Mourvèdre Release and Food Pairing!
November 2023 Food pairing
2021 Mourvèdre paired with Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese Balls
The release of the 2021 Mourvèdre came just in time for the holiday season and all the delicious meals that go along with it! This new vintage is herbaceous, with notes of sage and clove, and a little bit earthy. It has a medium body and very mild tannins, making it an excellent wine to pair with meats like turkey and ham, or herbed side dishes, like mashed potatoes and stuffing. It even has light notes of pomegranate and raspberry, which can be complimented nicely by cranberry sauce or honey glazes. We are not exaggerating when we say this is the perfect Thanksgiving wine.
As such, we thought we would come up with a fun Thanksgiving appetizer to help inspire you for your holiday tables! These cranberry walnut goat cheese balls look festive and taste delicious. The parsley, cinnamon, and cranberries all did so well with the Mourvèdre. With all the walnut trees surrounding the tasting room it was only natural that we should use them for this recipe, but pecans or pistachios would also do nicely.
The cream cheese in this recipe really mellowed out any tanginess to the goat cheese, so even those who don't normally enjoy goat cheese loved the recipe! However, if you are more of goat cheese lover, we would recommend lessening the ratio of cream cheese to match your taste.
However you choose to prepare these, they are sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday gatherings! Don't forget your bottle of Mourvèdre to share alongside it!
Cranberry Walnut Goat Cheese balls
Ingredients:
- 10 oz goat cheese
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Directions:
- Using an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon and honey until light and creamy. Fold in ¼ cup walnut pieces.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop or cookie baller, scoop and roll out small balls of filling. Allow to chill in fridge for about 20 minutes.
- For the coating, mix the remaining walnut pieces, dried cranberries, and parsley.
- Coat the balls of filling in the walnut/cranberry mixture. Drizzle with honey and serve with crackers or toasted slices of baguette. These can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.