Truffle Chip-Crusted Goat Cheese Truffles + McBride Sisters Brut Rosé #WinePW

 

This month, Nicole of Somm's Table picked the topic of Celebrating BIPOC Winemakers & Winery Owners for our February Wine Pairing Weekend blogging group. I'll be honest: when I first saw her theme, I had no idea what that even meant. BIPOC. The acronym BIPOC refers to "black, indigenous, and people of color." So, I did some reading and ordered three different bottles from different winemakers. More on that in a second.

If you are reading this soon enough, feel free to join our live Twitter chat on Saturday, February 13th at 8am Pacific. Follow the hashtag #WinePW and be sure to add that to anything you tweet so we can see it. In the meantime, all of these posts should be live by chat time. Here's what the bloggers are sharing... 

• Truffle Chip-Crusted Goat Cheese Truffles + McBride Sisters Brut Rosé on Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• The Many Talents of John Legend from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Family and Wine Go Together for These Black-owned Businesses by My Full Wine Glass
• Black-Eyed Peas with Collard Greens and Maison Noir OPP on Cooking Chat
• Where’s Linus Sauvignon Blanc with a Shaved Vegetable Salad, Crostini, and Scallops on Cauliflower Rice Risotto from Crushed Grape Chronicles 
• A Taste of Theopolis Vineyards by ENOFYLZ
• Pairing Crab Legs with Carmen Stevens’ Sauvignon Blanc on Our Good Life
• Meet Cheramie Law: Black, Female, and Founder of Texas’Cheramie Wine from The Corkscrew Concierge
• Sipping Wines from the McBride Sisters' Black Girl Magic Line by Avvinare
• Camins 2 Dreams: When a Chumash Winemaker Meets a Spanish One And Sparks Fly and Kita: When a Chumash Winemaker Meets a Spanish One AndSparks Fly Part 2 on Wine Predator
• An Inauguration Day Toast with Bodkin The Fearless Blanc de Blanc and Cauliflower Curry from Somm's Table.

When Nicole first shared the theme, I tracked down three different bottles to taste, test, and pair. The first was a complete disappointment. I don't often call wine 'swill', but I would in that case; so I won't be featuring that wine at all. 

Then I tried the second bottle - J. Moss 2018 Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley - and wrote Sweet Potato Risotto + J. Moss 2018 Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley that posted yesterday. But I still had that third bottle. And since this event is just before Valentines' Day, I figured I'd open it up and pair it with one of my favorite fancy dinner starters: savory goat cheese truffles. 

First a bit about the wine and this duo of BIPOC winemakers who happen to be sisters. I'll be honest: I teared up when I watched this clip about their story. This is posted on their website, but I'll share it here as well.

And, if you don't want to watch the clip (it's only four minutes long!), here's the gist: two half-sisters, neither of whom really knew their shared biological father, were raised a world apart by their respective mothers. Robin McBride grew up in Monterey, California (my hometown!) while Andréa McBride grew up in Marlborough, New Zealand. Both were in the wine industry separately and, when they finally found each other, they decided to create The McBride Sisters Collection.

In the Glass

This non-vintage Brut Rosé is made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that were grown sustainably from vineyards in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. 'Crisp' and 'fresh' were the first words that came to mind. To the eye, it has a lovely pale salmon hue. On the nose, the aromas were decidedly red with rose petals and red berries. Then we tasted...and the persistent tiny bubbles tickled the tongue. On the palate this wine was much more complex than I anticipated, much to my delight! The notes of red fruit from the aromas did carry through to the palate. But there was also some creaminess and yeasty complexity from its time on the lees.

On the Plate

Years ago a fellow blogger introduced me to savory cheese truffles and I have been making them ever since! But feel free to use whatever chips and herbs you have on-hand. 

I had some truffle potato chips in the cabinet and decided that would be a lovely coating for these truffles.

Ingredients makes approximately 12

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 8 ounces goat cheese 
• 2/3 cup crushed potato chips (I used  truffle potato chips)
• 1/3 cup fresh herbs, washed and dried (I used parsley)
• Also needed: hand-blender; scoop, optional but it makes portioning consistent

Procedure

Place cream cheese and goat cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand blender to combine the cheeses. If the cheese is too soft, you can refrigerate it until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the crushed chips and herbs. Use a scoop or a spoon to portion out the cheese.

Roll the cheese in the topping and set on a serving platter.

Enjoy!

That's a wrap for our Wine Pairing Weekend event celebrating BIPOC winemakers. We'll be back in March with a focus on the wines of the Yakima Valley in Washington state. Thanks to Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles for coordinating samples and hosting the event. I cannot wait to explore, test, pour, and pair. Stay tuned...