Tastemakers: Holiday Goose - Grgich Hills 2000 Chardonnay

Nov. 30, 2005

There was a time when the goose was the preferred bird during the holidays. It has been passed over by the turkey, but now as Americans explore their culinary roots the goose is making a comeback.
Goose is a dark-meat bird including the breast, (in appearance only, actually classified as a white-meat bird ,goose meat darkens as a result of oxygen in the muscles needed for flying) and is slightly gamier than duck. The gaminess is not overpowering, especially with free-range birds that are processed at six months.
This year for the holidays try a Christmas goose filled with a chestnut stuffing. Easy to prepare the rule of thumb for cooking your goose in an oven at 350 degrees is 15 minutes for every pound, and since most birds are around 12 pounds plan on 3 hours. As with any poultry or pork dish use a meat thermometer and make sure the bird reaches at least 165 degrees (the USDA recommends all whole poultry reach internal temperatures of 180 degrees). Another advantage with a goose is that it stays moist and doesn’t require gravy or other sauces, you may consider glazing with maple syrup during the roasting process but the natural fats keep the goose juicy and flavorful. The meat will be firmer and much more flavorful than a commercially raised turkey or duck.
A goose has several wine pairing possibilities and if red is your thing than go with it. Try the 2004 Woodland Red from Chateau Fontaine on the Leelanau Peninsula or a Gewürztraminer (white) from Peninsula Cellars on the Old Mission Peninsula. Check with you local meat market or grocer to acquire a fresh goose for this holiday season.

BOTTOMSup
Grgich Hills 2000 Chardonnay Napa Valley


A couple of weeks ago Paul & Amanda Danielson at Trattoria Stella hosted a Grgich Hills wine dinner. Most of the 50 in attendance were probably unaware of winemaker Miljenko “Mike” Grgich’s contribution to the development of the American wine industry. In the 1960s European and American wine connoisseurs snubbed their noses at wines made in America. Then in 1976 at what has become known as the infamous “Paris Tasting,” a group of upstart California wineries submitted a few chardonnays to be blind tasted against the best white burgundies (considered to be the most prized whites in the world). The famed French judging panel was shocked when they realized they had picked Grgich’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay as the best white wine in the world. As they say the rest became history.
American wines (California) began receiving international respect and Grgich used his newfound celebrity status to launch his own winery in 1977. At 82, Grgich remains on the cutting edge of the industry by continuing to grow and make some of the world’s best wines. Grgich biodynamically and organically farms his 367 acres in Napa Valley.
At the Stella dinner all the Grgich wines showed well; the Danielsons brought out several wines from the Grgich library collection including a 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2000 Chardonnay was by far the most versatile wine of the evening. This chard is very food-friendly with such tropical flavors as mango, pineapple and lemon. This wine is perfect with all styles of seafood. Any wine from Grgich Hills is a treat, look for it at local wine shops or at Stella. -- Rick Coates