COPPO WINERY 2023 CHARDONNAY "COSTEBIANCHE" x VEGETARIAN PUNJABI FOOD

 

This month we had a bonus event at the World Wine Travel group - #worldwinetravel - thanks to a generous offer from Coppo 1892 winery to sponsor our wines. Coppo is a winery dating back to 1892 but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2024) in Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy. It is Q4 and nearly year-end so with everyone's life and travel schedules we did not have a chat for this bonus event. But the list of (and links to) all of us who've written about Coppo wines is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and be inspired!

COPPO WINERY

In Piemonte, spreading over 85 hectares across Monferrato and Langhe, Coppo winery has been in operation since 1892, registered as a historic enterprise with uninterrupted activity in the same sector since they started. Their subterranean tufa limestone cellars at a depth of 40 m., were likely excavated in the 18th century for use as small storage cellars with subsequent expansion leading to their current area extending over 5,000 sq. m. Since 2024, these impressive and ethereal underground cellars have earned the honour of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vast underground network of spaces is used as cellars for Coppo wines, but it is also an engineering marvel, a look into the geology of the region, and a glimpse into œno-architecture. Don't miss a chance to visit Coppo the next time you're in Piemonte!

https://www.coppo.com/en/vineyards/

For many years Coppo has been committed to sustainability and followed organic and biodynamic techniques. Since 2001 they have officially committed to integrated agriculture and agronomic principles with the aim of having a reduced environmental impact.

THE WINE AND THE FOOD

2023 "COSTEBIANCHE" CHARDONNAY, PIEMONTE DOC

100% Chardonnay

ABV 13.5%

SRP $29

The "Costebianche" Chardonnay gets its name (white slopes) from the white limestone hills of the vineyard and surrounds. The grapes grow in calcareous clay marl soil and are hand-harvested after careful selection, and ater the initial soft pressing, they are partly fermented and aged on fine lees in barriques and partly in stainless steel vats. 

Looks: clear, straw yellow

Nose: lemon, white flowers, faint hint of pineapple

Palate: Echos the nose, but also has a fresh savouriness and a creamy edge. A very light but refreshing and juicy wine with a medium finish.

Pairing: We had the Costebianche Chardonnay with two Punjabi vegetarian dishes: chana jor garam and mattar paneer. Having just returned from a month of work in Hawai'i, cooking anything elaborate was out of the question. But after a month of all the tropical fruit and Ahi poké and rice in HI, as much as I had relished the fresh tuna everyday, I was also craving familiar Indian flavours. So we settled for take-away from the one restaurant near us that makes real Punjabi food that isn't loaded with cream (which is lavishly used in the West but never in India) while being devoid of proper flavour.

And in the pantry I found a packet of flattened Indian chickpeas that are used for chana jor garam, a classic street snack around most of India. It couldn't be easier to make - mix together the flattened chickpeas, diced onion and green chillies, chilli powder, chopped coriander, a bit of lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala.

We started off with snacking on the chana jor garam paired with the Chardonnay. That was a hit! The lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala, and earthy chickpeas were perfect with the citrus and faint hint of pineapple in the wine. The wine elevated the chana jor garam which in turn made the wine taste juicier. I would absolutely pair the two again.

Then we went on to the main meal of mattar paneer (peas and paneer) cooked in a complex, mildly spiced sauce garnished with cream and redolent with flavours of typical North Indian spices. We had it with naan and pickles. The mild but complex mattar paneer, slight tang of the pickles, and neutral naan with the Chardonnay were excellent, although we enjoyed the wine with the chana jor garam much more.

[Pickles play a significant role in Indian culinary tradition and are prized for their balanced flavour but also their role in digestion and gut health. Every region has it's own specific kind of pickles made with whatever vegetables or fruits are in season. Typical pickles of Punjab have mangoes, carrots, turnips, lemons, and cauliflower in any combination, seasoned with nigella seeds, mustard oil, and other seasonings.]

I've talked about the Coppo wines that I'd received but we all received different wines from the great array of wines Coppo makes. See what the other writers sipped, savoured, and talked about below.

