Lemongrass-Grilled Chicken with Field Recordings Unfiltered Chenin Blanc

I first tasted the Field Recordings Chenin Blanc back toward the earlier part of the year. It’s imported into Florida by a good friend of mine that decided to start a wine distributor business: Vingevity.

The Field Recordings is a single-vineyard, unfiltered, unfined, 285 case production, “old vine” Chenin Blanc from Santa Ynez, and sells for around $18 retail.
If you’re a true wine geek, by this point you should be____________.
I’ll let you fill in the blank on that one…

Looks like a barrel sample, doesn’t it!?!?

Crazy stuff. This really is my kind of wine. A minimal interventionist approach is taken by 29-year old winemaker Andrew Jones. I can only imagine how many times people have thought there was something wrong with the wine, only to try and return it!

The Field Recordings Chenin Blanc shows apricot, nuts, lemon zest, and a floral perfume on the nose. The palate reveals much of the same, with a hint of pineapple, lemon water, fresh cut grass, and a couple of flavors that I just can’t quite put my finger on. Medium in body with a lasting finish. A really beautiful wine!
Know what you are getting yourself into if you are trying this wine for the first time. The fruit almost takes a backseat with the Field Recordings Chenin.

“Taken from photographs of starlings in flight, the artwork for the Field Recordings label documents natural, un-staged patterns that can never be repeated nor replicated. In the same way, each bottle of Field Recordings Wine captures the inimitable circumstances of each vineyard, vintage, and friendship that made it possible.” – Field Recordings Website (which was down at the time of this review being posted).

On to the food!

I chose the wine first, and then the recipe. I had a basic idea of what I was looking to achieve, namely; something as eclectic and as full of flavor as the wine, but not so much that it overpowers.
The added bonus to this recipe was that I got to bring out the ol’ mortar and pestle! I actually registered (and obviously received) it for my wedding. Don’t ask me why I registered for a mortar and pestle, I think I got a little out of control at Williams Sonoma that day!
When not in use, I do have to say that it serves a pretty serious purpose. I’ve always held the opinion that the mere sight of said mortar and pestle on display on the shelf in my kitchen, is a constant reminder to all whom dare venture into my kitchen that I’m an EXTREMELY SERIOUS culinary artist! Certainly NOT the kind of amateurish home-cook that relies on things like online recipe websites for my inspiration….!!!

This recipe for Lemongrass Grilled Chicken came from Foodandwine.com, one of my most trusted recipe resources…

As simple as it gets, 2 step recipe with 9 total ingredients. You are supposed to marinate the chicken in a pummeled mixture of ginger, jalapeno, garlic, lemongrass, brown sugar and some Asian fish sauce for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. Unfortunately I don’t think that far ahead when it comes to a meal, so my chicken settled for 15 minutes marinating in the mix.

I’m going to talk to the guys for a second; so ladies, put your earmuffs on…

Guys, seriously, this recipe was so easy it was unreal. If you’re looking to to cook for your other half , and you’re trying to impress her without standing over a stove for a few hours, give this recipe a shot! It was perfect, and tasted way better than dishes I have spent twice as long on.

Even the cat is intrigued!

This recipe is staying on file! The wine did exactly what it needed to. The balance between the two was perfect, with the wine matching perfectly with the lemongrass, and provided an interesting contrast to the ginger. The Jalapeno was just enough, and not at all too hot, just make sure you don’t overdo it if you are going to attempt this recipe.

I feel kind of bad recommending the Field Recordings to you, I actually snagged one of the last bottles at my local wine shop. That’s the problem with a 285 case release! I know there’s more shipping into the State soon, but in the meantime you can check out their Facebook Page (which they haven’t seemed to update since January). If you are looking to pair this recipe with a different wine, but still stick with a Chenin Blanc, you could may want to look toward the Loire Valley region of France.

I’m going to rate this as a Perfect Pairing!

~ My Food & Wine Pairing Guide ~

Bad Match

The interaction of wine and food when tasted together has a negative impact on the senses. This is common when the food item is high in acidity, salt, bitterness, or spiciness.

Refreshment

Many times wine serves simply as a satisfying refreshment to accompany a certain food choice. The refreshment match may be appropriate when the food severely inhibits a good or synergistic wine choice.

Neutral

These pairing situations are average and pleasant, but are missing an element of individuality and thus cannot provide a superior gastronomic experience.

Good Match

In this situation, you have found a wine that matches the food item’s basic components (sweet, sour, bitter, salty) and overall body.

Perfect Match

This essentially means the combined effect of the wine and the food paired together is superior to the sum of the individual parts.