ShopRite Wines & Spirits

Andre’ — “I think the Creme de Lys is a first course of its own. No need to pre-heat the oven. Just Chill and Open. Then Pour, Sip, Repeat. This is a delicious wine with plenty of things going on. Nicely balanced but not over done. No need to complicate it with food.

If you want to force a food and wine pairing out of me, my go to dish with a wine like this is Grilled Salmon with Butter Sauce. Pre-heat the grill. In a small sauce pan combine 1 cup wine (this one or a similar full-bodied white) 4 shallots peeled and chopped, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. reduce over medium heat until almost no liquid remains. add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and reduce for 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 stick of unsalted butter until completely melted and then strain into a warm container.You may need a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill the salmon 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness. serve with the butter sauce and some seasonal vegetables.

To be honest, as much as I enjoyed the Creme de Lys, this is not my favorite style of wine. I do however understand why many people like it. So, the day after I originally tasted it I felt the bottle staring at me. I decided to taste it again. And,  I really enjoyed it more the second day. I think that after the bottle was opened the flavors had a little time to integrate. The green apple wasn’t so, In Your Face. Or maybe I was just in a better mood. This inspired me to try a second Food and Wine Pairing. Hence a second recipe.

Pork Loin with Roasted Onion and Apples

I know, you might think a red would pair better here. But, give this a try.  The Creme de Lys is full-bodied enough to pull it off. The staff at Andre’s loved it. .

8 -4 ounce medallions of pork.(I prefer chops from the rib end ask the butcher, he’ll know what you mean)
olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 granny smith apples. peeled, seeded, and cut into 8ths
1/2 cup wine
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

in a cast iron pan brown the pork over medium high heat on both sides. remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 min. until they are soft and golden . Add the wine, stock, apples,  pork and seasoning. Cook very gently over low heat for 10-12 minutes. The liquid should just barely move. Do not boil as it will make the meat tough.
A little mashed potato and some glazed carrots and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I hope you’ll try one, or both of these recipes and send me some feed back”

From the winemaker:

“Our Crème de Lys Chardonnay entices you with aromas filled with lush tropical fruit, baked apple, toasty oak and crème brûlée notes. These aromas are echoed in the beautifully balanced flavors, with juicy pineapple, citrus and red apple expression adding liveliness to the textured palate.”

Availability:

2009 vintage in a 750 ml – Standard Bottle is currently in stock at Byram and Hackettstown for $13.99 a bottle, $75.55 a 1/2 case with a 10% half case discount, and $134.31 a case with a 20% full case discount. SKU#24328

About the Chef:

Andre’ de Waal is the owner of Andre’s Restaurant &Wine Boutique in Newton NJ. For more information about Andre’ and his restaurant, visit www.andresrestaurant.com