Spring Fanatic Release
Many ask us how we come up with our pairings with Fenestra wine. It is a process over the year as we try different foods and where we ask each other what wine would go with this yummy food we are trying? Or if we are having some great wine, we ask - what you would pair this wine with? Some of the pairings today were inspired by our travels with the Global AVA Summit in Hungary and Croatia this past month. We hope you enjoy the ride!
Before we go onto the pairing, we sourced the pork for the Hungarian Pork stew and the sausage from the Livermore Butcher. The pork there is tremendous. We highly recommend it! Plus, the staff there are helpful with any questions you may have.
Second, we were lucky enough to get some wonderful mushrooms through Edward Jimenez (RAW foods). This time we were able to get Italian Oyster mushrooms which we used with the sausage. Thanks!
2020 Grenache, Estate, Livermore Valley
Our 2020 Estate Grenache has a spicy bouquet of strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, and rose petal. It is medium-full bodied and complex, with flavors of plum, raspberry, strawberry, and a touch of vanilla. Enjoy with stuffed peppers, herb-roasted potatoes, gourmet hamburgers, and ratatouille.
The Grenache is paired with a Smoked Mackerel Canapé with a trio of roasted root vegetables.
We are doing something different this time, where we are starting with a red, then will venture to a white, and back for more reds, followed by (of course), Robin’s fantastic dessert pairing. The first pairing was inspired by the wonderful seafood we had in Hungary and Croatia and understanding what Grenache can be paired with. We hope you enjoy it. We also felt that this Grenache shines with Roasted Veggies. We are offering you a trio of roasted veggies: Carrots, Parsnips and Purple Top Parsnips with the Mackerel Canapé.
2023 Chardonnay, Livermore Valley
This 2023 Chardonnay has a lush bouquet of apple, lemon, vanilla, and pineapple upside-down cake. It was aged sur lie, for a round mouthfeel and lengthy finish. This wine exhibits classic flavors of apple, pear, pineapple, warm spice, and a hint of minerality.
During our trip, we visited the Lake Balaton wine region in Hungary. The people and wine there were fantastic. One night after touring some wineries in Badacsony, we stopped for dinner and had this wonderful pork stew over freshly made spaetzle noodles topped with sour cream. We enjoyed it so much, we wanted to share it with you all and pair it with Fenestra wine, of course! Titi from Szaszi Winery shared the recipe with us.
The Chardonnay is paired with Hungarian Pörkölt with Nokedli (Hungarian Pork Stew over Spaetzle Noodles).
2023 Petit Verdot, Livermore Valley
Our 2023 Petit Verdot exhibits luscious aromas of cranberry, mocha, violets and spice, with rich flavors of cherry, raspberry, vanilla, and tobacco. It is full bodied with a lingering finish. Enjoy with venison, prime rib, and other rich foods.
The wine region we toured in Croatia was the Southern Dalmatian region. Like Hungary, the people and wine were also fantastic! On our last night together, we had this wonderful Croatian braised beef with the local Croatian red wine, Plavac Mali. We wanted to try this braised beef with one of our big reds, so we are pairing this with our 2023 Petit Verdot.
This Petit Verdot is paired with Pašticada (Croatian Braised Beef) over roasted Potatoes.
2019 Petite Sirah, Livermore Valley
This wine is rich and complex with a deep ruby red color. It exhibits aromas of blueberry, plum, pepper, and spice, with savory flavors of raspberry, tea, sage, and black cherry. Pairs well with big foods like short ribs, lamb, and venison. Age this wine for maximum enjoyment.
Venturing outside of the Balkans for a bit (we’ll return don’t worry!), this idea came about from a St. Patrick’s Day party we attended where we made some Irish Bangers. Turns out we had some extra bangers left over, so we heated them up, poured a glass of red wine that was open, (our Syrah), and I thought “this is a pretty good pairing! Got to try this for our Fanatics, right?” Since the 2019 Petite Sirah is a big wine (still - even at 7 years!), we thought we would give it a try. We think it is a delicious pairing.
This Petite Sirah is paired with an Irish Banger Sausage with sautéed Oyster Mushrooms and a side salad.
Tawny Port, Livermore Valley
Our fourth edition Tawny Port is a bold, decadent wine with aromas of soy, toasted almonds, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and fresh cigar. Its palate is rich and smooth, with flavors of roasted nuts, maple sugar, praline, and baked apple. It has a sustained nutty finish that leads you into the next sip. Pair with roasted nuts, aged cheeses, nut tortes, pecan pie, or flan.
A blend of 50% 2006 and 50% 2009 vintages consisting of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, Souzao, and alvarinho ports. 19.0% alcohol.
Finally dessert. This pairing was inspired by Robin and our daughter Natasha’s travel to Krka National Park in Croatia, where they had a slice of this local tort. Natasha found the recipe and Robin made them. We think it pairs wonderfully with Fenestra’s Tawny Port.
The Port is paired with Skradinska Tort (Croatian Chocolate Walnut tort).
Recipes
Smoked Mackerel Canapé with a Trio of Roasted Root Vegetables
Smoked Mackerel Canapé
Ingredients:
4oz Smoked Mackerel (best if have a smoker and access to fresh mackerel) (or another good quality hot smoked fish)
Sour cream or creme fraiche
A good quality fruity pepper sauce (I use a homemade Rocoto Pear Ginger sauce, but a mango habenro sauce will work well here)
Thinly sliced green onions, slice length wise, where the slice are 1/2-1 inch long, but narrow, or chives of the same size
Water crackers (or another good quality cracker, not too flavorful, so the fish flavor doesn’t get overwhelmed)
Directions:
On each cracker, put a small dollop of sour cream/creme fraiche
On top of the dollop, place a small piece of the smoked mackerel.
Add a drop of the pepper sauce
Top the mackerel with one or two green onion slices (or chives)
Roasted Root Vegetables:
Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F
Dress vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper
Spread the vegetables on a sheet pan
Roast vegetables until soft and a little crispy, about 15-20 min
Pair with a slightly chilled 2020 Grenache!
A Fenestra O
Hungarian Pörkölt with Nokedli (Hungarian Pork Stew over Spaetzle Noodles)
Ingredients:
For the Pörkölt:
1 ⅓ lb pork (shoulder or leg), cut into cubes
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup water (plus more if needed)
For the Nokedli:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½–¾ cup water (adjust for consistency)
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Make the Pörkölt
Heat oil or lard in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onions and cook until soft and translucent (about 5–7 minutes).
Remove from heat and stir in paprika.
Add pork and mix well.
Add garlic, tomato, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
Add ½ cup water, cover, and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Add small amounts of water as needed — aim for a thick stew.
2. Make the Nokedli
Mix flour, eggs, salt, and enough water to form a sticky batter.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Drop small pieces of dough into the water (using a spaetzle maker or spoon).
Cook until they float (2–3 minutes).
Remove and toss with a little butter or oil if desired.
3. Serve
Serve the pörkölt over the nokedli.
Optional: top with sour cream and fresh parsley.
Extra Tip (very Hungarian 😉)
For extra richness, stir in 1–2 tablespoons sour cream directly into the pörkölt at the end — it makes the sauce silky and slightly creamy.
Recipe courtesy of Titanella Szaszi of Szaszi Winery (Thanks!)
Pašticada (Croatian Braised Beef) over roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
3 lb. (about 1.5 kg.) beef, top round (or chuck steak)
Marinade:
75 g. pancetta
4-5 garlic cloves
6-7 whole cloves
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
1 bottle (750 ml.) red wine (use a hearty red wine, like the 2023 Petit Verdot!)
1/2 cup (125 ml.) wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Pašticada:
· 2-3 tbsp. (30-45 ml.) olive oil
· 2-3 large onions (1 lb. total), sliced
· 1/4-1/3 celeriac root (about 150-200 g.), peeled and cubed
· 1-2 large parsnips, peeled and cubed
· 2/3 cup (160 ml.) marinade
· 1/2 cup (125 ml.) sweet dessert wine – ideally Croatian Prošec, but I used Fenestra Ruby Port!
· a handful (about 10 large) pitted prunes, divided
· 4-6 dried figs, preferably Turkish
· 2 tbsp. (30 g.) tomato paste or concentrate
· salt and pepper, to taste
· 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
· a tiny pinch of clove (optional)
· 2-3 bay leaves
· a few rosemary sprigs, leaves
· a few thyme sprigs, leaves
Directions
Preparation & Marinade
Pat dry the beef.
Peel and slice each garlic clove into 2-3 segments.
Slice the pancetta into pieces the size of the garlic segments
Insert a knife into the meat at a 30-degree angle, making small pockets a few centimeters apart. Fill the incisions with garlic, pancetta slices, and cloves, alternating them.
· Transfer the beef into a glass or ceramic pot. Pour in the wine vinegar or apple cider and wine. Add the rosemary sprigs and any remaining garlic.
· Marinate overnight. As the marinade will likely not cover fully the beef, be sure to flip it once halfway.
Pašticada:
· Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. using a paper towel, pat dry the beef (don’t discard the marinade). Transfer the beef to the pan and sear well on all sides, it will take between 10 to 15 minutes.
