Student Blend Requisition

Team #3 Janice G. and Craig R.

Menu Item Team #3: Broiled Salmon with Béarnaise Sauce , Pommes Natures and Sauteed Zucchini

Our menu item is a fillet cooked salmon, with a buttery, flaky and crispy skin. The Béarnaise sauce gives the palate a hint of herbs that compliment the buttery, succulent salmon. With the sautéed zucchini and pommes nature potatoes on the side, we had discussed that whatever wine we chose, it has to be smooth, with low acidity to not overpower the buttery flavor from the salmon. We had no idea, if it will be white or red.

During our trip at the Red Hook Winery, we tasted three white wines that we believed were somewhat suitable to be paired with our dish. The first white wine was a 2018 Chardonnay that was fermented with no skin content (traditional method). The color was a light yellow, with a medium viscosity. There was a strong smell of oak, with a hint of fruits. There was a strong acidity content, that left the palate dry and tangy. Second white wine was a 2018 chardonnay fermented with skin content. The color was medium yellow, with a bright finish. Intensity on the nose was light, with a little smoky content. Light acidity on the palate, which gave a refreshing and smooth taste. Third white wine was a 2017 Riesling that had a rich, yellow color. Strong smell of pears and apples on the nose. Intensity on the palate was powerful, because of the strong acidity that was present. A hint of olives also seem to be present on the palate.

We decided that our blend will consist of 80% of the 2018 Chardonnay that was fermented with skin content, 15% of the 2018 Chardonnay that was fermented with no skin content and 5% of the Riesling. We decided on this blend because the Chardonnay with skin content had a refreshing and smooth taste that wouldn’t overpower our buttery tasting salmon. We felt the Riesling wine should be added because it gave us a hint of a green olive taste, that we felt was needed to bring more complexity to the wine. This pairing should balance out with our menu item because of the low acidity, we didn’t want our succulent salmon to be overpowered by the wine.  This blend should be refreshing and smooth on the palate and pair nicely.