Lake Swimmer Pairings
Welcome back to Fork & Cork where we share our favorite pairings for our Folklor wines & ciders. Every month we pick one of our fermented beverages and share a favorite take out pairing, as well as a home-cooked one.
Featured Product: 2023 Lake Swimmer
Our 2023 Lake Swimmer is a blend of 40% Blaufrankisch and 50% Cabernet Franc grown by the Altonen Family on the north end of Torch Lake and 10% of Zweigelt grown at our home farm here in Charlevoix.
We layered whole cluster grapes with crushed grapes to allow for partial carbonic maceration, which highlights the juicy fruit notes and zippy acidity in this light bodied red. Aged in neutral barrels on lees for 12 months. 70 cases produced.
Home Cooked Pairing: Maple Soy Charred Veggies
For our home cooked pairing, I made a variation on Eric Kim’s Sheet-Pan Japchae recipe from New York Time’s Cooking.
The wine pairing works well here because the Zweigelt grapes in this red blend add an earthiness that compliments the umami flavors from the soy sauce. At 10% alcohol and the semi-carbonic winemaking, it's a light red that pairs well with, and doesn't overpower the veggies.
This is a choose-your-own-adventure type of meal. Keep it super simple with 6 basic ingredients, or add any of the extra sauce ingredients or proteins. I use different veggies depending on what's in season, and it's a great meal to use up the misc. veggies in your fridge.
For the Veggies
Pick 3 types of veggies: cabbage, onion, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, kale, spinach, sugar snap peas, broccoli, ramps, asparagus or any other veggies that sound good.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put your bottle of Lake Swimmer in the fridge.
Pick three veggies, slice them super thin (I use my mandolin) and spread out in a thin layer on a sheet pan or two. Don't crowd the veggies to encourage crisping and avoid steaming.
Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes until charred.
For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
Optional additions to the sauce: sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, chilli crisp, or fresh ginger.
Blitz sauce ingredients in a food processor. When the veggies are done, pour sauce over them and toss to coat. I serve this right from the sheet pan.
Serve with rice or rice noodle and a glass of your chilled Lake Swimmer!
If you're craving protein, shrimp and chicken work great with this recipe. I sometimes add Love & Lemon’s crispy tofu.
Take Out Pairing: Harwood Gold Meat Pies
For our Lake Swimmer take out pairing, we got the hand pies from Harwood Gold.
Since 1898 the Parsons family has been making pure maple syrup on the shores of Harwood Lake, a few miles south of downtown Charlevoix. Since 2016, their Harwood Gold Store & Cafe has been a downtown favorite.
Their hand pies are like Aussie-style meat pies; meat and vegetables tucked inside a buttery crust, with a thick gravy.
We paired our Lake Swimmer with the braised beef and mushroom pie, and it would be delicious with their lentil and veggie one too. The bright acidity in the wine pairs well with the rich gravy and warming spices in the pie.
Harwood Gold hand pies are an excellent take-out option in Charlevoix to grab a hot pie from the cafe, or stock your freezer with frozen ones for a quick weeknight dinner.
