Grape Escape: More Chowder Please, and Pass the Wine!

September 27, 2024 – At CRU’s Chowder contest we reported on earlier this week, there was plenty to ponder, especially since there was not only plenty of really good wine, but really great food, too.

The most fun part of the day was getting to chat with the two chef finalists, and the two caterers who came to support them by recreating the finalist recipes in volume so that everyone could enjoy them. The caterers provided their own bites as well. Oh, and tasting all the wines CRU had on the menu to enjoy with the food was even more fun. 

In fact, CRU was pouring a great lineup, including their sleek new Albariño from Edna Valley, the stainless steel 2023 CRU Highlands Select Chardonnay, the robust 2022 Sierra Madre Chardonnay, the 2021 Sarmento Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2021 Grenache and the 2021 GSM from Rancho Real Vineyard in Santa Maria. 

Finalist Lauren Barisic’s Blushing Gnocchi Clam Chowder was a hit with red wine lovers. Barisic says she was inspired to create this crossover chowder when she and her husband returned from a long trip out of town and dropped into a favorite restaurant in SLO for a quick bowl of chowder. The restaurant was nearly out of the Manhattan and was down to their last bit of New England style as well and the server suggested they could combine them – why not! Barisic took that concept to another level by adding mushrooms, gnocchi, parmesan, sausage and pancetta, along with white wine. She took it up a notch with toasted garlicky parmesan oyster crackers, chopped tomatoes, thyme and pickled fennel. Lots going on here: a most diverse chowder recipe that you could easily customize by omission, to narrow down the flavors. As presented, it went very well with the 2021 Sarmento Pinot Noir. 

Caterer Tara Stumph of Phresh Foods in Nipomo, created her own original Thai green curry coconut clam chowder (see recipe below) , which was a dynamite pair with the 2023 CRU Albariño from the Davenport Vineyard in Edna Valley. The light and brothy chowder, graced with coconut, lime and cilantro, was also lovely with the unoaked Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay from the Smith-Lindley Vineyard. Tara also whipped up quite a spread of breads she had baked, topped with butter and different finishing salts, plus her bacon and chipotle popcorn was a beast to be reckoned with. It made good friends with the 2021 CRU GSM from Santa Maria Valley. 

The father and son duo of Bruce and Jordan Finch helm A Party For Your Palate, a catering firm based in Monterey. They presented their version of Marilyn’s winning chowder, and when Marilyn went to sample it, she was struck by the large size of their potatoes. Hers were in perfect small cubes. Maybe guys have a different idea of cubes? Anyway, Bruce created the company based on his many years of doing food and wine pairings for J. Lohr, which followed a long and much less tasty career in high tech.

They do lots of events around the Monterey Bay, at wineries and at private homes. He can talk wine and food all day, but the proof is in the cup and his Cajun corn chowder, whose recipe we’ll share here next week, is something you will definitely want to make when the weather turns a little cooler, so stock up on some ears of corn and get ready to make your own Cajun seasoning. It was electric with the 2021 Sarmento Vineyard Pinot Noir, which Bruce suggested, but I also found it to be quite delectable with the barrel-fermented 2022 Sierra Madre Chardonnay. Finch was skeptical, as he liked the way the chowder brought the fruit out in the Pinot Noir, and thought the Chardonnay would not stand up. Its depth and viscosity nicely amplified the weight of the chowder and for me, mellowed out the spice and emphasized the sweetness of the corn. 

So, the bottom line is that there’s always more than one wine pairing to go with a dish, especially if you don’t use that particular wine in the recipe. Also, recipes are always subject to interpretation. 

Cook the potato in a medium saucepan of salted boiling water just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

In a large pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the fennel, celery, garlic and green curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the coconut milk and lime juice and return to a simmer. Add the potato, and the chopped clams and their juices. Simmer 10 minutes so flavors can develop. Season the chowder with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro, and serve warm.