Asparagus, Leeks and Wine? Oh my!

Well, Spring has arrived and the buds are breaking all up and down the Central Coast AVA! As you ponder which of the 10 counties and more than 90,000 acres of Vinifera to visit first this year, don’t forget to include some of our local product on your Easter menu. The variety and quality of the Central Coast wine region makes it easy to complement and enhance almost anything that will be featured on the family table next Sunday. Try your hand at this tasty and easy starter. Many wine lovers would have a difficult time suggesting a wine for quiche, let alone a quiche with the "Sommelier’s Nemesis" of asparagus and leeks.

Breakaway from the pack and show your prowess by complementing this dish with one (or more) of the following Central Coast offerings:

2007 Claiborne & Churchill Dry Riesling, Edna Valley:

Like its sister wines from the 2007 harvest (the Dry Gewürztraminer and the Pinot Gris) it shows a rich, ripe, and intense fruit. From its honeysuckle aromas to its peaches-and-cream flavors, it is perhaps the most opulent Dry Riesling they’ve made, bigger and more full-bodied, viscous and mouth-filling, with a finish that seems to go on forever.

2006 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County:

Light gold color with a pale green tint. Clean and unoaked, with lively aromas of honeydew melon and green apple carry over to delicate tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and papaya, balanced with crisp mineral notes. The full texture lasts through a luxuriously long finish.

2004 Laetitia Vineyards Brut Coquard Sparkling Wine, Arroyo Grande:

Using the classic Méthode Champenoise, this predominantly Pinot Noir sparkler imparts depth and structure to the wine a bit of Chardonnay gives the wine a rich mouthfeel, elegant citrus flavors and multilayered acidity.

Asparagus and Leek Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or Butter)
1 Leek
• 1 lb Asparagus
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups half & half
• 1 Cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 pie crust (or store bought for convenience) well chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lowest position. Cut off woody ends of asparagus then cut in small pieces on the diagonal. Wash leek carefully, and cut the white and light green part of the leek in half, then thinly slice. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add leek and asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Place piecrust on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle in cheese, top with asparagus/leek mixture, then pour the egg mixture on top of that. Bake until center of quiche is just set, about 50-60 minutes, and rotate the sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

To store, let cool, then refrigerate up to one day. Reheat at 350 until warm, about 30 minutes.

Have some fun with these pairings by asking your friends and guests what they would suggest as a wine pairing for a chessy egg dish with asparagus and leeks. If they crash and burn, don't be cruel! Be their "Sommelier for the Day" and share the following information with them: both asparagus and artichokes can be difficult to pair with a wine.  For instance, artichokes contain the compound cynarin, which tricks people’s taste buds into perceiving flavors that aren’t really present. For most people, cynarin creates sweetness where there isn’t any, meaning that a tart, fresh wine like a Sancerre will taste strangely, unpleasantly sweet. (For a few people, the cynarin reaction is reversed and makes other foods taste peculiarly bitter.)

Asparagus contains methyl mercaptan, a sulfur compound, which tends to give wine a vegetal character. Add the leeks to asparagus, and they interact in a peculiar way. Some of the best choices are crisp, high acid fruity wines, rose if you must have red, and be sure to stay away from any oak.

Cheers!

Eric G. Hensel

Court Of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier

Breakaway Tours Wine Guide