LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

SEASONAL  FESTIVE REDS

PISTACHIO-CRUSTEDLABNEH WITH RASPBERRY COULIS recipes on page 228

Viticoltori Acquesi Brachetto d’Acqui LCBO 375667, $13.45

Nothing says festive like bub- bles, and when the bollicine are sweet and frothy it can only mean fun. Brachetto is the grape variety used to produce this scrumptious sparkler that comes from the Piemonte re- gion in Italy. It is indeed sweet but with enough effervescence and vibrant acidity to keep it from being cloying. The wine brings to mind plump summer raspberries at their full ripe- ness, ready for the picking. It is this dominant raspberry note that inspired the coulis served alongside the Pistachio-Crusted Labneh. The coulis lends some tartness while the wine offers the bubbles needed to cleanse the persistent coating effect of the fresh cheese. The combina- tion of the tart flavour from the yogurt, and the sweet fruitiness from both the coulis and wine make for a delicious trifecta of flavour.

178  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2016