Wine Advice ASAP White Truffle

In an attempt to recreate a culinary peak experience for my mother, I have reserved at Schwa tonight, where they advised me last week they should still have the white truffle pasta. Schwa is BYOB, so what should we drink? Since we are set to break the bank for dinner, the wine should be in the $30 range. Call me misguided, but the food matters more to me.

White burgundy? I belive it's one of those classic pairings (I could be wrong). You should be able to find some at the $30 price point.

At least for Italians, the classic pairing involves their big reds: Barolo or Barbaresco. You might be able to get some for $30, but it will be very close. On the other hand there are some excellent Barberas in that range that might work very nicely.

(I just checked and Hugh Johnson confirms the pairing in his guides.) That's not to say that white Burg. might not work - some things do go either way - I'm just not sure. Good French white Burg. (as opposed to global chardonnay) does have a nice earthiness that might couple well. As might red Burgundy - but again, you're $30 price point might be stretched a bit for something really good.

What you need is a trusted wineseller to talk to. Mine is Howard, of Howard's Wine Cellar on Belmont. People also speak well of the folks at Wine Discount Center and Schafer's - depending on your location. Sam's has the selection, but the quality of the help can be really hit or miss.

Enjoy.

viaChgo wrote:White burgundy? I belive it's one of those classic pairings (I could be wrong). You should be able to find some at the $30 price point.

I totally agree. Historically, I've really enjoyed the wines from the village of Chablis (chardonnay) in the Burgundy region. The Grand or Premier cru wines from this area are, often times, great treats, even when you don't have knowledge of any specific producer. Unfortunately, at this point, many are above your $30 range.
However, you should still be able to find some great bottles that don't have the reputations that these thoroughbreds possess. Who knows, you might still even be able to find a few of these wines somewhat close to the $30 range. I would definitely solicit advice from your favorite merchant about their choices. That never hurts.
I have had rather poor experiences, overall, with randomly picking relatively inexpensive white Burgundies from the more prestigious villages. The variation in quality, regardless of price is staggering. If you do go with a random choice for white Burgundy, Chablis isn't a bad way to go.

If you'll be near Sam's, I've noticed that they offer Dom. Boudin Chablis "1er Cru Fourchaume" 2003 for $29.49 that just might do the trick, although I can't personally vouch for it.

Have a wonderful dinner!

When in doubt, champagne.

So what did you go with?

We're thinking if you are going for white truffles, you don't really have an excuse for skimping on the wine

Heartfelt thanks to all who responded. The evening was a great success, thanks to the artistry of Chef Carlson. I am a bit slow to respond because I feel a bit sheepish about what transpired with the wine. While I certainly agree with leek that it makes no sense to go for the white truffles and skimp on wine, we ended up bringing a Sancerre recommended by Shaefer's because that was what my mother preferred. (She says that Chablis, and champagne and any red give her a headache. Maybe she should just go with vodka.) Alas, I feel that either Champagne or Chablis would have been far better. But, in the end, it was just as well that we didn't spend too much on the wine, since my Dad kept ordering and ordering and ordering. It's like they put a drug in the food in that place. To get the full effect, you should probably drink only water and see JUST HOW HIGH you can get from the food alone. I am not kidding. This is one great place. The quail egg ravioli made us swoon. The white truffle pasta caused inadvertent exclamations of rapture. A wonderful experience, made possible by the generous LTH community. On my next visit, I shall follow your wine advice to the letter!