Mussels and Riesling Wine
Saturday, July 11th, 2009Chefs will always recommend that when you use wine in your recipes, it should be a wine that you would want to drink and not just some low-priced cooking wine. The wine included in the dish that you 
are making should match the wine that you will be serving the dish with, and is often the very same wine served at the table.
Riesling is a popular wine the world over for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a hearty grape that does well even in the colder climates. The best producer of Riesling wines is Germany, but British Columbia and Ontario in Canada are fast moving up in the ranks. Riesling wines are also produced in Australia, New Zealand, Alsace, California, Washington State, Oregon and the Finger Lakes of New York.
Riesling is also known for its long cellar life. And, it is a very versatile wine to have with food due to its balance of sugar and acid content, with a relatively low acid level. Riesling wines can range from dry to extremely sweet, with all bases covered in between.
Riesling wines are almost never fermented or aged in new oak, but they are sometimes stored in large old oak barrels, which tend to stabilize the wines from Germany and Alsace. Therefore, Rieslings tend to be lighter in weight and suitable for a wider range of food types. The taste of a Riesling wine is typically characterized by a fruity, floral aroma. This full flavored wine has rich full-bodied citrus-y flavor with a fresh dry to sweet finish. The sharp acidity and sweetness in Rieslings serve as a good balance with foods that contain a high salt content, making it an ideal match with seafood.
The following is a recipe for mussels served in a broth. The dish uses a Riesling wine ingredient that would also be great with the same Riesling wine being used when serving. This rich full-bodied white wine can stand up to the spicy mustard and garlic ingredients used in making this dish.
Mussels Steamed in Wine
Ingredients:
Mussels
Riesling wine – ½ bottle or so (depending on amount of mussels)
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 TBSP grainy mustard
Loaf of French stick bread
Butter
Clove of garlic
1 pkg. baby spinach
Examine mussels and discard any that are opened or have broken or cracked shells. Clean mussels well and remove beards. Add approximately ½ bottle or so of Riesling wine to a large stock pot. Add garlic and mustard and stir to combine. Turn heat to med-high and add mussels to pot. Cover. Bring to a low boil and simmer, and steam for about 4-5 minutes until mussels shells open. Remove from heat and remove mussels from pot using tongs. Discard any mussels that have not opened. With a sharp knife remove mussels from shells and set aside.
Cut bread into slices about ½” thick. Butter slices and toast in oven (on broil) until golden. While still hot, rub garlic clove over toasted bread slices.
Bring mussel broth to a simmer again and add baby spinach. When spinach is wilted (it only takes a minute or so) add mussels back into broth to heat through.
Serve mussels and broth in a bowl with toasted garlic bread slices and a Riesling wine to complement the flavors in the dish.
