Recipes

Beverages
Warm Spiced Wine (using our 2002 Cabernet Franc)
Belle de Brillet Cocktail (with our 2005 Viognier)

Seyval Blanc (Margarita style). Chill this wine, making it very cold, add a sliver of lime. Cheers!

Recipe Courtesy of Hump Astorga...
Petit Stilton and Chevre Cheese Cakes
with Traminette and Plum Reduction

Wine Pairing:  2007 Traminette
Explanation of Pairing: This unusual varietal is a hybrid of Gewürztramine, generating a crisp wine with a lovely golden hue. The aromatic, floral nose of fresh-cut roses is followed by the spicy flavors of melons, stone fruits, and honey. This stellar Traminette presents a delicate balance between residual sugar and firm acidity, creating a perfect complement to sharp blue cheeses and spicy foods. I have paired this wine with a first course dish for your next dinner party. The perfumes of the marjoram, behind the sharp, aggressive flavors of the cheeses with a bit of “heat”, are in concert with the Traminette-based sauce that is infused with the fruit and color from the plums. Pairing with this wine creates a synergy of food and wine to awaken the palate at the beginning of the meal.

INGREDIENTS

For the Cakes:
½ C fine, dry breadcrumbs
¼ C finely chopped toasted walnuts
1 TBS unsalted butter, melted
4 ozw. fresh Chevre, room temperature
4 ozw. Stilton, rind removed, room temperature
8 ozw. cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 TBS garlic, smashed and finely minced
2 TBS fresh marjoram leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
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Also Needed:
Mini-muffin tins
Non-stick vegetable spray

For the Sauce:
3 C Corcoran Vineyards Traminette
4 TBS sugar
4 ripe red plums, sliced
½ jalapeño pepper in one piece, seeded
¼ tsp Kosher salt
                                             

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Cheese Cakes:

Pre-heat oven to 325°.
Place breadcrumbs, walnuts, and butter in a food processor and process until thoroughly combined.  Press mixture into the bottoms of the muffin cups to make a thick bottom crust.  Bake 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely. Spray muffin tins lightly with non-stick spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the Stilton, Chevre, and cream cheeses until smooth. 
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 
Add the garlic, marjoram, Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and totally combine.
Fill each prepared muffin tin 2/3 full.
Bake until golden and puffed and the center is no longer loose – about 20 minutes.
(Do not overcook. Remember the cakes will continue to cook after being removed from the oven.) 
Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature on a rack for 1 hour.

For the Sauce:

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the Traminette, sugar, salt, and jalapeño to a boil.
Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 cup – about 20 minutes. 
Add sliced plums, and simmer for 10 minutes. Sauce should have the consistency of a thin syrup.
Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Strain the sauce over a bowl, being careful not to press on the fruit so that you are able to maintain the clarity.

To Serve:

Run a thin sharp knife around the sides of each cheesecake. 
Transfer each cake to a small appetizer plate, crust side up. 
Drizzle each plate lightly with the Traminette reduction.