Brianna
This wine is made from 100% Brianna grape juice. It is dry and lively! It is grown in our home vineyard in Derry, New Hampshire without the use of pesticides.
One of the goals for Appolo Vineyards was to plant a vineyard that requires minimal pesticide use. When researching this, Mike was able to find a Minnesota-bred grape that he believed met this goal. He was one of the first to plant Brianna grapevines in New England.
Brianna is one of the first grapes planted in the vineyard in 2006. After Mike made the first wine with the grapes in 2009, he decided he should plant more of it. The grape often produces flavors of pineapple with a pink grapefruit finish. The granite filled soils here give this grape a unique minerality that we have not experienced in Brianna even in other New England grown Brianna wines.
The Brianna here has never been sprayed with pesticides. Yet each year, we produce a wonderful crop of golden grapes. We often make two different wines from this grape. The first is the dry white Brianna wine. The second is the dry Brianna Reserve. The Reserve undergoes Malolactic fermentation and ages on the lees for a few extra months.
The wines have received the following awards:
2016 Brianna - Silver - Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
2016 Brianna Reserve - Silver - The Big E Wine Competition
2017 Brianna Reserve - Bronze - The Big E Wine Competition
2018 Brianna - Bronze - The Big E Wine Competition
2018 Brianna Reserve - Bronze - The Big E Wine Competition
Renee C's Chicken Piccata with Fresh Lemon Cream Sauce
This is the best matched dish for our Brianna wine! It uses wine in the recipe as well as to serve with the complete meal. Renee sent me this recipe shortly after she and her husband tried it out with the Brianna wine.
I've modified it a little bit to simplify it and reduce the number of ingredients.
It is also easy enough to make gluten-free with the suggested modifications. Doubling the recipe is recommended and very easy to do.
You will need:
One pound of Chicken Tenders
One Stick of Butter
Three Lemons (more or less to taste)
Two Cups Brianna wine (you may need more than one bottle)
Two Cups Heavy Cream (light cream works, but will make a thinner sauce)
One 8oz Jar of Capers
One Half Cup Flour
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Angel Hair Pasta (one serving per person)
The Sauce:
Wash and dry the lemons.
Use your zester to "skin" the lemons into a bowl. Set the whole lemons aside.
(In a Large Skillet)
Melt half a stick of butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the lemon zest into the butter. Stir it around until sizzling. You don't want this to boil - just simmer the whole time.
Add the Brianna (about half a bottle). Pour yourself a glass to enjoy with the cooking.
Quarter the lemons and squeeze them into a bowl. Remove the seeds from the juice. Add the lemon juice to sauce with the butter, lemon zest, and wine.
Whisk the cream slowly into the sauce until it is consistent. Continue to stir it as you cook the chicken.
The Chicken:
Depending on the chicken tenders you buy, you may want to split them open to make them thinner. I like them 1/4" to 3/8" thick or so. Remove the tendon from the chicken; that eliminates a tough bit.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. You can use an almond or oat flour (or any other non-wheat flour) to make this gluten free.
(In a smaller skillet)
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil once the butter is melted. Swirl it around to get it mixed.
Add the chicken - browning it on both sides. Remove the chicken to cool / dry on a plate covered in paper towels. Repeat until all of the chicken is done.
Once all of the chicken is done, add it to the cream sauce and continue the simmering.
Add the capers (dry) to the sauce.
Stir it and flip the chicken around every few minutes while the pasta cooks. The longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken will be. So, this can simmer a long time. You can turn it down fairly low to keep it moving.
Start the pasta about 10 minutes before dinner is served.
The Pasta and Plating the dish:
Boil enough water to cover the pasta water - add some salt and a splash of olive oil. The olive oil helps the pasta from sticking together.
Add enough angel hair pasta to the boiling water to ensure there is a serving for each person. To make this gluten free, substitute rice noodles or other gluten free noodles for the wheat noodles.
Once the pasta is to your liking, turn the burner off, drain it and get ready to plate it. Divide up the pasta onto the plates, then spoon on chicken pieces and sauce over the pasta.
Serve immediately with a glass of wine per adult. See, I told you you may need more than one bottle.