Smoked Chicken Salad and NW Wine Academy Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

There are many misunderstood and maligned grapes out in the world of wine – Gewürztraminer, Gamay and Riesling are a few that come to mind. But no wine has suffered the slings and arrows as much as Chardonnay. I feel that many people blame the grape, when the problem is mass produced overly oaked (read oak chips and dust) wines that flooded the market many years ago. Chardonnay is the grape of Mersault and Montrachet, the great grape of burgundy and it makes some of the most profound wine all around the world.

Today, I have pleasure of presenting the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College 2013 Chardonnay. (Full disclosure I am an instructor at the school, so yes I am biased.) The Northwest Wine Academy is the only college level program offering professional wine courses in the Puget Sound Region. The school offers a two year Associate of Arts degrees in Viticulture and Enology, as well as Degrees in Food and Wine Pairing, Winemaking, and Wine Marketing and Sales.

The 2013 Chardonnay was sourced from Wyckoff Vineyard and fermented in new French Oak barrels with partial malolactic fermentation and stirred on the lees for three months. Complex, with just a hint of oak, the wine reveals bright, fruit-forward aromas – melon, lemon, and pear. It delivers notes of spice, sea salt, and minerality with a creamy mouth feel. This is an excellent example of the potential of Chardonnay in Washington State. The Schools Chardonnay has received Gold and Double Gold Medals from the Seattle Wine Awards in years past.

This wine would be an excellent choice with double cream cheese, like Delice de Bourgogne or Kurtwood Farms Dinah’s. The toasty oak makes this wine a perfect pair for roasted, grilled, smoked  birds like chicken and turkey.  This wine pairs with a range of dishes from lighter salads to seafood and cream sauces.

Now, I am pairing this with a Smoked Chicken and Hazelnut Salad with pears and Mesclun greens.

Why this pairing works: The Toasted hazelnuts echo the toast of the new French barrel, the pears echo a note of pear in the wine, the body and weight of the two are balanced. The chardonnay makes for a lovely bridge with fresh acidity and a delicate minerality that is balanced by a creamy finish.

 

Smoked Chicken and Hazelnut Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 each Smoked Chicken 2-2 ½ lb

2 each Ripe pears

1Pound Mixed Greens

4 ounce Roasted Hazelnuts

4-6 ounces Hazelnut dressing

1 each yellow pepper, Julienne

**********Vinaigrette

¼ Cup Cider Vinegar

1 each shallot minced

2 tsp Honey

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

¾ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Hazelnut Oil

1 Tbl Tarragon chopped

Salt and pepper

1.     In bowl combine all ingredients for dressing and mix well

2.     for salad de-bone chicken and shred into little strips. Set aside

3.     roast hazelnuts in warm 275 – 300 degree oven for 7- 10 minutes

4.     slice pears and put into large bowl add greens and dressing

5.     toss salad

6.     garnish with chicken and hazelnuts