Drink This With That ~ Peruvian

Welcome to Drink This with That—featuring what to drink with specific foods and international cuisines. Each month we highlight a particular food or dish with pairing options and a link to the Wine Road searchable database to find the wines we recommend from the tried and true, to selections that add a bit of a twist to the standard pairing.

This month we explore Peruvian cuisine including Ceviche, Lomo Aaltado, Aji de Gallina, and Papa a la Huancaína. One of the most famous Peruvian dishes you are unlikely to find outside of Peru is Cuy—Guinea Pig—but my research was limited to what I could find at my local Peruvian restaurant, so no Cuy pairings here. My first experience with Peruvian food was in Peru when I was a kid accompanying my mother on a media trip. I got extreme altitude sickness and barley remember the food we ate except for the Picarones. I absolutely remember the Picarones which are akin to donuts made of pumpkin and sweet potato, drizzled with syrup. Peruvian cuisine is a thrilling blend of indigenous, Spanish, African, and Asian influences, that offer an array of exciting wine pairing options.

Search for recommended wines here: www.wineroad.com/wineries.

Peruvian Cuisine & Wine Pairing Recommendations

Ceviche

The most iconic dish of Peruvian cuisine, Ceviche, incorporates spices, peppers, onions and most importantly, lime juice with raw fish. The high acidity of the lime juice essentially cooks the raw fish and alters the texture and enhances the flavors. Bright, spicy, and complex; ceviche is a must try as an appetizer or even a main course.

+ Sauvignon Blanc

+ Riesling

+ Gruner Veltliner

+ Chenin Blanc

Rocoto Relleno

Spicy hot and irresistible, rocoto relleno are indigenous Peruvian peppers stuffed with cheese, minced beef, onions, garlic, and traditional spices. Balance is the key in this dish with the cheese modulating the heat of the fiery cherry shaped rocoto pepper.

+ Sauvignon Blanc

+ Sangiovese

+ Sparkling Rosé

+ Chardonnay

Papa a la Huancaína

Peruvian potato salad consisting of boiled yellow potatoes smothered in a spicy, creamy sauce made of queso fresco. The sauce is poured over cold sliced potatoes and served with hard boiled eggs. And just like potato salad here in the states, recipes and ingredients vary by region and family traditions.

+ Chardonnay

+ Albariño

+ Viognier

+ Marsanne/Roussanne

Lomo Saltado

Anything that incorporates fries into the dish is a winner in my book, and Lomo Saltado checks all the flavor boxes. Vinegar and soy marinated beef strips are quick fried with onions, potatoes and sweet aji peppers served atop rice or fries. (Choose the fries!)

+ Malbec

+ Petit Sirah

+ Bordeaux Blends

+ Syrah

Ají de Gallina

Warm, creamy and flavorful, Aji de Gallina is a classic chicken stew made with condensed milk, bread and cheese that is a staple of Peruvian kitchens. As with most Peruvian recipes, peppers are the core of the dish and in this case the yellow Peruvian, pepper aji amarillo, takes center stage and gives the stew its dynamic color and flavor.

+ Chardonnay

+ Pinot Noir

+ Rose

+ Sauvignon Blanc

Picarones

Wandering the streets of Lima, or almost anywhere in Peru, you are sure to find food vendors selling the ubiquitous Picarones, a deep-fried donut like delight made of sweet potato and pumpkin. A swirl of sweet syrup tops it off.

+ Moscato

+ Late harvest Riesling

+ Orange Muscat

+ Pinot Noir

Posted by Marcy Gordon

Marcy Gordon is a freelance wine and travel writer. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including Wine Enthusiast, San Francisco Chronicle, Sonoma Magazine, The California Travel Guide, and Forbes Travel Guide. In 2017 she was awarded a fellowship to the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. She is the co-host of the award winning Wine Road Podcast.

All Posts