Renaissance by Reyes 2016 Chardonnay Citrus Coffee Cake

By Beth P. Heiserman

This coming Saturday, I have a white wine tasting event. I have been putting together what scrumptious treats I will be pairing with each wine. As I was thinking about Renaissance by Reyes 2016 Chardonnay, and reading different articles about the history of Chardonnay, like most grapes for many years we assumed the history that the information available was accurate. Nowadays with DNA Fingerprinting, has allowed us to have an accurate history about many different varietals.  It is suggested now that Chardonnay is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Gouais blanc. It was thought that Gouais blanc was brought from Croatia to eastern France by the Romans.

I have mentioned many times that my grandmother had passed down any recipes to me. This is another one of her tasty treats. Like all my recipes I have put my twist to this one too. This is a delicious coffee cake perfect for brunch with a glass of Renaissance by Reyes 2016 Chardonnay. Renaissance by Reyes 2016 Chardonnay has delightful aromas of citrus, lemon zest and a hint of grapefruit. Aged in French oak for 20 months, creating a multi layered and complex wine. It is rich on the palate and filled with notes of tangerines and quince.

This crisp wine can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes like for a weekend brunch, the recipe below of a citrus coffee cake, quiche Lorraine, asparagus frittata or even a croque monsieur.  For a cheese course, I would suggest baked brie with topped with grapefruit marmalade or gouda cheese. Then I was thinking, tomorrow night I have a committee meeting and I am doing the snacks and fondue started to sound fun. I just bought this Dijon mustard that is made with grapefruit, honey and rosemary. Adding a touch of mustard to the fondue would be the perfect accompaniment to this wine. For a main course, I would recommend grilled spicy salmon topped with a grapefruit salsa, crab cakes or even a tarragon chicken with a Dijon cream sauce. I usually think dessert first and today I saved it for last. Cheesecake, pound cake topped with French vanilla ice cream or blonde brownie.

Come celebrate #WhiteWine at Reyes Winery… On May 3rd was World Sauvignon Blanc Day! Social media has a hashtag for it, #SauvBlancDay & #SauvBlanc. Join the movement and drink lots of Reyes Winery Sauvignon Blanc. Plus, we celebrated #MuscatDay on May 9th and #ChardonnayDay on May 23rd. Take a photo of you, your wine and your wine glass! Come taste award-winning #WhiteWine with a petite food pairing with each wine! I have chosen these varietals for this special tasting event. We are celebrating these amazing award-winning white wines.

 

Ingredients

¼ cup Renaissance by Reyes 2016 Chardonnay

2 lemons, zested and juiced

2 oranges, zested and juiced

(¼ cup of lemon and orange juice)

½ cup Oil

2 eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar + 2 tbsp

¼ cup Orange marmalade

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt, kosher

1 tsp cardamom

2 tsp thyme, fresh

2 ¼ cups all purpose Flour

 

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients including the thyme and cardamom.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine lemon & orange juice, vanilla paste, eggs, oil, and sugar.
3. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. Don’t over mix.
4. Add orange marmalade to mixture.
5. Add mixture to greased 9×9 baking pan.
6. Add the sprinkle the 2 tbsp of sugar on top of batter.
7. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 35 minutes.
8. Serve.