Recipes – Port Season Meets Holiday Season
Warm, smooth and rich with a chocolate raisin character, our Starboard Batch 88 brings raisins, chocolate truffle, and blackberry flavors to your holiday table. This versatile port-style fortified wine pairs deliciously with hearty, savory and sweet flavors, allowing you to get festive when thinking up dishes for your guests!
Port Walnuts Recipe w/ Roquefort Cheese
Combined here into a single dish, this traditional pairing of Port, cheese, and walnuts makes the perfect appetizer for your holiday.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups walnut halves
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Starboard Batch 88
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
One 1-pound wedge of Roquefort cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until lightly browned (about 8 minutes).
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Stir occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
3. Add the walnuts into the saucepan. Stir and then drain the nuts well with a slotted spoon. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the walnuts on it in a single layer. Bake for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the nuts are mostly dry. Let cool and then separate the nuts.
4. Warm the syrup over low heat until thick (about 3 minutes). Place the Roquefort on a serving platter, drizzle the port syrup on top and serve with 7-10 port walnuts.
Batch 88 Cranberry Sauce
Your holiday dinner celebration isn’t quite complete without cranberry sauce. With just the right amount of tartness and depth, this flavorful recipe adds the right touch to your favorite lamb, ham or poultry dish.
INGREDIENTS
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 cup dried cranberries (about 6 oz)
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring Starboard Batch 88 to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in cinnamon sticks. Reduce heat to medium and simmer mixture 5 minutes.
2. Add in the dried cranberries. Allow simmering for about 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Then add fresh cranberries, 3/4 cup water, and brown sugar.
3. Bring to boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer. Stir occasionally for 25 minutes, or until the sauce darkens and thickens, and the berries collapse.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Allow the sauce to cool in a bowl*. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
*Tip: The sauce will hold for up to three days in the refrigerator, so you can make it early, cover it and store it chilled. Simply bring it to room temperature before serving.
Perfect Port Punch
For cold nights and celebrations with your loved ones, this punch if full of smooth and chocolate-rich raisin characteristics from Starboard Batch 88. The warm autumnal spices in bourbon and clove add a spicy layer that is well balanced with fresh grapefruit juice and infused lemon flavors.
INGREDIENTS
2 bottles Starboard Batch 88 750ml
12 oz bourbon
12 oz grapefruit juice
8 oz spiced simple syrup
16 oz lemon juice
16 oz club soda
Punch bowl ice
8 lemon slices studded with cloves
5 Grapefruit peel zest
INSTRUCTIONS
In a punch bowl, stir together all the ingredients, except the lemon slices and grapefruit zest, with the punch bowl ice. Garnish the bowl with the lemon slices and zest with Grapefruit peels. Use a ladle to serve in rocks glasses.
What Makes Starboard Batch 88 Perfect for Port Season and the Holiday Season?
This California wine is made with the tradition of Portuguese port-making in mind: made using traditional Portuguese grape varieties that are grown in the distinctive climate and soils of the San Joaquin Valley. Several vintages are used in the blend which has an average age of about 5 years, giving Batch 88 a luscious “vintage character.” Batch 88 truly offers the best of both worlds as it delivers the bright fruit of ruby style port and the round nutty character of tawny port.