· Lower heat to low-medium or high-low. Add the onions, celeriac root, and parsley to the pan arranging the vegetables around the meat. Season well with salt and pepper, as well as nutmeg. Simmer for about 40-45 minutes until a the onions are very soft. If the pan looks too dry, add a few splashes of water.
· Add the dessert wine and marinade, as well as a half of prunes, figs, and tomato paste (concentrate). The sauce will only partially cover the meat, and that’s fine. Cover and cook the meat on low for about 1.5 hours, until the beef is tender.
· Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into 1.5 cm thick slices.
· Using an immersion blender, purée the sauce until the desired consistency. Typically, it is quite smooth, but I left it slightly chunkier. Try and season more if necessary. Also, it is a good time to add more marinade or sweet wine, to balance out the acidity and sweetness.
· Return the sauce to the pot. Arrange the sliced beef. Add the remaining prunes and few extra rosemary sprigs, as well as bay leaves. Also, while recipes did not call for that, I added a tiny pinch of ground clove; I just love its flavour – it’s totally optional. If the sauce is too thick, and it does not require more marinade or sweet wine, you can thinner it up with some water.
· Simmer for about 30 minutes. Try once again to see whether the sauce requires anything else i.e., more salt, dried prunes, rosemary, sweet wine or marinade.
· Serve with gnocchi or pasta, ideally homemade and parsley, if desired. I serve with store-bought potato skillet gnocchi.
Adapted from: https://www.havocinthekitchen.com/pasticada-croatian-braised-beef/
Grilled Irish Banger Sausage with Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Sausages with Onions/Mushrooms
1lb Irish Banger Sausages (or another rich pork sausage)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb portobello/oyster (or another earthy mushroom), sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
Sat and pepper
Creamy Polenta with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Polenta:
4 1/2 cups water (I substituted ½ cup white wine for the water)
1 1/2 cups polenta (we used Bob’s Red Mill medium cornmeal)
1/4 cup vegan or regular butter
1/2 cup vegan or regular parmesan (used a good kind if possible)
Directions:
Polenta (Best Made the Night Before)
Bring water to a boil. While whisking, slowly pour in polenta. Continue whisking for a minute to prevent any clumps from forming. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring once every few minutes and scraping down the sides.
Once the polenta is tender, stir in butter, cheese and add salt to taste (may not be necessary - taste before adding more salt. The amount of salt depends on the type of parmesan Cheese you use. A good quality parmesan can be quite salty). This can be made ahead of time, and actually is better made the night before and gently warmed up. Creamier this way.
Sausages with Onions/Mushrooms
Heat oil in a skillet
Sauté the mushrooms and onions, until onions are soft and mushrooms are cooked
Grilled the sausages on the outside or indoor grill until cooked (155F)
Slice sausages and top on the polenta. Add onions.
Sprinkle the mushrooms on the sausages & polenta. Can add salt, pepper, or more cheese. Enjoy hot.
Adapted from: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/creamy-polenta-with-mushrooms/
Skradinska Tort (Croatian Chocolate Walnut tort)
Ingredients
For the sponge:
10 whole eggs
300 g granulated sugar
30 ml rose liqueur (can substitute 2:1 rose syrup:vodka)
1 tbsp honey
400 g ground walnuts
Zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla-flavoured sugar (can substitute 1tbsp vanilla + ½ tsp vanilla)
Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
200 g dark chocolate (7.1 oz)
75 g butter (1/3 cube butter)
30 ml whipping cream (2 tbsp)
Instructions
To make the sponge
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks and sugar (including the vanilla-flavored sugar) until they turn very creamy, fluffy, and lighter in color. This step is essential because the cake has no flour!
Dissolve the honey in rose liqueur and pour it in. Add orange zest. If you need to substitute the rose liqueur, add rose water.
Preheat the oven to 150 °C [300 °F]
Get your ground walnuts ready. Whisk in baking powder and a pinch of salt.
Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Now, bring these three ingredients together in batches. Add a bit of walnuts and a bit of egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Fold gently. Repeat until you get a smooth, airy mixture.
Pour the sponge into the greased and floured cake pan and bake for about 70 minutes.
The cake will rise quite a lot. Insert a cake tester or a skewer in the middle where the cake is the highest. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Leave the cake to cool to room temperature. Then, unmold it and turn it upside down on a serving plate.
To make the glaze
For the glaze, melt the chocolate, butter, and whipping cream in a double boiler. Pour the mixture over the cake and spread it with a spatula.
Visually divide the cake into 16 slices. This sounds harder than it is. Just imagine you’re cutting the cake in half. Place two walnut halves on each end. Then, imagine another line cutting the cake in half at the 90° angle. Place two more walnut halves at each end. Repeat until you’ve used 16 walnut halves. Pop the cake in the fridge.