Warm Individual Brie

This recipe for warm individual brie is from episode 6 of This Food That Wine.

Wine suggestion: Oaked Chardonnay

Yield:  2 warm brie rounds

Ingredients

• 2 four inch rounds of Brie cheese
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons oaked chardonnay (45 ml)
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped (10 ml)
• Cracked pepper to taste
• Breads and crackers for dipping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C
2. Place both brie rounds on a parchment lined baking tray.
3. With a fork, puncture the top of the brie in several places.
4. Sprinkle rosemary evenly over both rounds. Drizzle wine over brie and sprinkle with zest, garlic and pepper.
5. Place rounds into the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is warm and melted.
6. Serve warm with, bread or crackers and fresh sliced fruit.

Pairing Notes

Description: This Chardonnay has been aged in oak barrels, which gives the wine a richer, fuller body and adds toasty, nutty, and vanilla flavours. It also has ripe fruit aromas and flavours including juicy, ripe peach and apple, and a little bit of crisp acidity to balance the richness from the oak.

Pairing: This is a perfect example of mirroring the flavours and textures of the wine and the food. The camembert cheese is rich and creamy, and the Chardonnay is rich and creamy so they are in balance with each other. The refreshing, fruity flavours of the wine also clean your taste buds after the richness of the cheese, and the toasty flavours of the wine are a nice match with the rosemary and garlic on the cheese. And to top it all off, since the same Chardonnay is poured right on the cheese, it can’t help but be a great match!

Wine Suggestion: Reif Estate Chardonnay Reserve V.Q.A. (Niagara Peninsula, Canada)