2007 Chardonnay, Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard

Delft Blue Veal Sweetbreads

Guernsey Milk Ricotta Gnocchi, Pumpkin and Grimo Heartnuts

Recipe courtesy of Chris Haworth, Executive Chef from Spencer`s at the Waterfront, Burlington

Ingredients

• 1 lb Guernsey Gold ricotta
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 lb Delft Blue veal sweetbreads
• 1 lemon
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup Château des Charmes Chardonnay, Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 oz grated Niagara Gold cheese
• 1/4 cups Red Fife wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ½ cup Grimo heartnuts

Method

Simmer sweetbreads, lemon, bay leaves, Chardonnay and broth for 30 minutes. Take out the sweetbreads and allow to cool down before slicing. Stir together ricotta, eggs, 1 cup Niagara Gold cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add both the flours, stirring to form soft, wet dough. Shape dough on a well-floured surface with lightly floured hands into 2 (1-inch-thick) ropes. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces with a lightly floured knife. Put in 1 layer on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut into 1” gnocchi.

Cook gnocchi in 2 batches in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water), adding a few at a time to pot and stirring occasionally, until cooked through (cut one in half to check), 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain in colander.

Meanwhile, heat butter with rosemary in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Slice the sweetbreads and sauté in butter for 2 minutes per side or until both sides are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove sweetbreads and add gnocchi and heartnuts to sauté for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Assemble

Place a little warmed pumpkin puree in serving dish and place gnocchi and nuts on top. Place several slices of sweetbreads on top of the gnocchi and decorate with shaved Niagara Gold cheese.

Being an East-Coaster I’m always looking for the perfect lobster wine. This is it. Enough said.

“Full-bodied, fully flavoured and fleshy, this is one beautiful Chardonnay that’s structured and elegant. The spice-infused nose of ripe orchard fruit and sweet vanilla gives way to a persistent and balanced rush of flavour with green apple, ripe pear and lemony citrus to the fore. It’s fully textured delivering a lengthy balanced refreshing aftertaste. It’s worth more than the asking price. 5 / 5 stars.”

– Vic Harradine, WineCurrent.com, May 2011

"This is a big, full, flavour-packed example from the Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard, which really highlights the unusually warm growing conditions of 2007. It has a new world style richness and fatness, with an oily but not cloying texture and long finish. A premium wine and a very fair price that drinks like many west coast chardonnays at twice the price. 92 pts.”

– John Szabo’s Top 50 Ontario Picks, Top 20 White Wines, Ontario Wine Report, 2009