Featured Recipe .....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Pinot Gris, Tzigane, 2006, Domaine Henry Fuchs, Alsace, with Tarte a l'Oignon

A recipe recently discovered by David Bond This is seriously good onion tarte and even more delicious with the great combination of the Pinot Gris, Tzigane from Domaine Henry Fuchs. The softly cooked onions emphasise the fresh hint of honeyed sweetness of the Pinot Gris. Ingredients Serves 4 100g 4oz chopped, smoked bacon 500g 11/4lb onions, peeled and finely sliced 50g 2oz butter 25g 1oz flour 200ml 1/3pint milk 2 egg yolks salt pepper grated nutmeg 250g 9oz shortcrust pastry Method Preheat oven to 180°C/350F/Gas 4 Fry bacon, onions in butter until soft. Add flour, then milk, then cream Cook for 5 minutes. Take off heat and stir in egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow to cool. Line a buttered 25cm/10inch dish with pastry. Prick bottom and fill with mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot Pinot Gris, Tzigane, 2006, Domaine Henry Fuchs, Alsace Touch of honeyed sweetness with a rich mouthfeel, still fresh with smoky undergrowth characteristics. Lovely long length with balanced acidity and alcohol. Very rich even by Alsace Pinot Gris standards with a relatively high degree of residual grape sugars on the palate. Henry and Catherine Fuchs are in their mid-forties and the third generation of the family to run this splendid 10 hectare domaine situated in the quality heartland of Alsace at Ribeauvillé, a village renowned for its rich and opulent dry white wines. Established in 1922, the Fuchs’ family estate was one of the first to start bottling their own wines in 1945. Their vineyards are mainly situated in excellent sites throughout the commune of Ribeauvillé, with a further 20% to be found in the neighbouring communes of Hunawihr and Bergheim. The Fuchs use no weed-killers or man-made fertilisers on their vineyards which goes a long way to restricting yields, but they also prune very ‘tightly’ so that their final ‘rendement’ (yield) is at least 20% below the village average. In the winery, Henry avoids the use of pumps, preferring to rely on gravity to move his wine around, thereby reducing its contact with air. Sulphur Dioxide is avoided during the fermentation and is only added in minimal quantities following racking and filtration.