18 February 2019
Perfect Pairings: Moschofilero
By Andreas Kyprianou
In this column we will try to de-construct the so called 'elements' of a wine and match them with an everyday dish that we can all easily prepare in our homes.
So, Moschofilero, in its purest form, is a wine that offers a 'fresh or zingy' acidity, 'floral', 'citrus' notes, 'low-medium' alcohol, and it belongs to the light-weight wines of the world. In other words, it can be offered nicely at the beginning of a meal with a great selection of appetisers or with a light lunch on a warm spring day (hopefully they are just around the corner).
To be a bit more specific, Moschofilero is renowned for its delicate aromas and flavors of blossoms (acacia), rose petals, an array of spring citrus fruit and in some cases stone fruit.
Today we will suggest a recipe that is super easy to prepare at home, and which is easy to vary according to taste depending on what is available at home or your Sunday neighbourhood farmer's market (are they still around?)
Carpaccio of summer squash or any other zucchini variety, fresh so the rind is still tender and edible. Mediterranean herbs infused ricotta cheese, lightly roasted almonds and lemon vinaigrette.
Hints: Try to use a mandolin for thinly sliced zucchini and marinate for approx. 15-20 mins in the vinaigrette before building-up the 'salad' with the cheese and more vinaigrette on top.
Also, you can substitute ricotta with fresh Anari Cheese, Mizithra or Cottage cheese.
Want to go fancy and geeky? Try a sparkling Moschofilero and use some edible flowers and/or dehydrated yoghurt stones to balance out that delicious yeastiness.
About Andreas
Andreas Kyprianou is a Cypriot sommelier and current holder of the title of the Best Sommelier of Cyprus. He was also the first Cypriot to have passed the Advanced examination from the Court of Master Sommeliers, last step before the Master Sommelier title. He is the owner and Wine Director of Vino Cultura in Cyprus, that operates a Wine Bar, and a wine shop that imports and distributes wines in Cyprus.
Comments
Submitted on 02/18/2019 - 22:01 by Nicolas Papageorgiou
May I add that the serving temperature of the Moschofilero can contribute to the experience. In my limited experience, I have best enjoyed it when not "too cold". I would say that I got the best of it at a drinking temperature of about 10°C, maybe 12°C. In very practical terms, I would suggest to take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving (note: I live in Belgium, where the typical room temperature is about 20°C).
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