Because ham and olives are salty, they’re difficult partners for wine. The key is to choose wines that are low in alcohol, tannin and “extract” (all the stuff in red wine that coats your teeth). Salt makes wines, especially those low in acidity, taste flat or dull.
Stay away from cabernet sauvignons, zinfandels and other heavy reds. Opt for wines high in acidity — cool climate, crisp whites — or tune to the color dial and pour pink wine with pink meat, a dry rosé with lots of fresh, bracing acidity. A true Andalusian, of course, would serve dry fino or manzanilla sherry here.
The food: Andalusian ham with noodles
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add 2 cups slivered cooked ham; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, and zest and juice of 1 orange. Mix 1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in small bowl; stir into skillet. Cook until slightly thickened, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives and 1/2 cup chopped smoked almonds. Toss with 12 ounces cooked hot egg noodles; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
The wines
2010 Hess Allomi Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley: 2010 was a long cool growing season in the hills of Napa, hence this wine’s snappy acidity and citrus-y flavors. $16
2010 Tenutae Lageder Pinot Grigio Porer, Alto Adige, Italy: Not your ugly white-by-the-glass PG, but a biodynamically farmed packet of deliciousness, for its juicy texture, racy acidity and full-on mineral-ly base. $23
2010 Ameztoi Rosé Rubentis Txakoli, Spain: Super refreshing and clean; suggestions of strawberry and cranberry with bracing acidity and very low alcohol (a big plus with salty foods). $20
— Bill St. John, special to Tribune Newspapers