The Avengers & Wine
Whatever you are up to – I hope you see wine in a whole new superhero light – and I look forward to hearing what your ideal Avenger wine combo would be!
And yes. There’s an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man. And a pairing for each.
ANT MAN: VERSATILE, CEREBRAL, UNDERRATED
Wine: Riesling
This grape can go from being bone dry to honeyed manna from the Gods. It ages beautifully, is so food friendly and yet only wine nerds seem to appreciate it. Sigh.
THOR: OBVIOUS, POWERFUL, WEATHER MANIPULATOR
Wine: Port
This rich and robust wine came about due to people wanting to fortify alcohol in order for it to travel at sea and weather the weather! It is completely unmistakable!
BLACK WIDOW – SMOLDERING, FEMME FATALE, DODGY PAST
Wine: Barolo
Ageworthy, layered and haunting – this wine is often compared to the smell of tar and rose. This dissonance reminds us that the best is not always sweetness and light. The best Barolo producers go against the grain and the politics are almost as brutal as Thanos’ reign.
CAPTAIN AMERICA – CLASSIC, SUAVE, TRUSTWORTHY
A baby boomer favorite – this tipple is powerful, slick and dependable. You couldn’t get more ‘murican than a Cali Cab and you couldn’t get more premium than Napa!
HULK – SCHIZOPHRENIC, BOLD, HYBRID
Wine: Orange Wine
Orange wine is created by leaving the skins and the seeds of the grapes in contact with the juice therefore creating an amber hue. It is essentially a quirky changeling in the wine world – capable of the boldest flavors to the most nuanced and singular.
SPIDER-MAN – YOUNG, SELF MADE, MISUNDERSTOOD
Wine: Natural Wine
Wine which is meant to have no additives, minimal intervention and yet there are no regulations for it. Not meant for aging; it can be nuanced, edgy and nimble or it can just be too out there for the traditionalists.
IRONMAN – TECHIE, WISE GUY, PLAYBOY
Wine: Stainless Steel Chardonnay
You want to hate it. Anything but Chardonnay right?! However, made in the latest technology, this well put together wine is faultless and classy. It probably also has a really cool label which interacts with your iPhone too.
THANOS – TITAN, AMORAL, CRUSADER
Wine: Buckfast
A wine made by monks in the UK which is fortified up to 18% alcohol and contains 8 times the amount of caffeine as one can of coke. This liquid may not be endowed with the power of an abstract entity but the combo of wine and alcohol is pretty potent. Buckfast and its correlation to Scottish crime is a thing!
This is just a few to get you going but what would your ideal pairings be?
Suggestions for Black Panther? The Scarlet Witch? Dr Strange??!!
Cheers,
Amelia Singer
**Images courtesy of Disney and Marvel