The Perfect Pairing The True Intention of a Doughnut!
You cannot find a doughnut on Newfoundland’s Fogo Island anymore. It must be smuggled onto the ferry and carted in from the nearest airport. The jams of Fogo Island, where I am located, can be suspicious to strangers because of how little sugar they contain. Yet they are bubbling with tradition because sugar here could only be afforded by salt fish merchants, for cen- turies. Disclosure, I believe our discoveries with food and wine accede to the ingredients of our own back- yards. Consider that the strawberries on the frostline by the Atlantic are a quarter of the world away from the fields in the Okanagan. Proibida ‘Raspberries are safe, but this pairing softly asks for a less sweet, more elegant preparation. If you can: de- hydrate the raspberries until they’re crunchy and then top it with little raspberry meringues, not forgetting vanilla. If you can’t, spoon globs of raspberry jam in the doughnut and, you should know, this wine is more delicate, lighter, and it won’t be as comprehensive with a dense jam. It’s made from the Volcanic Island of Pico in Portugal from the Isabella grape, which was excluded somehow in European wine law. Wine ex- perts say it doesn’t have the shape to belong in their sprinkle of wine grapes. Instead, they call it Fox Grape. António Maçanita cleverly calls this wine “Proibida,” and it tastes like wild strawberry bubblegum. It is dry and that’s exactly what we want because we can showcase the sour varietal fruit, letting the doughnut double-down on sour until all that’s left is tang and vanilla and a watering mouth. Le Mont A honey cruller, upon reflection, may be the doughnut whispering most to the possibility of a wine. For me, it’s Domaine Huet Demi-Sec Vouvray “Le Mont” from the Loire Valley, which evokes imagery of ferment- ed honey, stone fruit preserve, and rain-dampened rock. You could do it, but it’s a rare find for a dough- nut, and the alternatives of Demi-Sec Champagne or Premier Cru Barsac are in no way less regal. This may be the only way to enjoy a doughnut in the palace of Versailles or even Buckingham, with a little doughnut knife and fork to whittle through the layers.
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