+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: GENERAL (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-100.html)
+--- Forum: Wine/Food Affinities (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-4.html)
+--- Thread: Which wines with Slovakian Food? (/thread-807.html)
- CherylK - 04-28-2005
I am going to a "Taste of Slovakia" dinner at a restaurant in Minneapolis. I haven't had Slovakian food before and am wondering what to order with it. I don't like beer. Generally speaking what red and/or white wines would be good with this type of food?
- wondersofwine - 04-28-2005
Forgot to say welcome to the board for your first posting here. Come back often.
Basically I don't have a clue because I don't know that much about Slovakian food.
Pirogues? Stuffed cabbage? I'm thinking a light to medium-bodied red wine--maybe a Cote du Rhone or a Chianti. For domestic wines maybe a Merlot.
[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 04-28-2005).]
- CherylK - 04-29-2005
I really appreciate the advice. I did look for some Czech recipes and discovered some that included wine such as port, Madeira, Cognac and one that listed "white wine". Mostly meat and potato-type recipes so you are probably right about choosing a medium-bodied red.
This is a great website! I've been reading posts from the past year - lots of fun and some great advice! Thanks again.
- wondersofwine - 04-29-2005
You're welcome. Have fun at the "Taste of Slovakia" dinner.
- Kcwhippet - 04-29-2005
Cheryl, There's actually a lot of wine produced in Slovakia. My cousin went to East Slovakia a few years ago to where our grandparents came from (on my father's side - my mother's parents came from what's now the Czech Republic). He mentioned that he saw a lot of vineyards and quite a few wineries when he traveled away from the area of Presov (where many of our relatives still live). Most people were drinking Riesling or Gruner Veltliner with the lighter dishes (chicken, white sausage, filled pastries (pierogies), pork, etc.). The reds were Cabernet Sauvignon (surprisingly) and Svatovavrinecke (very close to Pinot Noir), which were drunk with heavier foods like smoked and roast meats. Then, of course, there's Tokaj which is Hungarian but that region borders the southeast part of Slovakia and there's a lot made in Slovakia. At one time Slovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, some foods (like the traditional Slovak boiled dinner of sausage, potatoes and sauerkraut) just lent themselves to beer, and many towns brew their own, most in the Plzen tradition. Plzen (Pilsen in English) is in the Czech Republic but the Slovaks still like the beer. In fact Pilsener Urquell (from Plzen) is widely available here in the U.S. So, those are a few of my suggestions.
[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 04-29-2005).]
- Kcwhippet - 04-30-2005
I just reread your posts, and I have a few thoughts. You're going to a Taste of Slovakia dinner, then you mention you looked up some Czech recipes. Well, Czechs and Slovaks are really different people, and their foods and cultures are a lot different. Slovaks have a lot of influence from the Ukraine and Hungary, as well as what are commonly referred to as Gypsies. From my father's side, my grandfather was Carpatho-Russyn (bet you never heard that one) and my grandmother was from the Ukraine. On my mother's side, my grandfather was Moravian and my grandmother was Bohemian. All had rich cultures, and all were very different from each other. So, all this to say that looking up Czech recipes isn't going to give you a very good idea of what Slovak food is going to be like. That would be like looking up South West recipes to get an idea of a Taste of Maryland dinner.
- CherylK - 04-30-2005
Hey, thanks for pointing that out...will just wait to see what's served and use your first suggestions. Now I'm really curious....