Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Pinot Blanc: A Delectable Grape Mutation + Criques de Pommes de Terre #DrinkAlsace #Winophiles #Sponsored

  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace*. Complimentary wine was provided for this post though no other compensation was received. This page may contain affiliate links. 

Rupal, the Syrah Queen, is hosting the French Winophiles as we dive into the wines from Alsace. See her invitation: here. If you are reading this early enough, feel free to jump into our Twitter chat. We'll be live on Saturday, July 17th at 8am Pacific time. Simply follow the hashtag #Winophiles and be sure to add that to anything you tweet so we can see it. Here are the posts from the #Winophiles writers...

• 3 Riesling from Alsace by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
  
• All About the Wines of Alsace by Vino Travels
• Alsace Wine and Cold Poached Salmon with Sauce Verte (Green Mayonnaise) by Our Good Life
  
• Alsace Wines’ Heart and Soul - Land Sustainability, Family Tradition and Food Compatibility by Chinese Food and Wine Pairings
• Alsace Wines Shine with Summer's Bounty Risotto by Food Wine Click!
  
• Blending Innovation and Tradition with Wines of Alsace by L'Occasion
  
• Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry with Wine from Alsace by Cooking Chat
• Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Pinot Blanc: A Delectable Grape Mutation + Criques de Pommes de Terre by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Five Winemaking Women of Alsace by My Full Wine Glass
  
• Once Upon a Wine in Alsace – a Riesling Rekindling by Wining With Mel
• Once Upon a Wine in Alsace by Wining With Mel
• Shrimp Louis Sandwiches paired with an Alsace Pinot Blanc by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  
• Summer Food Pairings with Alsace Wines by Always Ravenous
  
• Wines of Alsace Bring the Wow Every Time by What's in that Bottle?
  
• Women of Alsace – Conversations with 4 Women on their Family Wineries in Alsace by Crushed Grape Chronicles
  
• Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc with a Leek & Bacon Tart by Somm's Table

You can read more about Alsace in my post from earlier this week: A Wine Fair Reimagined + Braised Rabbit with Alsatian Dumplings. After that I received three full-sized bottles of Alsatian wine. I have only had the chance to explore one of them so far: Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Pinot Blanc.

A Delectable Grape Mutation

When I was debating which of the three bottles to try first, I was immediately captivated by the Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Les Princes Abbés Pinot Blanc...because the first thing I read was that the grape was a mutation. 

Call me nerdy, but I wanted to learn more about that. And I did. I learned about how different chromosomal regions in the grapevine genome controls berry color, how all colored grapes have both active and inactive forms of these genes, and how mutations can lead to chimeric plants. Pinot Gris, apparently, is a Pinot Noir chimera in which both the colored and non-colored tissues exist and results in a pink-skinned grape. Then the Pinot Blanc occurs when the mutation moves outward and affects the berry skin color and results in a white-skinned grape. I'm envisioning this as some kind of albinism, but I'm not sure. I ran out of time to read more. But I will be looking for more Pinot Blancs to try soon.

The vineyards of Domaines Schlumberger date back to the Romans and were subsequently cultivated by the Prince Abbotts of Murbach, an order of monks who established their seat at the town of Guebwiller in the southern end of Alsace. When the abbey's estates were sold, after the French Revolution, a local mill owner named Nicolas Schlumberger purchased 20 hectares. 

To this day, six generations of winemakers later, the Schlumberger heirs manage 135 hectares which Ernest Schlumberger pieced together from more than two thousand parcels that had been abandoned by their owners due to the phylloxera outbreak and war.

Almost all of the vineyards are at altitude and are terraced into the hillsides above Guebwiller. To accommodate the steep terrain, Domaines Schlumberger uses horses that are specifically bred for their balance and unaffected by vertigo. What a process!

The wine poured a brilliant gold color with flecks of green along the rim. On the nose, I got citrus with layers of honeysuckle and white pepper. On the palate, there was a delicate sweetness balanced by a bright acidity. It was very food friendly, elegant wine.

On the Plate

I wanted to make something with French roots, but also needed something quick for a mid-week dinner. I settled on Criques de Pommes de Terre, basically 'French latkes' as my boys characterized them. I served it with barely blanched fioretto cauliflower and an herb salad with a citrus dressing.

• 4 to 5 cups shredded potatoes
• water
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic
• 3 large eggs
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (I used a mixture from our garden, including parsley, thyme, and oregano)
• Also needed: cheesecloth; oil for the skillet

Place the potatoes in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for at least ten minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and drain the potatoes into it. 

Gather the edges of your cheesecloth and squeeze until you express as much liquid as you can.

Place the potatoes into a mixing bowl and add in all the other ingredients. Stir until well-combined.

Heat olive in a skillet, then spoon 1/3 cup of the potato mixture into the pan. Flatten the mound with the bottom of your measure cup and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and nicely crisped. Flip over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve while still warm.

That's a wrap for this month's French Winophiles' exploration of the wines of Alsace. We'll be back next month with posts about the wines of Jura with Payal of Keep the Peas leading the discussion. Stay tuned for that.

Merci Beaucoup!

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*Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of wine samples for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.