Every Friday, InterWined.com pairs one great wine that exceeds its normal £10 ($20) threshold with one great meal, prepared following the instructions of some the Internet’s best food blogs.

This week’s ‘Blow the Bank’ comes courtesy of Haalo at Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once and a rich and flavourful Eggplant (Aubergine) Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato.

Vegetarian food is regularly overlooked by head chefs and, in turn, often ignored by most diners. As a result, it is usually underserved by sommeliers who limit their pairings to a few simple dictums: mushrooms are like meat and deserve a full-bodied red wine such as Chateauneuf du Pape; Chardonnay goes well with quiche (it is chicken, after all – see Pear & Sage-stuffed Chicken with Hazelnut Crust for more); and, when in doubt, serve Sauvignon Blanc.

All three are reasonable, as, indeed, Sauvignon Blanc pairs excellently well with many vegetable dishes including asparagus, but each belies the complexity and nuance one finds in vegetarian cuisine.

As with the mushroom, one could class the aubergine or eggplant as a meaty vegetable. Equally one could place the aubergine alongside the courgette or zucchini in terms of its cucumber-like texture. (Perhaps strange, the aubergine is actually from the same genus as the tomato and potato.) While Chateauneuf du Pape can easily compliment the meatiness of mushroom, it would likely overpower the softer courgette (zucchini).

So what wine grapes pairs well with aubergine? Something red, to be sure; but, where others would possibly recommend a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, InterWined would suggest finding a red with softer tannins such as those found in the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc.

Served chilled as an aperitif or opened only when plating, the 2006 Te Mata Woodthorpe Gamay Noir from New Zealand, £11 from Planet of the Grapes is an excellent partner to Haalo’s Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato. It easily compliments the softness of the grilled aubergine while proving a perfect partner to enhance the kick found in Haalo’s secret ingredient, wine vinegar-soaked currants.

The Te Mata Gamay Noir is black currant juice drink or even black cherry in colour. Fragrant, refreshing, and smooth on the palette; it bears all the signature features of an outstanding Beaujolais. In fact, since the Te Mata Woodthrope Gamay Noir seems unavailable outside of the UK and New Zealand, InterWined recommends another Beaujolais wine, the Fleurie; or, better still, try one of North America’s Gamay Noirs, such as the ones made by Andrew Lane in Napa, California.

Haalo’s Recipe in Full

Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato

Click on the post to view and download the recipe

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