Yes, I know it’s indulgent for Monday but it’s Blue Monday, so I’m not taking any chances - and this has to be the best food and wine pairing I’ve tried in ages.
Californian Chardonnay is often not for the faint-hearted. It can be bold and buttery and peachy in a vanilla pudding kind of way. I absolutely love it. When it comes from the cooler, coastal parts of California like the Carneros region however, all this delicious flavour gets a refreshing squeeze of lemon a a sprinkle of salt, balancing everything up beautifully. It’s exactly what you need to stand up to an indulgently creamy mac ‘n’ cheese like this one and cleanse the palate afterwards. They can be pricey but WOW are they worth it.
IN THE GLASS
Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2023 from Majestic Wine (£40 mix 6, £50 single btl)
Recipe (Serves 6)
350g Macaroni Pasta
480ml Full Fat Milk
240ml Double Cream
200g Gruyère Cheese (grated)
400g Mature Cheddar (grated)
2 Tbsp Plain Flour
4 Tbsp Butter
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
100g Panko Breadcrumbs
Parsley to garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees while you cook the pasta. Drain it and set aside. Next. make a roux by melting the butter and gradually adding the flour. Cook for two minutes then lower the heat. Gradually add in the milk and cream, whisking all the time. Keep stirring as the mixture thickens; it should take 3-4 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese while on a low heat, season to taste, then pour in the drained pasta and combine everything together. Grease your dish lightly, then transfer the creamy pasta goodness into it and shove it in the over for about half an hour.
Garnish with parsley for a bit of zhuzh and serve with a large glass of the chilled Chardonnay.
Cin cin!
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