True Winemaker Cuisine - Culinary Recipes with Wine

It's no wonder that many wineries today own a restaurant where their wines are paired with delightful regional and international dishes. Whether traditional fare or innovative creations, these culinary delights can also be replicated at home with the right recipes. Here is a three-course meal from authentic winemaker cuisine, easy to prepare and perfect for when guests arrive.

Grape and Cucumber Gazpacho
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
100 g stale white bread
100 ml warm vegetable broth
1 large cucumber
250 g seedless white grapes
150 g yogurt
150 g cream
100 g flaked almonds
60 ml olive oil
White wine vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
To make the gazpacho, first cut the bread into small pieces and place it in a blender. Pour the vegetable broth over it and let it soak for 15 minutes.
Set aside a piece of cucumber for decoration, peel and dice the rest. Wash the grapes and remove them from their stems, setting aside some for decoration. Add the remaining grapes and cucumber cubes to the bread in the blender, along with yogurt, cream, 80 g flaked almonds, and 50 ml olive oil. Blend everything until it's smooth.
Season the gazpacho with vinegar, salt, and pepper, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Wash the reserved cucumber piece, lengthwise quarter it, and slice it thinly. Halve the remaining grapes and mix them with the remaining olive oil (1 tbsp), salt, and pepper. Toast the rest of the flaked almonds in a pan without fat until golden brown.
Mix the cucumber slices, halved grapes, and toasted almond flakes. Retrieve the gazpacho from the fridge, blend again, and distribute it into four chilled bowls. Top with the cucumber-grape-almond mix and decorate with edible flowers such as nasturtiums. Pair with a dry, crisp white wine for an exquisite experience.

Salmon with Fennel in White Wine Cream Sauce
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
600 g salmon fillet
1 large fennel bulb
Olive oil for frying
150 ml white wine (e.g., Chardonnay)
300 g cream
1 tsp vegetable broth
300 g cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp crème fraîche
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
Rinse the salmon, pat dry, and cut it into 4 pieces. Wash and trim the fennel, reserving the fronds. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise, removing the core, and slice. Heat olive oil in a covered pan, sauté the fennel strips for 5 minutes. Deglaze with white wine and cream, stir in the broth, and cover to cook for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and chop the tomatoes. Add them to the fennel along with the salmon fillets. Cover and let everything simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes until the fish is no longer translucent inside.
Finally, add the crème fraîche and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Chop the reserved fennel fronds, sprinkle over the salmon, and serve with rice. A chilled white wine like Chardonnay pairs beautifully with this summery dish.

Wine Cream
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 pack vanilla or cream pudding mix
250 ml dry white wine
100 g sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1 egg
400 g cream

Preparation:
Mix the pudding powder with the sugar, white wine, and lemon juice in a bowl. Take a small quantity to whip with the egg until frothy, and then stir it back into the main pudding mixture.
Bring the pudding mixture to a boil in a saucepan. Continuously stir, and when it thickens, remove from heat and allow it to cool down.
Whip the cream until stiff and gently fold it into the lukewarm pudding. Transfer the finished cream into a piping bag and distribute it among four dessert bowls. Chill the wine cream for at least 1 hour before serving, decorated with halved grapes.

The book “The True Winemaker Cuisine” by Christiane Leesker and Vanessa Jansen is published by DK-Verlag, www.dk-verlag.de