Cheese, berries & wine

Cheese and Blackberry Ramekins

Just because a Cabernet Sauvignon smells like ripe blackberriesdoesn’t mean the combination is a good match. But for chef GaryDanko, the similarities were tempting.

At one of the annual Cakebread Cellars American Harvestworkshops, Danko used this fruit to emphasize the berry-richcharacter of the wine that was chosen to go with this lunch. Thebig challenge: taming the berry tartness.

In these petite casseroles, the herb-spiked cheese mellows thesour bite of the berries, and heat intensifies the berry essence,which in turn emphasizes this quality in the wine. Danko suggestsserving these casseroles for an indulgent lunch or lightsupper.