Wonderful Christmas Wine

Christmas season is upon us and  we just could not resist its cheer! Let’s turn those pumpkins into pies, give the turkeys across America a breather and more importantly give in to the sweet calling of our most beloved Christmas tunes (looking at you Mariah). What better way to do that then to step in the kitchen, with blasting music on obviously, and try out our recipes with their best partners in crime : our Bordeaux wines!   To start things off nice and slow : instead of your regular bacon wraps, we wanted to go a different route, and a tasty option for both vegans and meat-eaters. We’ve named : Crispy roasted chickpeas. You’ll see, it’s quick and easy, just follow our lead! The ingredients you’ll need:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of garlic salt (or flakes)
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper

The steps to follow:

• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
• Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Then pat them dry. Discard any loose skins also.
• Add the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet on a baking tray and bask them in olive oil and salt. You then spread them around the baking tray.
• Roast for 20 minutes until crispy.
• Remove from the oven and toss them around with your favourite spices (we like garlic but you do you!)

  Sweet snack isn’t it? But it will be even better with a sweet wine! Let us explain… Bordeaux whites may only account for 10% of Bordeaux’s wine production, but they are very famous, especially for the rich golden-hued sweet white wines. Drink them for your apéritif as is very chilled or try out one of our cocktails by following this link. Shop our sweet wines here:

          You have company which isn’t into fish or meat but will eat a casserole with eggs? We’ve got your back as well! This time, we’ll travel far far away, to Israel to be exact. So get ready for this super tasty dish, full of flavours. We named the Shakshuka. We can’t go abroad this year, but we can take your taste buds anywhere! To travel you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
• 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, plus addition cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 to 6 large eggs
• ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)
• Crusty bread or pita, for serving

This way to get on board:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Add oil in a skillet (steel if possible); then cook the onion and bell pepper with salt (for about 5 minutes).
• Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes (for 2 minutes).
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add in the cilantro. Stir until it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes to give the flavours time to set in.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Make little wells along the edge and crack eggs directly into them. With a spoon, gently add a little tomato mixture over the whites to “contain” the eggs.Repeat with around 5 eggs; depending on how much space you have.
• Then transfer the skillet to your oven and bake for around 10 minutes, be extra cautious as you reach the bar of 8 minutes. The eggs are done once the whites are opaque and the yolks are still soft.
• Take the skillet out of the oven and top your dish with crumbled feta, cilantro and red and red pepper flakes for extra spice!
• Serve that dish in large bowls with a little garlic bread on the side.

  The saltiness of this dish will go wonderfully well with a Bordeaux red blend. Hear us out!  Explore the world of our Bordeaux red wines and discover your perfect match! Fruity, young, oaky, ready to drink, or more tannic,  or which will have already aged a few years… The possibilities are endless! All you have to do? Make your choice and check back with us on your way back from this tasty journey! Shop our red blends here :

          Now that things are heating up in the kitchen : let’s get started with the main course. You might not know this, but here in Bordeaux : we just love diversity! Whether it be of our lands, our people and more importantly our colours!  We know that most people think Bordeaux = red, but Bordeaux also includes white, rosé and sparkling. So what better way to show you this then figure out the perfect pairing with white wine? You want it? We got it! How does lemon garlic butter salmon with zucchini noodles sound? Ingredients!:

• 1 salmon fillet, cut in 3 or 4 chunks
• 4 zucchini spiralized
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 – 4 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon red crushed chili pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (Sriracha anyone?)
• Fresh chopped scallion, for garnish

Directions!:

• Season your salmon fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Add them in a large skillet over medium with butter and cook them 2-4 minutes on each side then set them aside.
• In the same skillet, add your butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, minced garlic, half the parsley and red pepper flakes (remember : optional for hotness!)
• Then add the zucchini noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes (don’t overcook them). Add extra seasoning such as salt or pepper and half of your leftover parsley.
• Plate your zucchini noodles and reheat your salmon for a few minutes. Serve immediately with chopped scallion on top.

  A white Bordeaux blend will go nicely with this fish dish. Our fruity dry white wines are surprisingly fresh, with explosive Sauvignon aromas underlined by the aromatic persistence of the Sémillon or Muscadelle. Most of Bordeaux’s dry white wines are consumed young, such as styles from the Entre-deux-Mers region, whereas wines from Pessac-Léognan, are sought after for their complexity and strength, as well as aging potential. Will you be tempted by this light gold in a glass?  Shop our white blends here :

          Last but not least, we wanted to leave you on a sweet note. But the usual Gremlins style Christmas cookie (sigh!), or the traditional pecan pie. Although those are two terrific options that we cannot wait to get our hands on very soon : today, we are going for Christmas muffins aka Pumpkin bread. Intriguing ain’t it? To be paired with a white sparkling aka a Crémant de Bordeaux of course! Here are the necessary ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups of sifted all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ⅓ cups sugar
• ⅓ cup of margarine (or butter, we are French after all!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of cooked or canned pumpkin
• ⅓ cup of water or milk
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of coarsely chopped nuts
• ⅓ cup of raisins or chopped dates or fresh cranberries (our fave!)

And here is how you do it:

• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Sift together the first 6 ingredients.
• In a large bowl, beat until light and fluffy; the sugar, butter and eggs. Add the pumpkin and beat in.
• Now add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the milk and vanilla.
• Be careful to not overbeat between each addition. Fold in the nuts and nuts or berries.
• Add your mix to the liners and stick them in the oven for around 25 minutes.

  A sparkling white wine will go beautifully with the tangy flavours of the cranberries. The Sauvignon Blanc’s citric notes will underline perfectly the pumpkin and spice mix. Fine examples of Crémant de Bordeaux are known for their tight, persistent bubbles, understandably lauded as a signature of all methode traditionelle wines. Sparkling wines made with other techniques such as the Charmat process–in which secondary fermentation takes place not in the bottle but in a large, closed pressure tank–do not exhibit the same quality of effervescence. A real delight for the end of the “most wonderful night of the year”! Until next year for more audacious food pairings! Shop our sparkling wines here :