Leap Into New Holiday Traditions
Tradition is part of what makes the holidays so special, whether it’s a beloved family recipe, favorite wine, or game played around the table. While you should always hold your unique traditions close, there is something to be said about exploring new ones. This year, we invite you to take the leap into the unknown and introduce a tradition from a different culture to your holiday table.
As a tribute to our French winemaking team, we decided to explore pairing one of our favorite Stags' Leap wines with a classic holiday dish from France. The results? While nothing can replace Grandma’s stuffing, we can guarantee this pairing will have a home on your holiday table for years to come.
La Dinde de Noël
Christmas celebrations in France start with the réveillon on Christmas Eve. The word loosely translates to “waking” as it is an all-night affair with decadent dishes served over many hours. The French do not hold back. Standard fare includes oysters, foie gras, pâté, and of course, bottles and bottles of fine wine.
The La Dinde de Noël holds court at the center of the table and is the equivalent of the American Christmas Turkey. Traditionally served with chestnut stuffing, it’s a showstopping main course. We paired it with our 2019 Oakville Cabernet and were blown away. The nutty flavors of the chestnut and gamey flavors in the bird perfectly complemented the lush fruit notes and bold tannins in the Cabernet.
Ingredients
- 1 10 lb. turkey
- 1 ¼ cups chestnuts
- 1 ¼ cups ground sausage
- 1 cup cubed bread (anything you have on hand works)
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup crème fraiche
- ½ cup butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 shallots, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup cognac of choice
- 3.5 lbs. baby potatoes
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
Get Cooking
- Soak the cubed bread in milk
- Melt butter over medium heat and add chopped shallots. Sauté until translucent. Add the sausage and cook until browned.
- Squeeze the bread of excess milk and add to the sausage. Add chestnuts, thyme, parsley, cognac and salt and pepper to taste.
- Oil the turkey, add your stuffing to the cavity and close.
- Place turkey in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
- Add butter, broth and bay leaf to the bottom of the dish.
- Place the Turkey in a cold oven and then heat it to 250°f. Let cook at this temperature for 1 hour, regularly using a turkey baster to drizzle the pan juices over the cooking bird.
- Increase oven temperature to 340°f for 1 hour.
- Finish the turkey by baking it at 400°f for the last hour. In the last 30 minutes, add the small potatoes to the bottom of the pan with the juices.
Serve hot and with a glass of Stags' Leap Oakville Cabernet. Joyeux Noël!
2019 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Bursting with dark berry aromas and flavors. Notes of blackberry, black cherry and black currant are evident alongside baking spice notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. You’ll also find more rustic notes of wild chaparral sage, lavender and thyme, all hints from the well-integrated oak ageing and iconic terroir character. The structure is full and round, with velvety mouth-filling tannins, finishing long with incredible structure and balance.
SHOP OAKVILLE CABERNET
