This is part of my March series on women in wine. Read my invitation to the #WinePW Festa delle Donne.
There are some people who like to go out on holidays, including Valentines' Day, and have someone else pamper them. I am one of those who loves to cook for myself. So, for our Valentines' evening, I whipped up a loved up dinner for Jacob and R, I paired it with two bottles from Nicole Walsh.
Nicole Walsh and Her Bubbles
I have written about Nicole Walsh before. You can read about a vermouth cocktail she shared with me and more about her in The Effervescent Nicole Walsh Dishes On Ser And Being a Woman (in Wine) & Sparkling Rosé of Nebbiolo + Fusion Street Tacos.
When I last met up with her to get some of her wines, we chatted briefly about what she has been doing. One of the things that stuck with me was her recent collaboration with Maker. Though none of the cans have her name on them, as of October 2024, her (canned) Brut Bubbles are available on every single domestic flight with United Airlines. Other cans - Rosé of Grenache, Dry Sparkling Riesling, Cabernet Pfeffer, and Bubbly Red - are available through the Maker website.
2022 Sparkling Grüner Veltliner
One of the bottles she brought me was her 2022 Sparkling Grüner Veltliner. I poured it with our Valentines' celebration. Grüner Veltliner is a grape that is most commonly known in Austria, producing lean, spicy, and herbaceous wines with mouth-puckering acidity. The grapes for this single varietal come from the Mesa Del Rio Vineyard located on the Western side of the Salinas Valley at the foot of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Nicole produces this in a traditional methode champenoise with a secondary fermentation on the lees in the bottle for a year and a half.
The wine poured a bright straw color with a big frothy cap. On the nose, warm aromas of brioche and vanilla mix with the brightness of citrus rind. On the palate the wine is beautifully balanced which lent to its versatility in matching everything from roasted beets to roasted lobster and seared ahi to roasted steak.
On the Platters
Because this was a celebratory feast, I served several different foods to honor love and passion.
Click to read my process for Seared Ahi.
Click to read my process for Roasted Lobster.
For this dinner, I definitely used my heart cookie cutters in making my salad and roasted beets.
Ingredients
4 red beets
olive oil
freshly ground salt
freshly ground pepper
fennel pollen, optional
Also needed: heart cutters, if using
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub and trim the beets, then roll them in olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Lay them on a baking sheet. Roast until they are fork tender. It depends on the size of the beet, but it usually takes about an hour.
Once they are cool enough to handle, rub off the skin, and slice into thick slices. If you are using a heart cutter, cut into shapes. Reserve the rest of the beets for smaller chopped bits in a salad. Place them on a serving platter. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and fennel pollen, if using. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve at room temperature.
I already mentioned that I used my heart cutters on my salad to slice jicama hearts that added a crispy freshness to a salad that also featured radishes and fresh raspberries. I tossed it with a homemade Caesar because I love the salty anchovies with the tartness of the lemons.
Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup olive oil
4 anchovies, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Place anchovies in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg until creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until well combined and emulsified. Fold in the mashed anchovies and add in the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice until well-combined. Fold in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, as needed.
I dress my salads sparingly. But if you prefer a heavier hand, this dressing is delicious!
That's a wrap for Celebrating So Much Love with Nicole Walsh's 2022 Sparkling Grüner Veltliner from Ser Winery. Stay tuned for all of the writers' posts about women in wine to go live this weekend.
Comments