While the rest of the nation has been enduring waves of high heat, the Bay Area and Napa Valley have been subjected to unseasonable weather with colder than average temperatures and precipitation ranging from rain to hail.   Even though in other parts of the country a summer rain storm might be welcome, the Bay Area has had more rain than normal and this does not always bode well for the grapes in Napa Valley.  Growers watch carefully, some already noting that 2011 will yield a smaller than average harvest and the wine community anxiously holds its breath waiting to find out if this summer will be a repeat of the chilly temperatures of 2010.   Yet while many sit nervously, to the average eye the landscape of Napa Valley does not show a hint of worry to the casual eye as leaves have begun to adorn the vines in a seemingly never ending sea of vibrant green and rose blooms burst from unexpected corners.

As the vines fill with healthy green leaves and expanding grapes, increased variety in produce begins to arrive weekly at the local farmer’s market.   A lover of fresh produce (particularly that which I grow), there is one fruit that I will wait fervently for each year and its seasonal span arrives with fan fare and ends before anyone is ever ready.   This fruit is the beloved California apricot.

For those readers in the rest of the country, the above photo is simply cruel.   Most of the apricots for sale in markets throughout the nation are grown in California.   Once apricots come into season, the season is far too short and ends quickly.   Yet the season of the apricot is symbolic as it marks the first of the various stone fruit to ripen and once it arrives at a farmer’s market, truly fresh apricots lace the air with an undeniably sweet mesmerizing perfume.  If you sit in another part of the country and wrinkle your face in displeasure, it very well may be because the apricots are picked early in California in order to arrive in your area.   The earlier that the apricot is picked, the less fragrant and flavorful it shall be.   It is a fate that is sadly destined for the apricot because like most stone fruit, once picked its shelf life is fleeting and they can mold or spoil quickly.   Nevertheless, if you walk into your local store or market and smell that romantic perfume of apricots or stone fruit, act quickly and hurry home to enjoy.

Right at the moment that this web site was ready to celebrate its second birthday, apricots came into season.   As cliché as it may be to celebrate with sparkling wine, after two years of religiously writing, photographing, tasting, cooking and pairing a bottle of Schramsberg Vineyards’ (“Schramsberg”) sparkling wine was undoubtedly merited.   Reviewing my collection of sparkling wines, I was torn.   There was not a brut rosé in sight and of those that remained, which would pair best with that unique blend of sweet and tart of the apricot?   Ultimately I decided easily on one of my favorite bottlings, Schramsberg’s Blanc de Noirs.    This was actually the first sparkling wine that captured my heart and since then it has held special affection.   While I have a preference to pair this wine with authentic Mexican fare, it pairs incredibly well with a diverse variety of cuisine.    It is made with 90% of the Pinot Noir varietal and 10% of Chardonnay.

The 2006 varietal of Schramsberg’s Blanc de Noirs reflected brighter notes of fruit.   For those who recall, 2006 was a rainy winter and spring in Napa Valley and neighboring Sonoma County.   Cold temperatures and rain lingered in the areas until late May and by June warm weather graced wine country.   Cooler temperatures are friendly to a variety such as Pinot Noir and while 2006 might have been a lackluster flavor year for later ripening varietals, it was a bright year for sparkling wines.    Taking a sip of the 2006 Blanc de Noirs, there are distinctively delicious notes of Meyer Lemon zest and ripe raspberries.    These characteristics combined with the wine’s fine effervescing bubbles would create a perfect match to sweet ripe, recently picked apricots.

With apricots on hand, most people immediately rush to create a dessert and I cannot fault them.   Knowing that the wine would do well with a more creative pairing, this week’s menu hosts:

1)      Spring Salad of Garden Picked Mixed Lettuce with Snap Pea Leaves, Chives, Grilled Apricot, Chevré and Balsamic Vinaigrette; and

2)     Apricot-Dijon Basted Grilled Chicken Breast with Sautéed Almond Slices.

Choosing to grow your own produce is rewarding on a variety of levels.   Picking produce in the backyard only moments before consuming it introduces a caliber of flavors that is unparalleled.   Having the freedom, however, to wander out into the backyard and pick produce at your whim, is creatively empowering.   Sweet green and red lettuces are thriving still in my garden and my chives are tall, strong and full of flavor.   Sugar Snap Peas are healthier than ever but moonlight in the form of greens as well.  A plant that provides double nourishment, the leaves of the sugar snap peas are edible.   These leaves have a spicy flavor reminiscent of mustard.  Add these leaves to a salad and suddenly the salad has a unique twist of spice.

Apricots, like any other stone fruit, can be grilled.   Sliced in half, barely brushed with a bit of honey, the apricots are placed face down on a hot charcoal grill for a few minutes.   Quickly they emerge, ready to pair with cheese, adorn a salad or both.

Chevré is a goat cheese that can at times be bitter, tangy or creamy.   If you are fortunate enough to be in St. Helena, look for the local goat cheese’s made by Goat’s Leap and be prepared to have your taste buds impressed.   Selecting “Hyku” by Goat’s Leap, the chevré is delicately feather light with an accompanying creamy outer layer akin to crème fraiche.  Extraordinarily creamy, the cheese equates to sea foam as it intermingles with the delicate fine bubbles of Schramsberg’s 2006 Blanc de Noirs.  A small wedge of this included with the salad makes for an impressive seasonal showcase of fresh produce.  

The salad itself is simple but it impresses your palate immediately.  Fragrant apricots from the farmer’s market are also sweet and tangy.  Brushed with a bare essence of honey, the apricots emerge from the grill having taken on a slight smoky aroma and flavor while the heat of the grill sweetens them.   Dressed in chives from the garden and balsamic vinaigrette the whole ensemble sit upon a seasonal bed of sweet lettuces mixed with flavorfully robust leaves from the sugar snap peas.   The snap pea leaves add flavors of pepper and mustard to add unexpected pleasing depth to a side salad.

The snap pea leaves also tie the salad to the chicken.   Chicken breasts are basted in an apricot-dijon sauce that I created.   The sauce included lemon thyme and minced shallots from the garden.   As the chicken is flipped on the grill, more of the sauce is brushed on before the lid is lowered to help smoke and retain moisture in the poultry.

As the chicken is plated, it is topped with gently roasted almond slices in sea salt and butter.

The result is an exquisite array of flavors that highlight the best of California seasonal fare.

Flavors of both chicken and salad are so savory that this is one of those meals where the protein and the side dish somehow move closer to one another on the plate as the meal progresses.   Suddenly you may naturally be taking a bite of chicken with the greens, but your palate will not seem to mind.

And when paired with Schramsberg’s 2006 Blanc de Noirs, bright ripe fruit flavors rush forward to celebrate all that the garden and the local farmer’s market has to offer.   Whether it is a celebration of the seasonal produce arriving on the scene or a toast to yet another year of articles done, Schramsberg has a well-earned place at the table.