food pairing for viognier

Chicken Roasted with Oranges … Served with an Exquisite Condrieu

~ me ~ Leave a comment

Pairing: Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay Leaves, Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas, Paired with a 2015 E. Guigal Condrieu

Food: There are so many wonderful seasonings and ingredients that make a simple roast chicken even better (Is that possible?). Raising our own flock of hens year after year has given us ample opportunities to try umpteen recipes and to experiment with a vast array of flavorings. This recipe … Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay … has become a family favorite. Amanda Hesser’s singular book, The Cook and the Gardener: A Year of Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside is the source of this inspired recipe. A roasting chicken is first marinated in a combination of freshly squeezed oranges, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and the remaining orange rinds. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, basting several times in the marinade. Make a sauce out of the marinade and some rich stock (Hesser recommends duck stock). What a memorable integration of flavors! And paired with the Condrieu, it ascends to the stratosphere!

Note: Amanda Hesser is a great writer. Her book is a really good read even if you never make any of the recipes.

Roasted Chicken First Marinaded in Oranges, Rosemary and Bay. Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas.

Wine: I have said this before, but,… what the heck … I will say it again. If I have a favorite white wine, and … let’s be honest … I do … it has to be Condrieu, the appellation of the Viognier grape grown along a short stretch of the Northern Rhone River. Condrieu is the exemplar … the standard bearer … of the Viognier grape. And to think that Viognier almost completely disappeared. As recently as the 1960’s, the last vestiges of the grape were holding out on a few acres in some quiet corners of Condrieu. A resurgence occurred in the late 20th and early 21st Century as growers and winemakers responded to the growing interest from wine aficionados. Viognier is now grown all over the globe, some of the best coming from South Africa, Australia, California, and elsewhere in France (e.g., Languedoc-Roussillon).

Tasting Notes: Beautiful dark gold in color. Fragrant bouquet of ripe yellow peach, honey and orange (the blossom and the ripe fruit). The palate is light and refreshing with the gorgeous flavor of Charentais melon and honey with only the barest touch of sweetness. Very drinkable by itself (delightful actually), and pairs astonishingly well with the orange overtones to the roast chicken. “It tastes the way an orange smells!” “Gosh … this is good!!” And now … a little musical interlude … bluegrass!! … Orange Blossom Special.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Roast Chicken with Oranges: Riesling (Germany), Chardonnay (California), Semillon (Australia), Gewürztraminer (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Condrieu:  Crab Cakes, Lobster, Filet Mignon (with Citrus Hollandaise), Roast Pork with Fruit Glaze or Sauce (Mango, Peach, Orange)

Views of the Condrieu Wine Region: Condrieu

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Egg Fu Yung (with Shrimp) … A Delicious Pairing with a California Viognier

~ me ~ Leave a comment

Pairing: Egg Fu Yung (with Shrimp) Paired with a 2017 “Wild Thing” Viognier (Damiano Vineyard, Placer County)

Food:  Egg Fu Yung (Egg Foo Young) is a popular, ridiculously easy, Asian omelette made with ingredients one often uses in a basic stir fry. This version combines chopped celery, mushrooms, bean sprouts, scallion, ground fresh ginger, and small, chopped shrimp. Gently beat some eggs (two per person) and set aside. Put a little peanut oil in a hot wok or pan. Quickly stir fry the vegetables, aromatics and shrimp. Then, gently pour in the lightly beaten eggs. Without stirring, cook until lightly browned and carefully turn over long enough so that both sides are golden brown. Serve with some wilted spinach and topped with a light sauce composed of oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Interestingly enough, some people enjoy putting brown gravy on it instead.

Shrimp Fu Yung

Wine:  We most often associate Viognier with the “South of France,” the area that encompasses the extensive Languedoc-Roussillon wine region. There, Viognier is frequently blended with Roussanne and Marsanne in the making of an excellent and versatile white wine. The standard for single varietal Viognier is undoubtably Condrieu from the northern Rhone region.

With that background, let’s travel 6,000 miles west to California. Placer County is located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills wine region, one of the largest wine regions area-wise in the entire United States at 2.6 million acres. The dry, rocky, mostly infertile soils there force the roots of the grape vines to dig deep to find water and nutrients. This, in turn, produces wines of great intensity. Viognier, once near extinction with only 35 acres worldwide, today thrives in these conditions as it does in the northern Rhone Valley in southern France and now elsewhere throughout the world.

Viognier Wild Thing

Tasting Notes: The color of 14 carat gold. A complex nose of mixed tropical fruits and white flowers (notably mock orange). On the palate, one can detect mango, pineapple, and white peach. An enchanting wine by itself, and a beautiful complement to the Egg Fu Yung.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Egg Fu Yung (with Shrimp): Pinot Grigio (Italy), Verdelho (Portugal), White Burgundy (France), Riesling (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Viognier:  Curries, White Fish, Scallops, Crab, Lobster, Dishes with Cream or Butter Sauces

View the Sierra Foothills Wine Region:  Sierra Foothills

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Pan Seared Halibut Cheeks — Mind-blowing Paired with Roussanne

~ me ~ Leave a comment

Pairing: Pan-seared Halibut Cheeks with Mustard Cream Sauce Paired with 2017 Sheid Vineyards Roussanne 

Food:  OK … full disclosure … halibut cheeks are not that easy to come by (the halibut fishery is appropriately a very tightly managed fishery due to the limited stocks). So, if you can find cheeks in a fish market, they can be a bit pricy. We are fortunate to have an acquaintance who is a fisherman on Prince Edward Island, from whom we can purchase a whole fish (30+ lbs per fish). The prized parts of this delicious fish are the fleshy sides of the mouth … i.e., the cheeks. Note: A fine substitute for the halibut cheeks in this recipe, and more readily available, is sea scallops. But if you can score some halibut cheeks (or cod cheeks) … well, it’s quite a treat!

