Asparagus season starts soon. And whenever it's asparagus season, the mailings from wine merchants start rolling in. This is also the case for us, because there are actually many excellent combinations with asparagus and wine.
However, we are not of the opinion that there is "the" asparagus wine, because there is also no "the" asparagus recipe.
Cream of asparagus soup
White wines without wood, preferably aged for three or four years. Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, a Grüner Veltliner Federspiel or a Sauvignon Blanc, which is more on the yellow-fruity side than the grassy side, are ideal.
Asparagus risotto
White wines with substance and body, but without wood. Matured Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Veltliner are a wonderful combination here.
Asparagus with hollandaise sauce, miso hollandaise or butter
Here the white wine can have strength and a subtle woody flavour. These include mature Pinot Blancs, Chenin Blancs, Chardonnays and Veltliners in the Smaragd or Reserve range.
Asparagus tart or with penne
If asparagus is paired with wheat as a tart base or as pasta and then even with cheese, then a mature Riesling Kabinett or a Spätlese is also a good choice. A mature Sauvignon Blanc also goes very well here.
Asparagus with butter crumbs and/or au gratin
Here we favour ripe, powerful Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay, which may well have a hint of wood.
And with very few exceptions, these are dry wines. As asparagus is also cooked with in Szechuan cuisine - this is one of the exceptions - a slightly sweet wine would also be appropriate here to complement the slight sharpness. In Bordeaux, a chilled Sauternes is often served with cold asparagus tips - this is the second exception and is an excellent match. The acidity of the wine should not be too high, as the white asparagus reacts with bitter or even metallic notes. What we also find important is that the wine should have a certain maturity. A recently bottled vintage usually has flavours that are too youthful for an asparagus dish. The wine should therefore be slightly mature.
