2 tbs salted butter
2 Fowler Nursery* Asian pears, diced small
6 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 heaping tbs honey
1 small individual wheel of camembert**
1 pkg of refrigerator crescent rolls
Handful of walnuts

Remove crescent rolls from can and spread out on a lightly greased pie dish. Place cheese wheel in the center and wrap the dough around the cheese until completely covered. Bake at 350° until golden brown. While the camembert is baking, heat a saute pan to medium and saute the pears in salted butter until nice and soft. Turn up the heat and add balsamic vinegar and honey and, stirring regularly, cook until it forms a syrup. As soon as you remove the baked camembert from the oven, pour the pear mixture over it. Garnish with walnuts.

This recipe was created to pair with our 2011 CharDono. Read Chris Sinclair’s post regarding the beauty of such a pairing!

*We used Fowler Nursery Asian pears but any pear can be substituted. Trees may be purchased from Fowler Nursery January-March.

**Brie may be substituted for camembert. Camembert, by its nature, has a slightly more pungent aroma and flavor.

by Chris Sinclair, Bartender
The Red Rabbit, 2718 J Street, Sacramento CA 95816

I don’t usually write about wine. In the virtual world that comprises booze experts, my expertise tends to focus more on the life, history, theory and philosophy of “The Bar” rather than being an expert in wine, or even beer, for that matter. Certainly there are those whose schooling or profession makes them more apt to label themselves “Experts”. But what my experience as a bartender has lent me is the unequivocal ability to manipulate and understand flavor. And it was with this focus I was asked to write this little piece you are currently reading.

I first tasted Dono dal Cielo CharDono on a warm summer day in Sacramento. Late harvest wines tend to be syrupy in viscosity. And, though pleasant, are hard to enjoy past a single glass; while well-made late harvest wines are truly delightful and are generally only enjoyed two, maybe three, glasses at a time. I have to say that I truly enjoyed the CharDono. The mouthfeel (yes, that’s the official term) was not overly thick, nor was the taste overbearingly sweet. It was a touch on the dryer side than I had expected which balanced the touch of floral notes that were soft but presented quite nicely.

I had the pleasure of having Hunter talk to us about his wines. Now I don’t know if you, dear reader, have had the pleasure of listening to an artisan ever speak to you about something they pour their life into, but that alone is an experience worthy of savoring. This experience was certainly no different. Hunter is obviously as in love with creating his wines as I am with being the one that serves them.

There are a few tricks in learning how to pair wines, or, more importantly, pairing flavors in general. So when Hunter mentioned he was having trouble finding something to pair with the CharDono, my mind started running through the plethora of options that make up the culinary landscape: “Salmon? No, it’s too fatty and buttery. Steak? No. There’s not enough acid in this wine. Pasta? Red or white sauce? Maybe dessert. Ice cream…”  These are the associations I’ve been trained to make over the years. And it’s true, I found that I, too, had a little bit of trouble formulating a quick pairing in my mind while sipping the CharDono.

Please don’t assume, Dear Reader, that simply because something offers up a challenge that it should then be qualified as “less than” in any way, shape or form. As we find with most things in life, the opposite is usually true. Once something that has previously put up a challenge finds its place, it is that much more perfect. But because this wine did put up a bit of a mental roadblock for me, and that was not the purpose of our meeting, I placed the idea on the back burner of my mind. Until about two days later when I was entertaining some friends and cooked up some baked brie. The entire time we were enjoying the brie, I could taste the CharDono; its soft floral and honey qualities playing well with the bitter aspects of the rind of the runny cheese, and because the CharDono is more dry (less sweet) than most late harvest wines I have had, it would support the touch of sweetness of the cheese without overpowering it. I nearly slapped my head; the answer was so obvious once I had it.

Two of the most important concepts I’ve learned about pairing flavors over the years are the concepts of compliment and contrast. Do the flavors compliment and support each other building a strong unified support structure of yummy-ness? Or do they contrast and, in their playing off each other, create a delicious harmony that crescendos with each new taste?

In my case, the experience certainly falls into the latter category. But it is experiences like this that make what I do so incredibly enjoyable. Living my life behind the bar, I can easily claim that this experience is like a microcosm of what I experience day in and day out. And it’s my job as the bartender to find the symbiosis and share it, whether I’m dealing with people or flavors.

Try this Baked Camembert recipe to pair with our 2011 CharDono!

Dono has been mentioned in a Martha Stewart Weddings hosted blog written by blogger Sarah Smith. Read on…

Makes 1 quart.
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

3 cups seedless watermelon chunks
2 cups Zinfandel
1 cup raspberries
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Using a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a spoon to extract as much juice as you can. Discard pulp.

Pour liquid into a shallow, freezer-safe dish and freeze 1 hour. Remove dish from freezer and stir granita with a fork to break it up, paying particular attention to edges of dish. Return granita to freezer, raking it with a fork every half hour until it is completely frozen and flaky.

Recipe created by Jessie Cross from the August 2012 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

Preheat oven to 375.

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
1 tbs olive oil (we suggest Monte Vista Organic Extra Virgin)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs parsley, chopped

Toss asparagus with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast on a sheet tray for 8-15 minutes, depending on thickness. Garnish with parsely and serve with your favorite fresh fish.

Pair with Dono dal Cielo 2009 Chardonnay.

From Placer County Real Food from Farmer’s Markets by Joanne Neft with Laura Kenny.

Preheat oven to 375.

Pork Roast
4 1/2 pounds pork roast, bone-in, tied with netting
1 white onion, sliced
1 qt water
1/2 c salt
1 tsp black pepper

Mix together water, salt and pepper. Using an injector (available at BBQ supply stores), inject pork roast with brine in several places. Let sit until it comes to room temperature. Rub with mustard and herbs mixture.

Rub for Pork Roast
1/2 c Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp allspice
3 cloves finely-chopped mashed fresh garlic
1 tsp Two Spicy Ladies Bay Seasoning
1 tbs fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tbs Herbs de Provence
1/2 tbs sea salt
1 tbs black pepper
1/4 c Snow’s Citrus Court Grilling Sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Set aside 1 tbs rub mixture for apple garnish.

Place roast in cast iron roasting pan. Surround roast with onion slices.

Roast 1 hour, 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140.

Apple Garnish
1 tbs olive oil (we suggest Monte Vista Ranch Organic EVOO)
8 Gala apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c brandy
1 1/4 c chicken stock
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp finely-chopped mashed fresh garlic
1/3 c maple syrup
1 tbs rub for pork roast

Place olive oil in cast iron pan and lightly saute apples over low to medium heat, covered, for 20 minutes.

Once the pork roast is done, let rest on cutting board 10-15 minutes before slicing. In the meantime, use the cast iron roasting pan to finish the apple garnish. Add onions and apples. Add brandy, 3/4 c chicken stock, allspice, cayenne pepper, garlic, maple syrup and pork roast rub.

As the sauce is reducing, add 1/4 c chicken stock and continue to heat. Add another 1/4 c chicken stock and continue cooking until reduced to desired consistency.

Places roast slices on warm platter for serving and garnish with apples.

Serve with Dono dal Cielo 2006 Zinfandel.

From Placer County Real Food from Farmers’ Markets by Joanne Neft with Laura Kenny.