Halibut cheeks can range in size from about an inch and a half to a three to four inch oval. If you are fortunate to live near a good market, you may want to inquire as to their ability to make a special order.

To make two servings, warm 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Put about 2/3 lb of fish cheeks in a single layer and cook for one minute on one side. Turn them over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove fish to a warm plate. Turn the heat down to medium and add 1/4 cup white wine and a clove of garlic, minced, to the pan. As soon as the wine has mostly evaporated, add 2 Tbs of heavy cream, some chives, and 1 Tbs dijon mustard, stirring all the while. The cream will start to thicken so put the fish back into the sauce to warm. Serve with rice pilaf and baby beets and their greens.

Halibut Cheeks

Wine:  A couple of years back, my wife and I spent a delightful weekend in the charming coastal village of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. For wine geeks like us, we couldn’t have found a more perfect locale to sample an amazing array of wines from the Central Coast wine region. The best of the best was the Roussanne made by Scheid Vineyards.

Roussanne is most often associated with the wine regions of southern France, Cotes du Roussillon and the Rhone. In these locales, Roussanne is frequently blended with Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and/or Marsanne to make the signature white wines of these regions. California winemakers have gained worldwide respect for creating New World versions of these cherished French white wines. They also make splendid single varietal wines from each of the aforementioned grapes.

Scheid Roussanne

Tasting Notes: A pale greenish-gold color. Both the nose and the palate show cantaloupe melon, white clover, and a garden of mixed flowers. Some tangy minerality completes the picture. Wonderful! One could sip this all evening all by itself. But as a pairing wine, it is absolutely perfect served with the halibut cheeks. Can’t give too many accolades to this marriage made in heaven!

Other Wines That Pair Well with Halibut Cheeks:  Chablis (Burgundy, France), Viognier (Languedoc, France), Sancerre (Loire Valley, France), Chardonnay (California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Roussanne:  Smoked Fish, Scallops, Chicken, Risotto

View Maps and Views of Monterey Wine Region:  Monterey County Wine Regions

A Source:  www.scheidvineyards.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crab Cakes … Utter Perfection with Condrieu

~ me ~ Leave a comment

Pairing: Crab Cakes … Paired with a 2015 E. Guigal Condrieu 

Food: The crab cakes of Northern New England are not like those of the Gulf Coast or the Chesapeake.  Our’s are made from Atlantic Rock Crab or Jonah Crab — two cold water species. Maryland crab cakes are made from blue crabs harvested from Chesapeake Bay while Gulf Coast crab cakes are made from blue crabs harvested (guess where) in the Gulf of Mexico. In Florida one might use Stone Crabs, while crab dishes served on the Pacific Coast might use Red Rock Crabs or Dungeness Crab. They all have their unique flavor and ingredients and flavorings indigenous to the particular region.

The tasty meat from these rock crabs from cold northern waters are not, as is too often done, to be smothered in mayonnaise and cracker crumbs and butter.  Rather, the picked over crab meat here should be handled gently and lightly combined with a little plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, minced onion, and fresh bread crumbs, formed into patties that just hold their shape. Done this way, the delicate flavor of the crab is retained.  Todd English’s book The Olives Table is the source of this and many other fine recipes from his Boston area restaurant. His crab cake recipe is by far our favorite.

 

Crab Cakes with Condrieu

Wine:  The northern part of the Rhone Wine Region in France is home to one of the most highly regarded red wines in the world, Syrah. Hermitage and Côte Rôtie are considered the finest expression of this grape. But we are here to talk about a white wine made in the northern Rhone region that could be, among the many wonderful whites from around the world we have tasted, our very favorite … Condrieu. Condrieu is made exclusively from viognier grapes ripened along a tiny stretch of the northern Rhone River. Many believe Condrieu to be the standard by which all viognier wines should be measured. Count us among those faithful.

Condrieu

Tasting Notes:  Beautiful straw-gold color. Fragrance (like a fine perfume) of mango and honey-suckle. There’s some lovely white flowers there, too. The rich flavor of mango joins vanilla cream and peach on the palate. My lord, this wine is absolutely amazing (!!), and a perfect complement to the crab cakes that have been graced with a dollop of aioli. This is a marvelous wine for a very special occasion.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Crab Cakes:  Riesling (Alsace), Chardonnay (California), Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Cava (Spain)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Condrieu:  Lobster, Scallops (dredged in curry powder, seared quickly, then lightly covered in brown butter), Mushroom Risotto

Maps and Views of the Northern Rhone Wine Region:  northern rhone region

A Source:  www. klwines.com