Sep 23 2010

Fruit of Fall and Port

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Autumn has arrived.   Some parts of the country are still experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures reminiscent of a typical Southern California autumn and yet Napa Valley is gently coasting into fall with cooler evenings, early rain showers and a sense that summer has been left behind with a sad wave in the rear-view mirror.   As much as I lament the end of lazy warm summer afternoons, there are new produce characters coming into season:  one being the succulent juicy fig.    Fresh figs are a tough find in many parts of the country and when found “fresh”, they often have spent far too long on a truck being transported from California to even remotely resemble the true flavor of a fig.   For those who live in Northern California, however, figs are in abundance.   Trees naturally inhabit the hills outside of Sonoma and if you look closely as you drive throughout wine country, you can see them hanging for picking or for sale on the corner of someone’s front lawn.   Even walking the dog through Napa, it is not hard to find figs as trees are often planted in cartilage areas and for those unaware, in California the law is that if fruit from someone’s tree is hanging over their property line, it is yours for picking.   Common sense and a spirit of neighborliness would recommend asking first, however.

The flavor of a fresh fig is unparalleled.    It is rich, with an almost meaty consistency and sweet without seeming sugary.   Slightly firm when picked fresh from a tree, the fig is a wonderful autumnal addition to various California cooking recipes.  If nothing else, the fig can make autumn’s arrival celebrated.  Figs can be used in a variety of culinary dishes from appetizers, salads, main courses to desserts.   Given that I do not feature enough desserts on the web site, I thought it timely to feature a simple use of the favored seasonal fig.  And what better to feature with figs than a Port.

Earlier this year, in the dregs of winter, I featured a Petite Sirah Port from another winery and belabored through all of the technical details surrounding port’s various categories, styles and types (please see, “Perfectly Pleasing Port”).   In Napa Valley, most Ports are fortified with brandy and this week’s featured Port deliciously falls into this category.

Elyse Winery (“Elyse”), located in Yountville, presently offers a delicious 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon based Port which is fortified with brandy.   The winery has established a long-standing relationship with a revered brandy provider (Germain-Robin Alambic) for the making of its Ports and perhaps it is being on the cutting edge of quality that makes their dessert wine so frankly delicious.   On the other hand, in this particular featured port, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are also quite special as they hail from the renowned Pritchard Hill in Napa Valley.   Pritchard Hill (while not its own formally designated American Viticultrual Area) is famous for being the home of outstanding, award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  To find grapes from Melanson Vineyard nurtured into a Port with high quality Zinfandel/Viognier brandy is a treat that will delight the senses.

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Dark and velvety in its appearance in the glass, the palate is not overwhelmed by sugar or the brandy upon tasting.   Instead, the palate is greeted by delicious baked blueberries with a hint of raspberry to invoke thoughts of fresh warm dark berry pie with a lovely slight flavor of whiskey, vanilla and nuances of dark chocolate.

To pair up a seasonal dessert and take in the qualities of Elyse’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Port, I elected to whip up:

·         Baked Mission Figs in Port Reduction Syrup with Buttered Roasted Pecans, Crumbled Gorgonzola and Raspberry Honey

The terrific aspect of this dessert is that it is relatively low maintenance to make in the kitchen and yet the flavor components involved combine to form sophisticated layers of flavor and embody a true California wine country autumnal dessert.

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For those learning about Port, blue cheese pairs inherently well with these fortified dessert wines.   While blue cheese is somewhat of an acquired taste for many, its easy-going cousin is gorgonzola.   By incorporating gorgonzola into the dish, the same creamy and tangy elements of blue cheese are captured but at a less intense degree.  Gorgonzola in this case is the soft soul mate to the delicious rich Pritchard Hill fruit found in Elyse’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Port.

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The substantive nature of the fig holds up well with the Port and is further tied in by tossing the halves in a Port Reduction Syrup that was made on the stove top earlier.   Sacrificing a bit of Elyse’s Port to create the syrup, it directly ties the wine’s flavors to the fig and simultaneously sweetens the fruit slightly.   The buttered roasted pecan pieces are delicious with the whiskey and vanilla notes in the port and bring forth greater aromas from the effects of French oak barreling in the wine.  The raspberry honey is just an additional sweet glaze garnish that again brings forth the raspberry notes in the port itself. 

In the end, this is a terrific simple dessert to prepare for back deck gatherings on autumnal evenings as a cool breeze dances through the air bringing together seasonal fruit and a red dessert wine best enjoyed as outdoor temperatures start to fall.

*For those looking for an even simpler casual dessert, search back on the Facebook Fan Page to see “Not Your Mother’s S’mores”.   French Chocolate Truffles are a natural indulgence with this Port.

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