“Student Blend Requisition” Team 3:
Broiled Salmon with Béarnaise Sauce, Pommes Natures and Sautéed Zucchini
Elizabeth Cruz
Visiting the Red Hook Winery was an educational and enjoyable experience providing information and memories that will last forever. I am truly grateful to the Julia Child Foundation, and everyone involved in organizing these events. This beautiful location sits across from Lady Liberty and as the sunshine sparkled on the East River, we were able to enjoy the view for lunch and reflect on what we’d learned so far. Inside, sits a cool temperature and ambiance, surrounded by the soft sounds of Chopin as they bounced off the barrels; at Red Hook Winery, we applied each of our senses and absorbed as much as we could during this visit.
We learned that part of their process when creating this wine is that they let the pressed “fruit” sit and chill in its barrel to allow the fermentation to “naturally take-off”. At this point, we had seen, smelled, touched, and tasted the grapes, juices, and skins, opening all of our senses for the hands-on experience.
As part of a detailed and informative tour, Winemaker Christopher Nicolson offered us samples of 6 base wines: 3 whites and 3 red wines. Each possessing its own qualities and distinctive characters, a blend of two whites would be my suggestion for the Team 3 Meal. Although the three reds we tasted were quite pleasant to the palate; my best suggestion for a Broiled Salmon and BĂ©arnaise would be an 80% of the first white wine we tried, which I found to be creamy with an olive oil hue, and 20% of the lighter bodied white wine we also sampled.
I decided to choose these wines to blend because I want the creaminess of the first white wine to compliment the Salmon, and hints of the lighter bodied white to compliment the herbs and fresh green flavors of the Béarnaise sauce. As a treat, with the Team 3 meal, I would also like to recommend our guests be offered a glass of the Red Hook Winery Rosé that we were able to enjoy with lunch; for the rose petal and strawberry notes could easily enhance this meal and the overall experience.
