From Marlborough, the Fromm Winery has built an outstanding reputation for wines of quality and elegance. This wine has a slight sparkle on the palate and served with brunch will wake up your taste buds with flavours of green apples, fresh lemons and lime. Fromm Marlborough Dry Riesling 2012.
Mondillo is a small vineyard, from Bendigo, Central Otago, named after its founder, Domenic Mondillo, previously a well-known Queenstown restaurateur. The Mondillo Central Otago riesling 2011 is off-dry but with a firm acidity so that it is refreshing on the palate. A good brunch wine — the lemon/apple flavours balance the rich, creamy hollandaise sauce of eggs benedict. Mondillo Central Otago Riesling 2011.
Scrambled eggs
Misha's Limelight riesling 2011 is a delicious riesling from Central Otago that makes a perfect brunch aperitif. It is medium-dry with residual sugar left in the wine to soften the palate. It has aromas of ripe apples, melons and peaches as well as a refreshing acidity. This is a friendly wine and works well with scrambled eggs and salty bacon. Misha's Limelight riesling 2011.
Poached eggs
I know that we should not be drinking wine at breakfast, but we do enjoy a late brunch and eggs are a popular choice. They also make a good, light supper.So for those of you wanting a glass of wine with your poached eggs and bacon, try the Urlar Pinot Gris 2011. Made from organic grapes in the Wairarapa, This wine is dry, with ripe nectarine and pear aromas and delicate hints of vanilla from oak maturation. At 14 per cent alcohol, it's a bit more than I had planned for breakfast but the wine's minerality and softness on the palate give a silky finish that works well with eggs and salty bacon. Urlar Pinot Gris 2011.
