On the 12th Day of Christmas – Pares Balta Cava

Behind Door #12

Parez Balta Cava

About this winery

The history of Parez Balta dates back to 1790, however over the course of the past few centuries, much has changed! Known for their biodynamic and organic farming practices, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas oversee the viticulture, and winemaking with keen eyes. Their husbands Joan and Josep Cusiné Carol oversee management and marketing. Needles to say, it can be assumed that many family gatherings involve plenty of family business and wine conversation!

Tasting notes

A sparkling wine that has been made in a similar method to those made in the Champagne region of France, the bubbles in this wine are thanks to a minimum of 18 months worth of bottle ageing on the lees. The combination of traditional Cava grapes Parellada, Macabeu, and Xarel-lo make for a bright nose of crab apples, lemons, clove, flint, and a hint of rubber. The palate is light and fresh with fruity notes of granny smith apples, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a light background note of brioche in the mineral driven finish.

Perfect Pairings…

This is one wine that will be wondering, no matter what Christmas culinary adventure you decide to take part in. It also pairs wonderfully with doing nothing at all… and enjoying it fireside on the couch!

A versatile and very food friendly wine, it will work festively with your turkey dinner, ham, appetisers… or our favourite… with brunch.

While Mimosa’s are lovely with brunch, I prefer to skip the orange juice all together to best appreciate the flavours of the sparkling wine on hand… surprise, surprise!

The lively acidity and excellent minerality in this wine make it a fun pairing for soft poached eggs with bacon, as the wine does a lovely job at cutting through the creamy yolks.

One of our favourites ways to enjoy this is with Eggs Benedict. I will be the first to admit, that on busy days I like to cheat on my Hollandaise and use the pre-packaged McCormicks brand sauce mix… but with a twist.

Eggs Benny Hash with Browned Butter Hollandaise

Ingredients

For Sauce

1/4 Cup of Butter
1 Package of McCormick’s International Brand Hollandaise Sauce Mix
1 Cup Water

For Potato Hash

4 Large Russet Potatoes
Large bowl of ice water
1/4 cup white vinegar
Salt/pepper to taste
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Eggs/Bacon

6 Eggs
1/4 cup White Vinegar
1 package of bacon

Preheat Oven to 400F

Using a grater or foot processor, shred russet potatoes with the skins on. Transfer potatoes to bowl filled with ice water and vinegar and rinse. Continue to rinse until no starch leeches from the potatoes.

Transfer potatoes onto a tea towel and wring out any moisture. One dry, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in oven, flipping 1/2 way for approx 20min or until golden brown.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy – transfer onto a paper towel and set aside.

Once bacon is cooked, prepare hollandaise sauce according to package directions… however with 1 twist. When melting the butter, melt over low/medium heat and continue to cook until milk solids begin to turn golden brown. Then combine with water and package mix.

Prepare to poach your eggs. Heat a large pot of water to barely a simmer and add in 1/4 cup of white vinegar. The fewer the bubbles in the water, the less likely they will be to agitate your eggs. Crack eggs in and ensure they are not sitting on the bottom of the pot. I like to use a slotted spoon to gently lift them if they have settled. Poach for 3-5mins for Soft-Medium yolks. Pull from water and set on paper towels.

Once all components are ready, make 2 beds of hash browns on the plate. Top with bacon strips, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce