Whitefish and Sea Breeze Dinner

A taste of the sea, both on the plate and in the glass, the Sea Breeze category is really useful in helping find the best Champagnes and Sparkling Wines that inherit the taste of the sea or salty sea air, I recently paired the Trophy Sea Breeze Winner with two Salmon dishes which had great results, so I thought I’d try another fish, Whitefish Fillets with a 2013 Vintage Champagne and a Slovenian Sparkling Wine.

Fact: Ocean Whitefish live on or near the seafloor during the day and then head near the surface to shallow rocky reefs during the night.

Fact: The Whitefish’s diet consists of small octopus, squids, shrimps, krill, crabs and other small fish.

Fact: Lake Whitefish live in Northern America and Canada and including all of the Great Lakes.

Sea Breeze
When you taste this wine you will imagine yourself standing on the beach and tasting those tiny sea drops in the air.

Champagne Albert Beerens – Millésime 2013

Champagne Albert Beerens has a history going back to 1862, they’ve had generation after generation working on the family Champagne, with more than seven hectares of vines, the vineyard is managed by Anne-Laure Beerens who holds all the secrets to their winemaking.

Albert Beerens take time and care in deciding what vines to plant where, to make sure that they are planted on the best parcels of land taking into account the soil, subsoil, on slopes and higher hillsides to get the best from the vines and grapes, including their five main grape varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

Champagne Albert Beerens – Millésime 2013 Tasting Notes

Aroma – “👃Freshly baked Cheesecake, with hints of yellow fruits and tropical fruits on the aroma.”

Flavour – “👅Smooth salty flavours, with a creaminess, ripe fruits and green citrus on the palate.”

This Vintage Champagne Won a Silver Medal Winner in the Sea Breeze Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2020.

Vinarstvo Valdhuber – Brut Nature

Valdhuber originate from Svečina close to the Austrian border in Slovenia, it all began in 1913 when Ema Huber, a four year old girl came as a foster child from Graz to Svečina, she grew up and became an owner of an estate, she married Franc Valdhuber in 1931, which is where the name for this winery came from, Valdhuber.

4 generations have helped build up this Slovenian winery, with currently Bogomir (Mirč) Valdhuber who runs the family estate and looks after the vineyards and the cellar. His wife Dijana’s friend takes care of the hospitality side of the farm. Their Daughter Eva helps her mother in assisting and learning the inner workings of how things are run and son Adam is taking his first steps in oenology which is the science and study of wine and winemaking.

Although they have a long history, the architecture of the winery is rather modern, they have a new cellar and tourist farm which they built in 2013 so they could create local and seasonal dishes that can accompany their fine wines.

Vinarstvo Valdhuber – Brut Nature Tasting Notes

Aroma – “👃Sea air and minerals on the aroma.”

Flavour – “👅A salty taste, with minerals and green fruit on the palate.”

This Slovenian Sparkling Wine Won a Bronze Medal Winner in the Sea Breeze Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2020.

The Pairing

Ingredients

To re-create this dish, you will need Whitefish, Onions, Garlic, Broccoli and Coriander.

How To Make This Dish

• Boil your Broccoli in a saucepan.
• Put your Whitefish and chopped up Onions and Garlic in a frying pan and cook until golden, you can also add in some salt and herbs if wanted.
• Serve on a plate and place a little garnish on the Whitefish.

Champagne and Whitefish Dish Tasting Notes – “The Champagne’s age and maturity is brushed across the fish, it naturalises the onion, garlic and broccoli flavours leaving dry whitefish with a touch of sweet sea salt.”

Slovenian and Whitefish Dish Tasting Notes – “A huge wave of salty sea breeze and minerals is washed over the dish, leaving it infused with even more flavours from the sea.”