Pairings in Paso: Le Cuvier Chardonnay and Curry Spiced Hummus

by Tina Swithin

I wear several hats for the Travel Paso Robles Alliance but one of my favorite jobs is scouting around for new and exciting recipes.  With over 200 local wineries and the best restaurants this side of the Mississippi, I have an endless supply of artisan delights right at my fingertips.  I am one lucky lady!   

Being that the holidays are behind us, I have been on the hunt for recipes that are a little bit lighter and more nutritious.  I have had my fill (and then some) of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and everything else that graces a holiday table.  Throughout the year, I tend to lean towards foods that are on the  healthy side.  I am a huge fan of hummus so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this Curry Spiced Hummus recipe from Le Cuvier Winery in Paso Robles.  I couldn't wait to get home and try it! 

Curry Spiced Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
¼ c. tahini (raw sesame seed paste)
2 garlic cloves
⅓ to ½ c. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground coriander
2 ½ to 3 tsp. yellow curry powder

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process to desired consistency. Serve with crackers or fresh baguette.

Suggested Pairing: Le Cuvier Non-Vintage Chardonnay XLB

Wine Maker Notes: As exotic as an oriental courtesan with gleaming legs of fine antique gold; a slow dancer wearing an enormous sun-struck citrine bling; ripe braised pears dotted with candied apricot, marzipan & tropical pineapple, grapefruit zest, & just a hint of bourbon dusted with nutmeg, & surely you can find a magnolia petal floating in the nether reaches of your mind. Why such intense golden tone, & whence the provocative scent? Because Chardonnay grapes fully exposed to the sun from birth at flowering have golden skins infused with an incredible array of scents & flavors, & because all of our white wines, including this Chardonnay, are totally fermented on their skins just like a classic red wine. This process captures all of the skin's color, scent & flavors. And what's the difference? Chardonnay grapes are normally dumped whole cluster into the wine press, with clear juice being quickly extracted from the berries, upon which the glorious golden skins with their exotic flavors & scents are simply dumped onto the compost heap. A crime! The books say that one must never ferment white grapes on the skins. Rubbish. The books also say that Chardonnay should never be barrel-aged more than 4 or 5 months. Double rubbish! Bottled in 2011, this venerable wine spent an average of 5 years cradled in oak & is composed of 47.9% Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage & 52.1% from the 2006 vintage.

Le Cuvier Winery
Phone: 800-549-4764                           
3333 Vine Hill Lane                         
Paso Robles, CA 93446  

Tina Swithin is the PR Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.