The snow has started to descend the mountains; it has piled upon the valley floor. It’s time to retire to the fireplace, to contemplate, to relax, to enjoy hearty meals with rich wines, and to visit with loved ones. I am a Francophile. I love all things French! I grew up listening to a strong Alsatian man trying to convince me to conjugate verbs in different tenses, but I was a lazy student and my French shows it, ask Sev, I dare you!
One of the meals I look forward to the most every year is the Choucroute Garnie. One of the best things he taught me was the blueprint of a great Chourcroute Garnie. At this time of the year we need fatty, rich, stick to your bones kind of meals that will warm our hearts, fuel our souls, and Chourcroute does this for me every year. This is typically a dish that you pair with high acid Germanic white wines like Riesling, but I think this is a great meal to have with Ava, but also with our Sauvignon Blanc. The full-bodied appeal of Ava is a great exercise of how matching texture in a wine and texture in food can complement each other. Fatty pork hocks, jowl, and various smoked and non-smoked sausages expertly pair with our Viognier Roussanne Marsanne blend. The Sauvignon Blanc is another great option, as the brine-y acidic nature of sauerkraut balances the richness of the pork, the sauerkraut will have backed up the wines racy acidity, both creating harmony. Balance acid with acid and texture with texture. A match made in heaven!
Though I won’t give up his recipe, if your mouth is watering, you should take the tutelage of Jacques Pepin – I highly recommend this link, he will make your life easy.
Enjoy
Alex Russo
Le Concierge
