Pairing:  Pan-Fried Trout Paired with a 2006 Baumard Savenniéres

Food:  Close your eyes … you can just smell the woodsmoke and hear the crackle of the open campfire as you fry up your fresh catch of trout from nearby in the famed waters of the Yellow Breeches. I can dream, can’t I? Alas, the trout for this meal was bought at the local fish market (sigh). But this is a favorite meal of ours, and ridiculously easy and fast. Pan fry some trout filets with some butter slowly in a heavy skillet. When the trout is just about cooked through, throw in a handful of toasted hazelnuts with a little more butter, if needed roll the hazelnuts around in the butter, and serve the trout with pearl couscous (also called Israeli Couscous) cooked in fish stock (perhaps made with the heads and bones of the trout). Lovely fresh green broccoli provides the final piece for this perfect meal. Enjoy!

Wine:  Speaking of perfection … the wine we’ve chosen to pair with the trout, a Baumard Savennières, is absolutely out of this world. Savennières is a tiny village in the western part of the  Loire Valley, an extensive wine region south and southwest of Paris. It is made from the Chenin Blanc grape, which is also the grape of another Loire Valley wine, Vouvray.  The grape is believed to have originated in the Anjou area of Loire dating as far back as the 9th Century (though the name Chenin Blanc was first documented in the 16th Century). The point is that it is a very old variety and first appeared in this part of the world. And for our purposes Savennières is the perfect accompaniment for the trout.

Tasting Notes:  A lovely color of straw with some greenish tints. Aromas of ripe melon and fragrant apple blossoms tickle your nose. On the palate, a medley of tropical fruits provide a delightful consortium of flavors. Its like a delicate bowl of fruits with just a hint of sweetness. The depth of the wine … this 2006 has aged over eleven years …  yields an extraordinary complexity and ripeness. And the wine complements and brings out the buttery flavors of the trout and hazelnuts. This is without a doubt the best wine from the Loire Valley we have ever tasted. I hope our readers will get a chance to enjoy it.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Pan-Fried Trout: Riesling (Alsace), Chenin Blanc (South Africa), Pouilly-Fumé (Loire Valley), Prosecco (Italy), Chardonnay (Western Australia)

Other Foods That Pair Well with Savennieres:  Shellfish (Mussels, Clams, Scallops, etc). Crab, Lobster, White Fish, Apple Dishes

Read About:  https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-savennieres

A Source:  www.wine.com