news-record.com

This simple comfort food just seems right for February.  A solid Chardonnay – in this case the 2007 Buck Shoals Vineyard Chardonnay – is cozy companion.

Buck Shoals, in the Hamptonville area of the Yadkin Valley wine region, only produced 50 cases of this wine from the 2007 vintage. If you remember, a hard, sustained Easter freeze devastated most of the early-budding varietals and Chardonnay was particularly hard hit in North Carolina.

The 2007 Buck Shoals Chard is noteworthy for another reason: It was the first time winemaker Dana Acker experimented with puncheons - 105 gallon barrels (versus standard 59-gallon barrel). - in order to extract only a hint of oak.

“There’s less surface to volume contact with the large barrels. My professor was fond of telling us: ‘Sometimes the best oak is the oak you don’t taste.’ " his white is noted for its clean, refreshing apple, melon and pear flavors and aromas.

Curried, winter squash soup

Ingredients:

1 whole winter squash

1 yellow onion, diced

2 apples, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons of curry

Chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation:

Peel squash, scoop out the seeds and chop into 2-inch pieces.

Put the squash, onion, and apple in large pot.  Add just enough stock to cover.  Cook on medium-high heat for approximately 1 hour or until the squash and the apple are cooked completely.

Remove from heat and puree mixture in a blender until smooth.  Return mixture to the stove and add curry.  Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.