Pea and mint soup

Pea and mint soup

Assuming a smooth soup of fresh or frozen peas with mint, sometimes finished with cream or crème fraîche.

Pea and mint soup is sweet, green and fresh, with a cool lift from the mint. It wants a crisp white with a green, herbal character to mirror the peas and mint, and enough acidity for any cream. Oak and red wine tannin clash with the fresh green flavours.

Pairs Perfectly. Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire, France. Gooseberry, green pepper and fresh herbs on crisp acidity, a mirror for sweet peas and mint, and easy to find.

Pairs Well. Grüner Veltliner, Austria, dry, in a light, peppery style. Green apple, white pepper and a vegetal edge that sits naturally with peas.

Pairs Well. Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy. Lemon, fennel and wild herbs with a salty finish, fresh against mint and cream.

Worth Seeking Out

Welschriesling from Styria, Austria, dry. Green apple and a grassy, herbal snap on high acidity, a light white for a green soup.

Avoid

Oaked whites and reds. Oak smothers the fresh flavours and tannin turns bitter against green vegetables.

Failing That

A Verdejo, Rueda, Spain.

If All Else Fails

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough.

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