Bodacious Corn and Grüner Veltliner – A Tasty Late Summer Pairing

When Snooth.com approached a group of some wine writing friends and me about writing a paragraph relating to Transitional Wines Under $20 that we bring back onto our tables as summer transitions into fall, I immediately thought about Grüner Veltliner.  Many food and wine enthusiasts say that Grüner Veltliner is the perfect summer wine that matches perfectly with sushi, smoked fish and salads that have shrimp, scallops, crab or lobster.  Although I wouldn’t spend any time arguing about these pairings, Grüner goes well with many foods, the one food that is rarely mentioned as a lovely match is late summer fresh corn, making Grüner Veltliner the perfect late summer/early fall wine.

Because of the herbal undertones and Grüner Veltliners famed white peppery notes, I wholeheartedly think it’s one of the best matches to vegetable-based dishes, especially dishes that include our late summer locally grown (here in the Willamette Valley) Bodacious Corn.  Bodacious corn is truly blissful, it’s the best corn on earth, hands down: huge juicy kernels burst with sweet juice in every crunchy bite.  One of my favorite late summer meals is Bodacious Corn, Snap Pea and Bacon Chop Salad paired with the ever-delicious Raptor Ridge’s 2014 Grüner Veltliner (read more about this wine on Snooth.com).

Here’s the recipe (via Coastal Living Cookbook):

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
1 1/2 cups fresh (Bodacious) corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced
5 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup basil leaves (about 1 ounce), cut into thin strips
6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Mustard Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
9 tablespoons Oregon Olive Mill Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Whisk in oil; stir in salt and pepper.

Preparation
Cook peas in boiling water to cover for 1 to 2 minutes; immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking process. Cook corn in boiling water 2 minutes; immediately plunge into ice water. Drain peas and corn.

Chop lettuce into small pieces; place in a large bowl. Add peas, corn, cucumber, and next 6 ingredients; toss with Mustard Vinaigrette. Add cheese, salt, and pepper; toss gently. Mound salad on a large platter, and sprinkle with bacon.

Pour a chilled glass of the Raptor Ridge 2014 Grüner Veltliner and savor every sip and bite.