Cono Sur’s Late Riesling is the ideal dessert wine but it also works extremely well with other dishes such as this goat cheese appetizer.
Subtle is the key with this pairing: the Riesling’s sweet character is slight, its nose mineral and complex with pleasant honey and floral components leading to a balanced, juicy palate. The vanilla oil marinade on this lightly salty-lightly sweet appetizer brings out the flavors in a delicate way, leaving room for the Late Riesling to take the lead with a pleasant finish in the palate.
Goat Cheese Marinated in vanilla oil with blackberries
150 grams Goat Cheese
5 grams fresh Oregano
5 grams fresh Thyme
100 cc Olive Oil
50 cc Vanilla Oil
8 units Blackberries or raspberries
Salt and pepper to taste
8 bamboo toothpicks for serving
Preparation
Cut goat cheese into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes and place in a shallow bowl together with blackberries or raspberries. Add olive oil, vanilla oil (save 20 cc for presentation), fresh thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Let marinate for 1 hour.
After marinating, arrange goat cheese with blackberries/raspberries on bamboo sticks alternating between berries and cheese (two per person).
Decorate with oregano leaves and fresh time and lightly sprinkle with remaining vanilla oil.
*Vanilla Oil preparation
200 cc. Vegetable Oil
2 Vanilla Beans
Slice open each bean and scrape softly, adding scrapings to the vegetable oil. Heat oil with vanilla scrapings and bean in a pan on low heat (ideally, raise the temperature and then remove pan so the vanilla does not burn. Repeat 5 times) for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and store vanilla oil in airtight jar.
