This week, I was given a bottle of Pencarrow Chardonnay 2014 to try. Pencarrow is the second label to Palliser Estate, a wine producer in Martinborough (an area of New Zealand close to my heart). I"m not going to get involved in trying to describe the wine. But I can tell you it's great, and it's great with this dish.
I love chardonnay, and I love gnocchi, and the match came about after I spent a good amount of time reading about and playing around with lots of different ideas.
The three main ingredients of potato gnocchi, browned butter and pumpkin each compliment the richness of the wine. The acidity of the chardonnay (being young) cuts through that richness, cleansing the palette. The sage and the hazelnut work well with the savoury characters in the wine, for example the slight nuttiness from the oak is perfect with these lightly toasted hazelnuts.
You can make your own gnocchi if you have a bit more time (it’s seriously not that hard and there are heaps of recipes online) but there are some great quality pre-made brands available at specialty supermarkets. If using pre-bought, this becomes a quick but luxurious mid week meal.
Add a couch and a blanket and a glass of chardonnay and you’ll be winter comfort personified.