Which Wine Goes Well With Umami Flavour?

UMAMI, A FLAVOUR ENHANCER

Literally "savoury taste" in Japanese, this taste does not stand alone. It actually acts as a flavour enhancer, amplifying the other flavours of a dish by adding complexity. It was Japanese researcher Prof. Kikunae Ikeda who succeeded in extracting monosodium glutamate from kombu seaweed, thus enabling him to discover the umami taste. Although umami is still in its infancy in Europe, this flavour has caused a real craze among foodies in Asian countries, particularly in Japan.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Japanese professor and chemist Kikunae Ikeda identified and isolated the umami taste. Since his research, the chain of amino acids responsible for this amazing taste, monosodium glutamate, exists today in its artificial form. Although many everyday foods are naturally rich in glutamates, the big industry has realised that we all love the umami taste. As a result, many of the ready-made meals you find in the shops contain its chemical form as a food additive. Chinese ready meals, for example, are known to contain this additive.

UMAMI-RICH FOODS

Foods rich in umami are those that contain a lot of glutamates. Everyday foods include tomatoes, onions, peas, coral lentils, almonds and seaweed.

Umami develops and concentrates in foods through cooking and particularly through fermentation. Very ripe fruits and vegetables contain much more glutamates than fresh ones. In the case of meat and fish, the same phenomenon is observed. Dried or fermented meat is very rich in umami, which explains the enthusiasm of the French for charcuterie and salami! Made from fermented products, soy sauce and nuoc-mâm sauce are very rich in glutamates. This has also motivated Asian gourmets to cook with these sauces that everyone loves. Broths or even miso are also rich in umami, which justifies their frequent use in cooking.

Other foods rich in glutamates, and therefore umami, are cheeses. The champions in their category are Parmesan and Roquefort. As far as Parmesan is concerned, the more mature it is, the more intense the umami. On the palate, it can be perceived as a little spicy sensation at the end of the mouth.

A tip for identifying umami taste is to compare a fresh button mushroom with a mushroom that has been microwaved for 30 seconds. The cooking process gives the mushrooms a concentrated umami flavour.

MATURITY OF THE GRAPES

The riper the fruit and vegetables, the more umami they are. Grapes are no exception! By harvesting as late as possible, the berries have developed glutamic acids. Australian wines from the Barossa Valley made from Shiraz grapes, for example, are harvested quite late. It is therefore possible to identify this intriguing flavour in a wine from this region.

MACERATION

As amino acids are mainly found in the grape skins, skin maceration allows the extraction of these to be transferred to the liquid product. Thus, red wines are more umami than white wines, simply because their vinification involves skin maceration.

AGEING OF THE WINE

Prolonged ageing increases the production of glutamic acids as it involves a breakdown of amino acids, transforming them into glutamates. Aged on the lees, the wine is even more umami! Indeed, once fermentation is complete, the yeasts settle in the form of lees. These lees release glutamic acids, which give the wine additional aromas. Ageing on the lees therefore consists of ageing the wine without filtering it.

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION

This type of fermentation, which is not part of the winemaking process for all wines, converts malic acid into lactic acid. The latter is rich in glutamic acids and thus adds umami to the final product. White wines vinified using this technique and made from the Chardonnay grape are excellent ambassadors of umami, precisely because they are often aged on the lees and undergo malolactic fermentation. For the same reasons as Burgundian white wines, Champagnes are also umami wines.

WHICH WINE TO PAIR WITH UMAMI-RICH DISHES?

Which wine should you pair with your umami-rich dishes to bring out the best in this delicious taste? It is difficult to propose THE ideal wine since umami, as a real side flavour, is often associated with salty or sweet flavours. A very umami dish as well as a very sweet dish will tend to make the wines harder, therefore more astringent, more bitter and more acidic. These same wines will therefore appear less sweet and less fruity. The burning sensation associated with alcohol is also more pronounced, which is why a wine with a lower alcohol content is preferred. In any case, food is more likely to influence the taste of wine than the other way around.

Many foods that are considered difficult to match are in fact very rich in umami. This is the case with asparagus, eggs, mushrooms and soft cheeses. Some foods with a high umami content are also very salty, which makes them easier to match. This is the case with Parmesan and Roquefort.

WHICH WHITE WINE TO PAIR WITH UMAMI?

While some wines are umami, the ideal match is not necessarily umami food with umami wine. Woody white Burgundies will seem too bitter, even unbalanced. For your umami-rich dishes, prefer light white wines. As far as white wine is concerned, the cuvées made from Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley are crisp, aromatic and generous. Their flavours are precise and frank, the freshness is sublime. Success is guaranteed with asparagus or salads made with hard-boiled eggs, foods that are so difficult to match!

Vinatis recommends a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre AOC, whose elegance and style are its main characteristics.

WHICH RED WINE TO PAIR WITH UMAMI?

As with white wines, prefer light red wines. A high alcohol content would make the pairing unpleasant. Red wines made from  Pinot Noir or Gamay are perfect for all cold cuts, dried or fermented meats and cheese platters. The Nebbiolo grape variety from Piedmont also provides a good pairing.

For your umami food and wine pairing, Vinatis suggests a cuvée from the Italian appellation Barolo DOCG. This jewel of its appellation is ready to drink. Although it has a powerful structure, the palate is full and the tannins are integrated. Perfect to accompany meat dishes or even mushrooms.