Eggs long have been a boogeyman at the table of wine. Eggs, especially runny yolk, coat the mouth in a resolute way. It isn’t that eggs spoil wine. They simply prevent it from being tasted. One solution to making wine taste better with eggs is to cook them hard, but that isn’t good on eggs.
What’s better for both egg and wine is merely to choose wines that are liquid squeegees and that cleanse away eggs’ delicious gooeyness. Light reds, sparkling (or even slightly prickly) and lean white wines, all of which sport high acidity, fill the bill.
The food: Herbie the omelet
Whisk together in a bowl 6 eggs, 2 tablespoons each milk and water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook until bottom is set, lifting edges of omelet and tilting skillet to allow eggs to flow beneath to cook, about 8 minutes. Top eggs with 1/4 cup each shredded Italian cheese blend and baby spinach, and 1 teaspoon each fresh basil, tarragon and chives, minced; fold omelet in half. Continue cooking until cheese melts and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Makes: 2 servings
The wines
2011 Santa Julia Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina: Scents of pink grapefruit, white peach and just-ripe apricot with a smidgen of bubble and zippy acidity. $10
2010 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Cuvee, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon: All the Oregons are here in this pinot: bright cherry and strawberry flavor, hints of mushroom and brown spice, and much zest and verve. $28
2009 Trimbach Riesling, Alsace, France: Alsace riesling at its most typical, all leanly focused white fruits in both aroma and flavor, with a cleansing, trap-door finish. $18
— Bill St. John, special to Tribune Newspapers
