It starts to get cooler at night, the days are getting shorter and we all go back to the routine… It’s a sign that it’s autumn!
Autumn makes us feel nostalgic for the “excesses” of a summer already over. Although, if we face this season with a bit of positivity, we will see that it offers us many things.
Autumn, wine season
The best afternoon light for photos; products from the countryside and the forest to enjoy; and, of course, the new musts recently harvested that become what will be the wines of the new vintage.
Visits surrounded by vineyards
It is a very good time to visit the vineyards, with their changes of color in the leaves, and in the cellar, that aroma of sweet musts transforming into wine.
If you haven’t come yet to see us, it could be a very good opportunity to pay us a visit this fall.
For some, the pleasure of autumn is to get in front of the stove to cook those spoon dishes. Comforting recipes, to continue gathering our friends around that comfort food and a few good bottles of wine.
Claiming the legumes
For some years now, even haute cuisine has regained interest in legumes, with many advantages for our health, but also for our pocket. Those of you who follow this blog know that I claim them often and that I am one of those who does not consider a pantry if there are not at least a couple of jars of chickpeas, beans or lentils…
Not only are pulses low in fat and high in fiber, as well as an important source of vitamins and minerals, but it has been proven that growing pulses is sustainable and beneficial to the environment. With their cultivation, the carrying capacities of natural ecosystems are respected, adverse effects and pressure on the environment are reduced. They require much less energy and infrastructure to grow, including less water. In addition, they are adapted to semi-arid areas and can be grown where water is scarce.
Regarding health, it is worth remembering that legumes have a low glycemic index and a lot of fiber, so they are a great type of food. Although they have a high caloric value as they help regulate appetite in a healthy and balanced way.
They have biotin, which is very good for hair health; good for the heart as they increase good cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Thanks to its magnesium content, it regulates hormones, and its high content of B vitamins helps you lift your spirits.
Can you ask for more? That’s why nutritionists advise eating three servings a week.
Pairing spoon dishes
And you may be thinking that three times a week combining lentils with chorizo, Asturian bean stew or chickpea stew is a bit too much for your body, right?
Nothing is further from reality. Although with the arrival of the cold, these traditional and powerful dishes are craved from time to time, today we are going to suggest different options, paired, of course, with our wines, so that the pleasure is doubled.
And for this time, we are not going to tell you the dish and then suggest the wine. As a Jean Leon wine lover that you are, we are going to suggest which dishes harmonize best with each wine.
RANGE 3055
3055 CHARDONNAY
You are a lover of the freshness and lightness of this pure chardonnay, without complications… prepare a rice and lentils salad with avocado and tomato with many proteins and carbohydrates, but, above all, easy to make, especially if we start with cooked rice and canned lentils. Salads are not only for summer.
3055 ROSÉ
Rosé wine must be deseasonalized. In the same way that we said that legume salads are not exclusive to summer, the 3055 Rosé can perfectly pair with toasted chickpeas with paprika together with prawns and spinach that can be served cold as if it was a salad, warm or hot, as a stir-fry.
3055 PETIT VERDOT-MERLOT
Do you want to succeed among your friends by inviting them to dinner? Nothing easier and cheaper than preparing a good chili with meat casserole. A Tex-Mex fusion cuisine dish that can be eaten hot or warm and can be frozen for your meals at the office. Serve it with the 3055 petit verdor merlot, a red wine that is gaining more followers every day. Jean Leon’s commitment to the Petit Verdot variety, which with climate change is giving us excellent results in our terroir.
SINGLE VINEYARD WINE RANGE
With a simple “googling” you can find recipes for both chickpeas and beans stewed with fish. Some chickpeas a la marinera, some beans with seafood or squid or some traditional “faves” with clams will have in this traditional chardonnay an ally at the height of the dish.
If there is a truly “autumn” grape variety, it is Merlot. Our Vinya Palau, with vines planted in 1991, assures you an exceptional quality in a wine that combines the fruity character of fresh plum with the notes of forest floor so typical of this time of year. Preparing a legume stew that we will combine with seasonal meats and mushrooms opens up a world of possibilities for combining many of the products that the season offers us.
One of the properties that legumes have is to “absorb” tannins. That is why wines based on cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc turn out to be perfect allies for these dishes. For this wine, play the powerful card. Some Rioja-style lentils, some beans with pig’s trotters or some simple chickpeas with tomato and ham. A balm against the first cold of the season.
For our most prestigious wine, one of the most famous legume dishes: the “cassoulet” from the south of France. A traditional dish with beans, a variety of meats that combines pork and duck. With a long and laborious cooking but that we can find ready to eat in gourmet stores (I assure you that it is the best option). For that special fall food celebration.
NATIVE RANGE
XAREL·LO
For lovers of exotic cuisines, you can find a large number of Indian cuisine recipes that use lentils and chickpeas. Remember that fresh and light white and rosé wines are best for spicy dishes. The finesse and delicacy of the Jean Leon Nativa Xarel·lo will be a very good ally for that chickpea curry, which you can make both in a vegetarian version and with chicken.
Whatever your choice between lentils, chickpeas or beans, Jean Leon wines are there, pairing and joining your autumn lunches and dinners.
Sergi Castro – Sommelier Jean Leon
