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Inspiration Vineyards
Chardonnay Grilled Marinated Prawns |
| Inspiration Vineyards Owners Barbara and Jon Phillips |
A barrel of Zinfandel started Jon and Barbara Phillips on the road to making wine for friends and family in 1999. But shortly thereafter, they caught the winemaking bug completely and, in 2001, purchased a six-acre estate on Olivet Road in the Russian River Valley. In 2003, they announced their first commercial release of their 2002 vintage. Today, they produce about 500 cases of six types of wine on an annual basis.
The Chardonnay is grown on the Phillips’ estate, and is carefully harvested by hand. The grapes are fermented and aged in two- and three-year-old French oak barrels. The result is a crisp, delightful wine with apple, pear and citrus on the palate and hardly a hint of oak. It’s paired here with a grilled prawns/fruit salsa recipe. In Jon’s words, “I like this recipe with our Chardonnay because it has all the wonderful, tangy, tropical flavors of fruit, with a slight heat from the chili that really compliments both the prawns and the wine. Our wine has just enough acid that it creates a great balance between all of the tropical flavors.” Close your eyes while you’re enjoying this pairing, and it’s almost like you’re on vacation.
| Grilled Marinated Prawns with Fruit Salsa
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| For the marinade:
1 pound (16-20) large prawns, peeled and deveined 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon scallions, minced 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes 2 tablespoons dry white wine |
For the salsa:
1 cup honeydew melon, diced 1 cup mango, diced (usually 1 ripe mango) 1/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced (before dicing, grill for some additional flavor.) 1 teaspoon serrano chilies, seeded and minced 1/4 cup red onions, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar or other fruit vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce salt and pepper to taste
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| Preparation:
Place the prawns in a large, plastic sealable bag. Whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour into the bag with the prawns. Marinate for two hours in the refrigerator. Combine melon, mango, pineapple, chili and onion. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Pour over fruit mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Grill or broil the prawns, one to two minutes on each side until pink (but still a bit transparent in the center). Spoon salsa onto plates, arrange prawns on top and garnish with cilantro. Serves 4 |
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