My wife and I enjoy steamed artichokes every now and then.  There’s something fun about dipping the leaves in sauces and dips ranging from a seasoned butter to a creamy, Cajun dip.  The choices are endless.  On the other hand, wine pairing choices are not quite as endless and in fact take a little finesse and experimentation.  Nonetheless, there are wine pairings which work quite well.

Artichokes tend to have a slight bitter yet pleasant taste, mostly due to the plant chemical cynarin, found in the highest concentration in the green leaves of the plant.  Interestingly enough, research scientists have noted that cynarin and additional plant chemicals lower body cholesterol.  Artichokes contain a multitude of acids, amongst them caffeic, caffeoylquinic, chlorogenic, ferulic, glyceric, glycolic, lauric, linolenic, myristic, neochlorogenic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic.  It is a wonder, then, that some people detect some acidity in the leaves? 

Many feel that artichokes don’t work with wine due its chemicals enhancing the sweetness of any accompanying wine.  If that’s been your experience, simply shift the sweet balance of any wine that you choose.  So, for example if you’re fixed on an Alsatian Spatlese, you might want to go with a drier version or a dry Kabinett.  And if the wine is exceedingly dry and hard to enjoy solo, pairing it with an artichoke will reduce that edge.