I absolutely love Chardonnay, especially in the warm Spring and Summer months. It is refreshing, yet, heavier than the Sauvignon Blanc. That is why we decided our Clos LaChance Reserve Chardonnay would be the perfect pairing with our Chicken Marsala dish, and boy were we right!
But, before we got to the main course, we enjoyed a nice spring salad to celebrate these final days of Spring. Spring salads are wonderful topped with ripe avocados, colorful diced bell peppers, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, crumbled feta, diced apple, beets, and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette.
We suggest getting the greens from your garden if you've grown them, for the freshest ingredients! Once the salad is rinsed and the excess water drained, place all your toppings in separate bowls so that your guests can decide precisely what they'd like to put on their own salads. Have several dressing options available too, as vinaigrettes are not for everyone. I know that was a flavor I too acquired a liking for with age.
Sip your wine, enjoy your salad, and save room for the chicken marsala! You'll be glad you did, as it is such a blast of flavors with the thinly sliced mushrooms, the cooked prosciutto, and the breaded chicken (pounded thin to about 1/4") all sautéed with a dry marsala wine.
After dinner, when the bottle has had its last drop of Chardonnay enjoyed by the guests, we move to the much-anticipated course, dessert. For those that like a little something sweet, perhaps consider something buttery like lemon bars or shortbread biscuits that could either be paired with another bottle of the Clos LaChance Reserve Chardonnay, or a lovely coffee served black or sweet and blonde.
So many options to end a wonderful evening. Comment below if you get a chance to make your own chicken marsala and salad dish, and which Clos wine you paired it with! Or let us know if you found a completely different recipe that paired equally as well with the Reserve Chardonnay. We all need inspiration when it comes to meal planning.