Chardonnay is one of the most popular white wines on earth and it is a very versatile wine to pair with food. Chardonnay can be paired with a starter or appetizer, a main entree as well as dessert. As we are all practicing social distancing and staying at home, it is handy to have one wine that can go with an entire three-course meal. We would highly recommend our 2018 Jenny Dawn Cellars Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley.
Our 2018 Chardonnay is bright, fresh and acidic with a straw yellow color. It’s dominated by green apple, pear and zesty citrus notes. The palate is smooth, nicely textured with a lively finish. In the vineyard, this Chardonnay was handpicked as it reached the peak of ripeness and brought to the winery for gentle pressing. The juice was fermented on 100% neutral French oak. After primary fermentation was complete, we allowed the young wine to continue to age in contact with the yeast lees stirring every few weeks. During aging, a quarter of the wine then underwent a secondary malolactic fermentation to soften the natural acidity and add complexity.
We paired our Chardonnay with three easy, fun to make, quarantine friendly recipes:
Course 1: Fresh Garden Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing
Course 2: Mushroom and Truffle Oil Pizza
Course 3: Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs
Course 1: Fresh Garden Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients for the Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Sea Salt, to taste
Directions for dressing:
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake thoroughly before serving.
Ingredients for the Salad
- 8 cups lettuce leaves such as romaine green leaf, or iceberg, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 endive bulb cored and chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 3 to 4 radishes ends trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 to 2 carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
- 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 hot house cucumber halved lengthwise and chopped
- Homemade Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing or store bought
Directions for the Salad
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, endive, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and cucumbers.
Step 2: Drizzle with salad dressing and toss until evenly coated.
Course 2: Mushroom and Truffle Oil Pizza
Ingredients for 2 – 4 servings:
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- Cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices portobello mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 2.5 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 2/3 cup), divided
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
- 1 ounce grated fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or flake salt
Directions:
Step 1: Dissolve the sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Step 2: Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on prepared baking sheet. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim; let rise 10 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 475°.
Step 4: While dough rises, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and mushrooms and cook 7 minutes or until mushrooms soften and moisture almost evaporates, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Sprinkle 1/4 cup fontina evenly over dough, and arrange the mushroom mixture evenly over fontina. Sprinkle with thyme; drizzle evenly with truffle oil. Sprinkle remaining fontina and Parmesan cheese evenly over top. Bake at 475° for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove to cutting board, and sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into 8 slices. Serve immediately.
Course 3: Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs
Ingredients:
• 18 dried figs, sliced in half
• 3 oz creamy goat cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 slices of pancetta or bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1-2 tablespoons of honey, for drizzling
Directions:
Step 1: Top the cut side of each fig with ½ teaspoon of goat cheese.
Step 2: Press 2-3 pine nuts into the goat cheese of each fig.
Step 3: Break or cut the pancetta into 1-inch long pieces and press one piece into the goat cheese of each fig.
Step 4: Line the figs up on a serving platter, drizzle honey over the top of the figs, and serve. (Or eat 5 yourself, then serve;)
Have fun making this delicious three-course meal with your friends and family. Share pictures with us by using the hashtags #myjdcmoment and #letyourmomentbegin. Cheers and enjoy!
ABOUT US
Founded in 2016 by Jennifer McDonald, Jenny Dawn Cellars has grown from the dream of an at-home winemaker into Wichita’s first urban winery.
In 2017, Jenny Dawn Cellars established a working partnership with a wine facilitator in Napa, California. In 2019, Jenny Dawn Cellars opened a winery and tasting room in the heart of downtown Wichita located at Union Station.
Currently, Jenny Dawn Cellars has a 2018 Chardonnay, 2017 Pinot Noir, 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sweet Red Blend, a Sweet Red Wine named Wichita Passion and a Sweet White Wine named Wichita Moments.
Jenny Dawn Cellars also offers small bites, venue rentals, wine locker memberships, and Winuecation, a monthly educational class.
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We’ve bottled the art of timing.
From the vine to the bottle. We craft our wine from grapes, fruit, and juice sourced from the finest growers in the nation.
From the bottle to the glass. That’s where you come in. When you open a bottle of Jenny Dawn Cellars wine, you open your moment, your reprieve from the business of busy-ness, and your time to bloom.
Jenny Dawn Cellars is inspired by the wildflowers on the Kansas countryside, inviting you to open up, enjoy the breeze, and show your colors to the world. Just like a flower, when Jenny Dawn Cellars wine is shared with someone special, it needs no further explanation – it’s a feeling that is simply understood.
Jenny Dawn Cellars – Let your moment begin.