Our Wine of the Week, Artesa 2007 Carneros Chardonnay ($20), is round, full and complex, with a cornucopia of the fruit for which the varietal is known in California: ripe green apple, honeydew melon, sweet pineapple, a little mango and a suggestion of banana.
Although there is enough pretty acid for the wine to refresh with each sip, there is a warmth at its core that will make you think of the aroma of buttered toast on a spring morning. Combined with a flourish of vanilla, it is easy to think of creme caramel, creme brulee and other such custards. Although these qualities -- the butter, the toast, the vanilla, the custard -- are typical of California-style chardonnay, they are not in this instance overwhelming.
A sensitive palate may also pick up wisps of candied ginger, fresh tarragon, anise and white pepper.
The wine is a good companion with scallops, mussels and lobster, especially when finished with a buttery sauce. The white meat of poultry -- chicken, pheasant, turkey -- is a good match, too. If you are a fan of frozen corn, you might cook up a corn and crab chowder, which would be beautiful with this wine, as would pumpkin, white bean, spinach and coconut milk curry.
Yet the wine's plush feel in the mouth and its long finish suggest adventurous eaters might like to try it with certain cuts of beef such as slow-cooked filet mignon, rare, of course. It's a surprisingly good match.
For today's recipe, I've used fresh fennel and the delicious Nantes carrots an increasing number of growers are offering at farmers markets to make a luscious risotto. that is just perfect with this wine. A bit of fresh ginger, some Asiago cheese and minced fennel greens further the match. Because this wine is reasonably priced, you can use it in the risotto, too.
Carrot and Fennel Risotto with Garlic
and Cumin
Makes 3 to 4 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
? pound carrots, preferably Nantes variety, peeled and cut into 3/8-inch dice
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 3/8-inch dice (for about 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
-- Kosher salt
-- White pepper in a mill
5 to 6 cups chicken stock or broth, hot
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1? cups Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
? cup dry white wine
? cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh fennel greens
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet set over low heat. Add the carrots and fennel and saut?until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the ginger and season with salt and white pepper. Add 1 cup of the stock, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until the stock is reduced by three quarters. Set aside.
Keep the stock warm in a pot over low heat.
Heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a large saut?pan over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and saut?until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until each grain begins to turn milky white, about 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Add the stock ? cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the liquid is nearly completely absorbed. Continue to add stock and stir until the rice is tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.
When the rice is tender, fold in the carrots and fennel. Fold in the cheese, taste, correct for salt and season with white pepper.
Divide among soup plates, garnish with minced fennel and serve.
Michele Anna Jordan can be contacted via e-mail at michele@micheleannajordan.com.
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