Wine Culture Magazine

So often in cookbooks the wine pairing is secondary to a recipe, an afterthought or a nice-to-have rather than an essential feature. That is, if there is a pairing at all. But in Jennifer Schell Lirag’s new book, the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cookbook, the wine comes first.

Each section starts with one of the winery’s wines and a brief tasting note, followed by a three-course menu to pair with it. For instance, the Chardonnay (caramel, butter, grilled pineapple, white peach) is paired with Caesar salad, tagliatelle with creamy seafood sauce and crème caramel. Meanwhile, the Meritage (black plum, wild sage, licorice, roasted red pepper) partners caramelized onion and blue cheese tart, osso buco with risotto Milanese and espresso semifreddo.

Schell Lirag created the dishes here, but was inspired by the recipes of the Wyse family that owns the winery. The book is as much their story as it is a cookbook. They were among the first to see the potential of the South Okanagan and the sun-soaked Black Sage Bench. They pioneered a certain rich, bold, juicy style of winemaking in B.C. They were also among the first to champion conservation and sustainability, long before it was fashionable, even naming their winery for the endangered bird that was being rehabilitated in the neighbourhood.

Most of all, Burrowing Owl is all about a delicious way of life, and so are the 50 or so recipes in this appealing book, including this one for pinot noir-friendly Wild Mushroom Crostini.

Follow us on Instagram