'Rite of Spring' - April Session

In the April session of the Goochland Gastronomes we will be studying Muscadet and Italian Super Tuscan wines as we enter into Springtime.  Muscadet is a wine from the Western Loire valley of France that is made to be drunk quite young.  Composed of 100% Melon de Bourgone grape, the wine takes on a crisp, minerally and toasty finish that has been described as the quintessential pairing for Oysters and seafood in general.  Melon de Bourgone, a relatively neutral grape, and is enhanced by a technique called Sur Lie aging, where the wine is left to age in the tank with the dead yeast that is left behind and not “Racked” or transferred to another barrel for aging.  The dead yeast and stirring of it during the aging process makes the wine take on a toasty creamy finish that is used in Burgundy and other Loire valley wines as well. 

Does Muscadet pair well with oysters? That is what we will find out. Each place setting will contain a glass of Muscadet, we will taste the wine on its own and then have two Mobjack oysters from the Eastern Shore on the half shell. One all by itself, and one with a classic mignonette sauce (Sherry vinegar, shallot and black pepper).  Will this wine change drastically between the two? Will the wine be drowned out by the vinegar or will it pair just as nice?  Then we move to the other side of the plate which will contain broiled mussels with a maltaise sauce (orange hollandaise) and now will see the wine take on butter and emulsified egg. Move from there to a scallop in a saffron broth and tobiko roe. How does the wine take on the saffron and the smokey salty caviar?  And to accompany all, will be a seaweed salad topped with skate wing and brown butter.  By the end of the course, we will have discussed how each of the items paired with the Muscadet and what was good, what was better, what was the worst, etc. 

The second round will be centered around the “Super Tuscan” wines from Tuscany, Italy.  I have had the greatest luck pairing these wines with foods coming straight off the grill, and with Easter around the corner, out thoughts turn to lamb. A Sicilian-themed recipe where lamb is cooked directly on roof tiles in a wood burning oven. The lamb will be roasted on terracotta tiles cooked over cherry wood and dried fennel stalks. Topped with a paper-thin, 2 ½ month aged, house-cured Rosemary lardo. Served with a white bean cassolet with cream and tarragon, raw shitake mushroom salad with Spring garlic and truffle oil, and arugula with balsamic and chevre. Cheers!