Apple Wine

Grand Pré Winery’s “Pomme d’Or”

Posted on: August 10th, 2010 by Carla Johnson No Comments

Today I had a great conversation with Jürg Stutz of Grand Pré Winery, the oldest winery in Nova Scotia. 

Their restaurant Le Caveau has won several awards and has an impressive dining menu.  Chef Jason Lynch will be sharing a recipe or two right here in a few days! Yeah!

Grand Pré Winery is tucked by the Bay of Fundy in the Annapolis Valley, where farms and orchards are abundant. The number of wineries in Nova Scotia has dramatically increased recently. It’s very exciting to see.

Their Pomme D’or is the marinade base for Chef Suman’s “Roasted Rabbit Marinated in Pomme d’Or” recipe. 

While it is comparable to ice wine, Pomme d’Or is a bit more acidic and has a lower sugar count. It may be the perfect apperitif for someone who finds ice wine too sweet. Ice wine has a sugar count often around 12, where Pomme d’Or is a 6. Both wines have similar alcohol content.

~ Pomme d’Or ~

Apple Dessert Wine

10% alc., 375ml, $22.50

The Facts

This apple dessert wine is made from both new and old apple varieties grown locally in the picturesque Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, a place world renowned for its apple production. A unique vinification process allows us to extract the pure sugar from the freshly pressed apple juice which is used for fermentation. The result is a spectacularly rich wine displaying complex notes of baked apple, apricot and caramel. A concentrated and sweet treat these wonderful flavors are balanced with a nice acidity and a long sweet finish.

Food Affinities

This dessert wine is a perfect compliment to any apple dessert, with mild cheesesand richly textured foods such as foie gras.

Awards

Bronze Medal Winner – 2003 All Canadian Wine Championship

Silver Medal Winner – 2004 NSLC Port of Wine Festival

Bronze Medal Winner – 2007 Canadian Wine Awards

Silver Medal Winner – 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

To purchase Pomme d’Or, you need to contact Grand Pre Winery directly. I checked with our local LCBO and sadly they no longer carry it. I say it’s a great excuse for a trip to the east coast!

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“Golden Apple” Roasted Rabbit

Posted on: August 9th, 2010 by Carla Johnson 1 Comment

Recipe Courtesy : “From Pemmican To Poutine – A Journey through Canada’s Culinary History

All photos courtesy of Chef Suman Roy & Grand Pre Winery.

Author : Chef Suman 

With a lovely view of the Bay of Fundy, Grand Pre Estates Winery makes Nova Scotian wine in the beautiful Annapolis Valley. Their stately rows of grapevines grow unique grapes that have been designed to thrive in the particular growing climate of Annapolis Valley. Instead of growing Old World varieties like Chardonnay or Sauvignon, Grand Pre strongly believes that new wine producing regions should develop and perfect their own varieties, styles and vineyard practices to make wines that are born of and unique to their region. Not only does this create a truly Nova Scotian wine, but it makes it easier to grow the grapes without the costly and sometimes environmentally damaging methods needed to grown non-indigenous strains.

Grand Pre is the oldest winery in Nova Scotia. It was started in the 1970s by Roger Dial, who is considered the pioneer of Nova Scotia winemaking. He ran the winery until 1993 when it was purchased by Hanspeter Stutz. Stutz wanted to create not just wine but also a tourism experience, by renovating the grounds and offering vineyard tours in the summer and fall. They still make wines with their special grapes, but they now also offer unique varieties like icewine and their very special Pomme d’Or.

Pomme d’Or means “golden apple” in French and is a particularly apt name for this wine; the rich golden hue combines with the sweetness almost of an icewine to make it seem like you really are drinking sweet liquid gold. Made from six varieties of apples grown in the Annapolis Valley (Macintosh, Cortland, Russet, Northern Spry, and two secret varieties), the mix of old and new strains give the flavour and bouquet a complexity that makes it stand apart. The notes of baked apple, apricot and caramel pair beautifully with the saddle of rabbit and bring an unmistakable flavour to the marinade. Just make sure to save a few glasses for yourself.

Roasted Rabbit Marinated in Grand Pre’s Pomme D’Or

Serves: 6

Marinade:
1 cup Grand Pre’s Pomme D’Or
2 cups chicken stock
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
 
Meat:
2 (2 lbs) rabbits
 
Roasting Vegetables:
3 sweet potatoes, 5 cm (2”) diced
2 carrots, peeled and 5 cm (2”) diced
1 celery stalk, 5 cm (2”) diced
1 onion, 5 cm (2”) diced
1 bay leaf

1. In a large mixing bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade and marinate both rabbits overnight in a refrigerator.

2. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

3. In a roasting pan layer the bottom with the large diced vegetables, and place the 2 rabbits on top. Reserve any leftover marinade.

4. Roast in the oven covered for 3 hours until cooked through, basting occasionally with the leftover marinade. You will know it is cooked when the meat is almost falling off the bones.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F and remove the cover to get an even golden brown colour on the rabbits.

6. Serve the rabbits with the vegetables and the juices from the pan.

Wellness Notes:

Rabbit meat contains niacin, selenium, phosphorous, iron, and B12. Look for grass fed rabbit, as grass fed animals contain more nutrition and healthier fats than grain fed animals of the same breed

Purchase a copy of Chef Suman’s new cookbook “From Pemmican to Poutine

UPDATE: Check out the Lobster Caesar recipe Chef Suman enjoyed for his birthday.

Carla Johnson Cooking With Sin

Carla Johnson Cooking With Sin