2007 Cabernet-Merlot, Estate Bottled

Cabernet-Merlot Braised Short Rib Daube 

Glazed Baby Carrots, Sunchoke Purée

Recipe courtesy of Matt Kantor, Executive Chef of The Little Kitchen, Toronto

Short Rib Daube

• 2 lbs Whispering Meadows Farm short ribs, bone in 
• 2 cup Château des Charmes Cabernet-Merlot, Estate Bottled
• 4 strips smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• Salt and Pepper, as needed
• 12 cups veal stock, chicken stock or water
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf

Method

1. Portion the short ribs by cutting them into pieces so that each portion contains one bone. Put the short ribs in a large ziplock bag with the wine (you may have to split them across several bags).  Seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Remove the short ribs from the bags and pat dry. Save the wine marinade for the next steps.

3. Preheat your oven at 350°F.

4. In a pot large enough to easily hold the short ribs, heat on medium high heat. Add the bacon and stir, rendering the fat off the bacon.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue to render. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.

5. Add the vegetables and sauté until brown. Remove and add the onions.

6. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper liberally.  

7. When the oil is hot and shimmering, place the meat into the oil and brown on as many sides as possible. Remove the meat, drain the oil and wipe the pan out with a towel (you may want to let it cool).  Repeat until all the short ribs are browned.

8. Add the wine to the pot and return all of the other ingredients. Add enough stock (or water) to just cover the meat. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

9. Bring the pot to a light boil. Place the pot in the oven for 2½hours. 

10. Remove the pot from the oven. Skim any foam off the top of the liquid using a spoon or ladle.

11. Check the meat for doneness — it should flake apart if poked with a fork. If the meat is still tough, return to the oven for another hour.

Sunchoke Purée

• 250 g sunchokes
• 250 g Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 quarts milk
• 4 tbs unsalted butter 
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

Put the milk into a large pot. Peel the sunchokes and place into the milk. Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and place into the milk. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes until the sunchokes are soft and not starchy. Strain out the potatoes and sunchokes and reserve the milk. Mash the potatoes and sunchokes. If you have a potato ricer, push the solids through this to help smooth out the mixture. Gradually add milk back in, stirring, until you reach a smooth consistency. It should retain it’s shape. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Reserve for later in a covered container.

Glazed Carrots

• 12 baby carrots
• ¼ cup Château des Charmes Riesling, Estate Bottled
• ¼ apple juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp butter 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste

Method

Wash and peel the carrots, and trim the tops. In a large sauce pan, add the butter, wine, sugar, apple juice and cumin seeds. Bring to a boil. Add the carrots, and simmer, making sure the carrots are turned periodically to cook evenly. You should be reducing the sauce to a glaze like consistency over a 5 minute period. Once the sauce is reduced, salt to taste.

Assemble

Bring and the meat and its braising liquid to a simmer by placing into the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. On low heat, re-heat the sunchoke purée, stirring periodically to keep from sticking. Spoon some of the warm puree onto the plate. Place the meat on top of the puree. Spoon carrots on top of the meat. Pour some of the meat’s braising liquid over the dish and serve.

This is an easy pick for an everyday red. It pairs well with spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and BBQ hamburgers.

“There’s not much affordable wine left from Niagara’s outstanding 2007 harvest. For the money, this medium-bodied red represents the vintage well. Sweet plum and cassis find a counterpoint in a nuance of pipe tobacco. I wouldn’t age it much longer. It’s ready to drink with steak. 88 pts. Very good”

– Beppi Crosariol, The Globe & Mail, October, 2011

“Charred toast, underbrush and spice aromas presage a juicy, tangy rush of red cherry and cranberry interwoven with savoury herbs that bathe the palate. It’s mid weight with good texture and a lip-smacking finish underpinned by supple tannin. There’s good moderating acidity throughout making it a versatile food partner with meat-laden pizza, gourmet sausage or pasta in tomato-based sauce. 3.5 stars/5.”

– Vic Harradine, WineCurrent.com, October, 2011

 “Château des Charmes ages its reds longer than most, making this 2007 the current release. Barrel aging has imparted a complex bouquet of strawberry and raspberry, with piquant green herbs, tobacco and leather. It’s sturdy and tannic, with good length. Best 2009 to 2012. 4/5.”

–  WineAlign.com, September, 2011

 “This is a very impressive, complex rich wine for $12.95. It has ripe cran-raspberry fruit with some warmth, chocolate, dried herbs/spinach...has good structure and length. Very Bordelais with tobacco, leather and earth. Best 2012 to 2016. A cellar bargain. Very good+.”

–  David Lawrason, WinerytoHome.com Wine of the Month, August, 2011