(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
The autumn season is not only for red wines, there are some amazing whites that refresh even on breezy evenings.
There is just something wonderful of pairing seasonal roasted veggies with an oaky yet crisp Chardonnay.
This new recipe introduces a new winery…Cakebread Cellars.
(Photo courtesy of Cakebread Cellars)
Family owned and operated since 1973, Cakebread Cellars is a top-tier winery consisting of 15 sites totaling 560 vineyard acres in Carneros, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Anderson Valley and other prime locations in Napa.
They are committed to sustainable production in both vineyard and winery.
I had been waiting to try a new wine I received from my friends at Kobrand Wine and Spirits with a dish is noticed by the flavors of fall.
Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Roasted bacon-sage-sugar acorn squash with Grana Padano cheese.
Wine pairing: 2020 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay (Napa Valley, California)
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 large acorn squashes (cut in half & seeded)
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of chopped cooked/crispy bacon
1 tablespoon of fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano cheese
Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place butter, brown sugar, cardamom, sage and bacon in a small pot and cook over low heat. Stir until butter is melted.
Place acorn squashes flesh side up on sheets of foil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add generous amount of bacon mixture into each acorn squash and top with cheese.
Cover entire acorn squashes with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve it up!
This is dish is meant to be served hot and displayed as is.
Just place two pieces of acorn squash on either a flat dish or a large bowl.
Optional garnish: extra grated cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
Bon appetit! Enjoy!
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
About the wine…
Over 40 years ago, Cakebread released its' very first wine: a 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay, and have been fine-tuning it ever since.
Grapes for this wine come from the world-famous Carneros appellation in southern Napa Valley. This region sits just north of San Pablo Bay, whose influence provides the cool, windswept conditions that produce Chardonnay with ideal balance between fruit characters and acidity.
Soils there are predominantly Haire Loam, a light clay that helps grapevines naturally regulate vigor for fruit of intense concentration.
Cakebread Cellars harvested the grapes by night in small batches, and they press it directly into tank as whole clusters. The grape juice is then transferred into French oak barrels to ferment.
In order to achieve maximum fruit expression, the wine is aged on its yeast lees for eight months with intermittent stirring to enhance texture and boost complexity.
2020 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
(Napa Valley, California)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes: Aromas of ripe golden apple, white peach, and light oak.
On the palate, apple and pear characteristics are balanced by fresh acidity, and the finish is clean, with appealing hints of apple and lemon intermingling with notes of minerality.
Grapes:
100% Chardonnay
Alcohol:
14.1%
Food pairing: Delicious with chicken, shellfish, seafood and grilled salads.
Accolades:
91 Points
James Suckling
91 Points
Ken’s Wine Guide.com
For more information, visit:
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Special thanks to my friends at Kobrand Wine and Spirits for this delightful wine pairing collaboration.
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Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo courtesy of Cakebread Cellars)