December Club Release and Food Pairing

December Wine Club Release and Food Pairing

Herb-Filled Lamb and Pork Meatballs paired with 2021 Tannat

and Goat Cheese Crisps with Mushroom Ragout paired with the 2022 Petite Sirah

The December club release featured two of our heavier-bodied varietals: Tannat and Petite Sirah. Perfect for chilly nights, these wines are ideal to be sipped fire-side. The stronger the flavor of the wine, the more flavor it can match for a food pairing!

 

Herb-Filled Lamb and Pork Meatballs

The varietal Tannat is originally from the French Basque region which is also known for a long tradition of sheep herding, which is why we always love to pair the Tannat with lamb! For this recipe we combined ground lamb with ground pork, enhancing the lamb flavor with a rich fattiness from the pork. The other key to this pairing is the preposterous number of herbs stuffed into this recipe! The explosion of flavors would be enough to overwhelm a lesser wine, but the rich, complex Tannat matches it flavor for flavor.

Ingredients:

Meatball Mixture:

• 10 oz lean ground lamb
• 5 oz ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1 shallot
• 5 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup parsley
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp pepper

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 bottle of your favorite marinara sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup diced onion
• ¼ cup fresh tomatoes
• ¼ cup parsley
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Ricotta Cheese

Directions:

1. Toast cumin powder in a pan for a few minutes until fragrant
2. With a  fork, mix together cumin, egg, diced shallot, minced garlic, olive oil, mustard, and herbs and spices. Add ground lamb and pork and mix until blended; be careful not to overmix.
3. Form golf ball sized meatballs and fry in a small amount of olive oil on a skillet, a few minutes on each side.
4. Remove from heat and sauté some onions and garlic in the same pan over medium-high heat
5. Add the spices for the tomato sauce to the pan, then add marinara once everything has become fragrant.
6. Add meatballs back into the tomato sauce mixture and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh tomatoes and parsley.
7. Add ricotta cheese to the pan and serve hot! We served ours with a toasted baguette but you can also serve over pasta or enjoy it on its own.

 

Goat Cheese Crisps with Mushroom Ragout

The release of the new 2022 Petite Sirah was long-anticipated and it did not disappoint! Rich and warming, with notes of spiced brandy, black pepper, blueberry and cocoa, this wine is defined by a depth of flavor. The tannins on this vintage are rounded and smooth, giving the wine body and structure without the intensity of texture that can sometimes detract from the flavors of the wine. This is another wine that deserved rich flavors and likes the sharpness of goat cheese combined with the umami of mushrooms. The original recipe did not call for the goat cheese spread on top of the crisps. However we found that it was too mild a flavor for the petite sirah without the added goat cheese. The lesson learned: when in doubt on this petite sirah, more flavor is better!

Ingredients:

For the crisps:

• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 5 oz fresh goat cheese, room temp
• 3 tbsp crème fraiche or sour cream
• Salt

For the ragout:

• 1 lb fresh mushrooms: cremini, oyster, shiitake, and/or white button
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp wine of your choice (we chose petite sirah)
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg white

For the spread:

• 3 oz goat cheese
• Fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

 

Instructions:

For the crisps:

1. Combine flor, butter, goat cheese, crème fraiche and 1 tsp salt in a food processor. Process until crumbly.
2. Turn out onto a board and work together with your hands to form a log about 8 inches long and 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the log into ¼ in rounds and place on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Lightly beat egg white with a pinch of salt, then brush onto cheese crisps.
5. Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes and let cool.

For the Ragout:

1. Cut all the mushrooms into ¼ in pieces.
2. In a large frying pan melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and cook until softened and almost dry, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute
5. Pour in wine and simmer until completely reduced, about 2 minutes
6. Stir in cream and ½ tsp salt, then remove from heat. Add a pinch of pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Cover to keep warm

For the spread:

1. Combine goat cheese with dill, salt and pepper to tast

Transfer the warm crips onto a platter. Spread with a thick layer of goat cheese mixture, then top with a spoonful of warm ragout. Garnish with fresh dill and serve!