Wine and food pairings 18: Everyday split pea soup

The Wine Curmudgeon pairs wine with some of his favorite recipes in this occasional feature. This edition: three wines with a simple, every day split pea soup

No, I didn't take this picture, either, but that's the way the soup is supposed to took.

The Wine Curmudgeon has fond memories of the Campbell's split pea soup of his youth. If nothing else, most of the versions I've made since then haven't been much better -- until this one.

That's because I discovered simplicity. The only meat is some bacon, pan fried at the beginning and then added back at the end to lend a little more oomph. The other thing I learned? That not all packaged, dried split peas are created equal -- the older they are, the longer they take to cook. If they're very old, a 20- or 30- minute cooking time can take an hour. So put the soup on early and let it cook until the peas fall apart. The difference is amazing.,

Click here to download or print a copy of the recipe. The wines to go with this kind of soup are an eclectic mix:

• Herdade do Rocim Mariana Branco 2020 ($14, sample, 12.5%): This Portuguese white blend is made in a more traditional style, so it's going to be heavier in the mouth -- which is perfect here. Look for some stone fruit and big finish. Imported by Shiverick Imports

• Sallier de la Tour Nero d'Avola 2020 ($13, purchased, 13%): Rustic, more old fashioned nero from Sicily. That means less fruity (barely ripe dark berries?), more earthy, and the tannins are very pronounced. Needs food -- which is what it's doing here. Imported by Dalla Terra

• Le Coeur de la Reine 2021 ($15, purchased, 12%): This vintage of the 2020 Turner award cheap wine isn't as impressive (and the price went up 25 percent). Still, gamay from the Loire, with its tart-ish berry fruit, is a fine pairing with the soup. Imported by Valkyrie Selections

Blog associate editor Churro contributed to this post.

More about wine and food pairings:
• Wine and food pairings 17: Pan Bagna
• Wine and food pairings 16: Couscous mushroom sort of risotto
• Wine and food pairings 15: Southwestern-style stew with guacamole and pico de gallo