Winter Cream of Turkey Mushroom Soup Paired with a French Chardonnay

The Wine

Domaine de la Garenne, Macon, Azé, 2014

This wine is made from hand harvested estate grown fruit. The vines grow in stony soils, of clay and limestone in a climate that’s cool, which is very well suited for Chardonnay, and the 2014 vintage has turned out to be one of the best in recent years. Traditional vinification is done in vats, preserving the freshness of the fruit, then 100% of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation, giving the wine a little more weight and roundness, 90% of the wine sees stainless steel conditioning and the remaining 10% seeing oak. Pale gold in color with light green reflections this wine has aromas of, Asian apple pear, citrus, almond and light fresh herbaceousness. Medium in body with a round bright mouth feel, flavors of clean apple and flint like minerality combine with a touch of delicate salinity to lead you to a pleasant crisp finish that lingers just long enough. This wine is drinking very well and will continue to develop for the next 3 to 4 years, and can be enjoyed as an aperitif, or pair it with a hearty cream based dish, or as always a great piece of cheese.

The Pairing

Hearty Cream of Turkey Mushroom Soup

What you will need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 ounces turkey loin, cut into ½ inch chunks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon of Bells poultry seasoning,

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 white onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup half and half, or more, as needed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 sprig rosemary

How to prepare it:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season turkey with poultry seasoning salt and pepper, to taste. Add turkey to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; remove and set aside. Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery.

Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and turkey, and cook, whisking constantly until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in half-and-half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half-and-half as needed until desired consistency is reached.( If you desire a more hearty soup add 1 and ½ cup cooked barley). Garnish with parsley and rosemary, Serve immediately with crusty French bread and a green salad. (Serves 4 entrées or 6 sides) Recipe adapted from damndelicious.net

 Cheers, The Wine Guys