Never like this Christmas 2020 will go down in history: I am speaking at least of my history, since, for pandemic reasons, for the first time in my life I will spend Christmas holidays away from my family in Italy.
This is why I decided to savor every single minute of this unique Christmas period, starting from my passion for wine.
I received this delicious home-made panettone, made by Erika, a dear neighbour expert in everything that is made with raw materials of the highest quality. The result does not lie: the panettone has a soft and fluffy dough, perfectly cooked, with an inviting aroma that only haute patisserie can offer.
To this artwork (panettone remains one of the most difficult desserts to make at home) I can only pair a high quality wine: it is the Vin Liquoreux Noble 2017 from Domaine Grand’Cour – Pellegrin. I had the pleasure to discover this small winery in Peissy, in the Geneva countryside, during the Fête de la St Martin last year: this family winery produces gems such as Chasselas Doré and this pearl of dessert wine: the bunches (a blend of Semillon and Muscat) are left to ripen on the plant and late harvested – according to the vintage – between the end of October and the end of November, then left to dry in perforated boxes under the roofs and in rooms at controlled temperature and humidity. In this way, few precious hundreds of liters are obtained per year, exclusively destined for the Geneva market.
Upon tasting, this golden nectar releases an intense bouquet of honey and dried fruit, I find the same fragrance of the raisins of the panettone, sweet, but not cloying, also with a certain freshness and body.
A wine to be savored in small sips, to allow time to discover every single scent alternating it with a bite of panettone, a piece of Italy in this Geneva Christmas.