This past week I had the pleasure of spending a week in East Hampton, NY. A friend kindly offered his house to me, my husband, and my 10-year-old son. It turned out to be a glorious week in terms of weather, fun, food and wine. It also happened that my birthday fell on one of the days during our holiday and of course I took advantage of the opportunity to do something local and out of the ordinary. We went fishing! We traveled quite a ways out in the Atlantic and caught numerous Fluke fish. The next day I researched methods of cooking the fish (as I was not familiar with this type) and decided to put it in aluminum foil on the grill with lemon, butter, olive oil, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper. I could not believe how delicious the fresh caught fish tasted. It melted in our mouths.
As for the wine, our friend (who is a wine collector) wanted to open a special bottle to celebrate life, friends, and good food. We enjoyed the 2006 Kesner Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay which produces only a few hundred cases a year. In the wine making process they use a small percentage of new oak allowing the purity of flavors to shine. There was nice citrus and mineral notes that made it a fresh and lively pairing.
Since we had plenty of Fluke, we had the opportunity for another fresh fish evening and I chose to pair it with 2008 Bodegas Valdesil Montenovo Godello. Godello is a local grape of the Valdeorras region of Spain. It is a minerally, crisp white wine with citrus, melon, and pear characteristics. I found it to be a somewhat better pairing with the delicate Fluke fish. Another fun option that I would also choose is 2008 Cool Fish Chardonnay, an artisanal blend of Chardonnay grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands created with the purpose of bringing out a new dimension in seafood that other white wines may not.
If you are not able to catch your dinner, then head to your local fish monger and ask for the freshest white fish available. Cooking it on the grill in foil for a no fuss, no mess meal and pop a cork of white wine. Your spirit and mood will instantly lighten!
As for the wine, our friend (who is a wine collector) wanted to open a special bottle to celebrate life, friends, and good food. We enjoyed the 2006 Kesner Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay which produces only a few hundred cases a year. In the wine making process they use a small percentage of new oak allowing the purity of flavors to shine. There was nice citrus and mineral notes that made it a fresh and lively pairing.
Since we had plenty of Fluke, we had the opportunity for another fresh fish evening and I chose to pair it with 2008 Bodegas Valdesil Montenovo Godello. Godello is a local grape of the Valdeorras region of Spain. It is a minerally, crisp white wine with citrus, melon, and pear characteristics. I found it to be a somewhat better pairing with the delicate Fluke fish. Another fun option that I would also choose is 2008 Cool Fish Chardonnay, an artisanal blend of Chardonnay grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands created with the purpose of bringing out a new dimension in seafood that other white wines may not.
If you are not able to catch your dinner, then head to your local fish monger and ask for the freshest white fish available. Cooking it on the grill in foil for a no fuss, no mess meal and pop a cork of white wine. Your spirit and mood will instantly lighten!
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