
It’s National Almond Day!
Today, February 16, is National Almond Day! Did you know that a large percentage of almonds are grown in California?
Almonds are used in numerous recipes. Almonds are also said to offer a variety of health benefits. To discover the history of almonds and its many attributes visit the National Almond Day website.
Below is a recipe from J Vineyards in California. The recipe requires almonds and Pinot Noir.
Cheers! Kathy
Chocolate Almond Shortbread with Pinot Noir Dried Bing Cherry Puree
Serves 65 cookies 1-1/2 inch each.
Ingredients
Chocolate Almond Shortbread:
8 ounces butter (at room temperature)
2 ounces granulated sugar
1 ounce powdered sugar
1 ounce cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces all purpose flour
1 ounce chopped almonds
Pinot Noir Dried Bing Cherry Puree:
8 ounces dried Bing cherries (or other Fruit)
4 ounces J Pinot Noir
2 ounces water
Method
Chocolate Almond Shortbread:
In mixer on low speed blend butter, sugars, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Then add flour, and nuts. Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8 of an inch.
Chill dough in refrigerator for one hour; this will make it easier to cut into desired shapes.
Bake 350º for 8-10 minutes.
Pinot Noir Dried Bing Cherry Puree:
Combine all the above in small saucepan and bring to a boil, then adjust heat to low and cook until cherries are soft, about 10 minutes. Pour into blender and puree.
Allow mixture to cool then place in a pastry bag for piping.
Cheers!
Kathy
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Wine Importers Should Consider Wines from Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec
Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec is a wine producer in France’s Languedoc Roussillon region. The winery is known for producing natural wines.
The winery has 50 hectares (123 acres)of vineyards. According to the winery website, the old Roman road (Via Domitia) crosses the vineyards. The Mediterranean influences the vineyards. The soils in the vineyards consist of gravel and clay-limestone. The summers are hot and the winters are cold. The red grape varieties growing in the Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec vineyards include: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Caladoc. Caladoc is a cross between Malbec and Grenache. White grapes are Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.
Lionel Boutié, a member of a fourth generation wine family, decided to farm the vineyards organically. The vineyards are labeled with AB certified by ECOCERT as well as the European Bio logo. The Domaine’s website notes: “Working in organic farming is above all a way of life. It is respect for the land, the product, the winemaker and the consumer.”
Wines produced by Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec include: Muscat Sec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery also produces several blends.
At the APVSA, Association for the Promotion of Wines and Spirits in North America, wine event earlier this year, I tasted two of the Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec organic red wines.
The Ricardelle de Lautrec IGP OC Pinot Noir Red 2015 was a translucent red purple color. The wine offered red fruit notes and lots of tannins. The finish had tannins and wine had a long aftertaste.
Cabernet Sauvignon Organic Red 2015, with 13.5% alcohol, was a translucent dark red color. This dry wine offered notes of fruit particularly black fruit. There were notes of tannins. The wine had a long aftertaste. Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec recommends matching this wine with roast beef, lamb or a plate of charcuterie.
Wine importers will want to consider wines from Domaine Ricardelle de Lautrec.
Cheers,
Kathy