2009 Aligoté, Estate Bottled

Baked Comfort Cream Cheese en Croute

Pear Aligoté Gastrique and Pear Fennel Slaw

Recipe Courtesy of Anne Yarymowich, Executive Chef of FRANK Restaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

Serves 6 

Pear Aligoté Gastrique

• 2 ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups of Château des Charmes Aligoté
• 1 cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of cider vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Combine all liquid ingredients. Add pears, bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until pears are tender and soft (about 15 minutes – depending on ripeness). When pears are fully cooked, pureé all in a blender or food processor, pass through a fine sieve and return to the pot. Over Medium heat simmer to reduce by one third or until slightly thickened and golden in colour.

Pear Fennel Slaw

• 2 cups of Napa cabbage, sliced into thin chiffonade
• 1 Bartlet pear, thin julienne
• ¼ of a fennel bulb, thin julienne
• Fennel fronds, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp of Lemon zest
• 1 lemon, juice of
• ½ cup of cold pressed extra virgin canola oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of Pear Aligoté Gastrique

In a medium bowl, combine sliced cabbage, pear, fennel and fronds. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon zest, juice, oil, salt and gastrique. Dress the cabbage, pear and fennel with the dressing. Refrigerate for up to a half hour

Baked Cheese en Croute

• 1 sheet puff pastry (commercially prepared or home made)
• Cut into six 4” diameter rounds
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 wheel Upper Canada Cheese Company “Comfort Cream” cut into 6 wedges

Place wedge of cheese in the centre of each pastry round. Brush edges of pastry with beaten egg. Fold edges of pastry over the cheese wedge, sealing and pressing edges together to tightly encase the wedge of cheese in a pastry parcel. Place each parcel on a baking sheet lined with parchment, with the seams on the underside. Brush top and sides with the beaten egg. Bake in 400°F oven for 10 – 15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Assemble

Spoon 2 table spoons of the gastrique on to each of six salad plates. Arrange a ½ cup of slaw beside each pool of gastrique. Place a baked parcel of cheese on top of the gastrique. Garnish with a fennel frond and serve immediately with a chilled glass of Chateau des Charmes Aligoté.

I love our Aligoté any time but especially on a hot summer day. Imagine your favourite patio, a fresh green salad topped with grilled shrimp and a glass of crisp refreshing Aligoté on the side. A perfect lunch. For a more hearty meal, Aligoté is the first wine I reach for when cooking risotto. Not only is it the perfect wine to cook off the rice but it is delicious to sip while waiting for the risotto to cook.

Canadian Wine Awards, 2011 – Bronze

Ontario Wine Awards, 2011 – Bronze

San Francisco International Wine Competition, 2011– Bronze

“Ah, this is fun! Some of you may recognize Aligoté as the white grape variety that plays second-fiddle to Chardonnay in France’s Burgundy region.  This early ripening grape does well in cool climates and thus Canada’s Niagara peninsula is ideal for the production of a clean-lined Aligoté with vibrant acidity and refreshing lemon and pear flavours. The finish has a pronounced herbal spice element combined with a chalky dryness. Sip it solo or try with a cream-based soup for lunch this weekend.”

– Tyler Philp, Wine for the Weekend, northof9selections.blogspot.com, February, 2012

“This crisp and refreshing beauty delivers a generously textured mouthful of green apple and lemon sherbet interlaced with the aromas of mineral and nashi pear. It’s excellent value, versatile and delightful—pour as an aperitif, a patio/balcony sipper or pair with steamed mussels or lemon sole. 4 stars / 5.”

– Vic Harradine, WineCurrent.com, June, 2011