• Camilla from Culinary Cam says “Let’s Talk About Cortese and Barbera Grapes: Two Wines from the Historical Underground Wine Cellars of Coppo + Pairings”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Coppo Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• My discovery of this region is here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Coppo Winery 2023 Chardonnay "Costebianche" x Vegetarian Punjabi Food"
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Two Piedmont classics: Nizza Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• Jennifer from Vino Travels shares “The Historic Coppo winery of Piedmont and their UNESCO underground wine cellars”
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles reports on “Tunnels and Tufa – The Underground Cathedrals and Coppo Cellars”
• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Pairings with Nizza Barbera and Coppo Monteriolo Chardonnay”
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Historic Wines, Timeless Pairings: Coppo’s Nizza Barbera and Barolo with Wild Mushroom Risotto”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “From Coppo’s UNESCO Cellars: Nizza and Gavi Paired with Shrimp Ceasar and Duck with Winter Squash Gratin”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Chardonnay From One of the Oldest Family-Run Wineries in Italy – Coppo“
• Susannah from Avvinare shares “Coppo Shows Piedmont’s Diversity“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Dinner with Coppo Wine Cellars Flagship ‘Pomorosso’ Nizza Barbera”

EGG ROLLS: KOLKATA STREET-FOOD CLASSIC

Way back when, in small Southern towns out in nowhere, the one petrol station in the area was also a grocery store, general store, pharmacy, restaurant, fishing store, and gossip club. And we should all be glad that in the South, tradition prevails even if the venue gets a facelift. Like the Chevron on the way out of Nachitoches, LA that has some of the best fried chicken, shrimp, crawfish, boudin balls, and a lot more. In fact, stop at a petrol station in any small town around the South and you can have some of the best BBQ, biscuits, meat pies, fried chicken, a slew of meat jerky, fudge, banana pudding, pies, cakes, and even full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Regional food that comes as close as possible to street-food here in the US.

Meanwhile in countries like India and other parts of Asia, you can do an entire culinary pilgrimage of street-food. So many variations, creations, seasonal foods, and timeless classics that belong on the streets, not in a home kitchen.

Egg rolls are one such Kolkata street-food classic about which all my friends from Kolkata - Bengali or not - have unfailingly *raved*. I cannot stand Chinese food, even less so Indian-style Chinese food, so I'd stop listening at egg ro...

Until I had these and discovered they're nothing like the Chinese egg rolls... and then I was converted. When you're a continent away from Kolkata streets, these do the job quite well, are a snap to make at home, and especially delicious with beer! You can make a meal of one by filling it with seasoned shredded carrots or other raw vegetables. I made these from scratch but you can certainly use ready-made paranthas, or make extra and freeze for later.

Kolkata-style Egg Rolls

Makes: 6 rolls

Paranthas (flatbread):

- 1-1/4 cup white wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour (or your favourite gluten-free all-purpose flour mix)

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. olive oil (or any neutral oil)

- 1 cup warm water

Egg filling:

- 6 eggs

- 1/2 onion, sliced thinly

- 1 serrano pepper, sliced thinly

- 6 tbsp. ketchup, or more to taste

- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, quartered

- 3 tbsp. chile sauce (optional)

1. Make 6 paranthas (flatbread):
1. Put the flour, salt, and oil in a large bowl. 
2. Add water 1/4 cup at a time to make a semi-firm dough.
3. Knead for 5 minutes till the dough is supple.
4. Let it sit for at least 10-15 min.
5. Heat a skillet (or flat griddle) at medium heat.
6. Divide the dough into 6 parts, roll between your palms into a round ball.
7. Roll each ball of dough into a circle, 6-7 in. each.
8. Put on the heated skillet and flip when the dough looks opaque, after about 1 minute.
9. Drizzle a tsp. of oil around the edges of the flatbread, cook for a minute or so .
10. Flip and cook for another minute or until you see brown spots on the flatbread (see the photo above).
11. Repeat for the remaining dough and set the paranthas aside for the egg rolls.
2. Make the egg rolls, 1 at a time:
1. Heat an omelette pan or skillet to medium-low heat.
2. In a bowl, beat one egg at a time.
3. Put a tsp. of oil into the pan and spread it evenly with a spatula or brush to make sure the egg won't stick.
4. Pour the beaten egg into the pan. Immediately put a parantha onto the egg and gently press down.
5. Let everything cook for a minute or so. Flip so the parantha is on the pan and and cook for another minute.
6. Transfer to a plate with the egg facing up, and arrange some of the sliced onion and other garnishes on the egg, off-center (see the photo above). Add a light sprinkle of lemon juice.
7. Roll up and serve!