One of our favorite shops in Paso Robles Wine Country is the General Store. As Martha Stewart Magazine says this is…”the one place you have to go…the best edit of everything from cookbooks to food to kitchen pantry items to beauty products, it’s just a community hub.” We wholeheartedly agree.
One of the General Store’s offerings is a fabulous cookbook, “Home Made”, written by Yvetter Van Boven. Their Nut Wine Cboerenport recipe caught our attention as being the most creative wine recipe we have ever seen. Surely you are asking yourself, what the heck is Cboerenport? It turns out that it is a type of port. Yvette explains, “This drink is very much like port, hence its second name. The recipe was given to me by a French farmer with whom I had become friendly and who served me this drink. Serve in tall glasses, with or without ice cubes. You will need raw walnuts. Therefore the first thing you will have to do is find someone with a walnut tree in their garden”.
OR, if you are planning a visit to Paso Robles soon, we have a walnut source. It’s a miniscule farm stand located near one of the highly respected wineries in Paso Robles, “Daou”. (For mapping and directions on your cell phone, tablet or desktop, go to the website “Geo.to/DaouVineyards“) You will find the stand on Hidden Mountain Road on the right side about 30 yards from the intersection of Adelaida Road (before you get to Daou). The walnuts will be first come, first serve…who knows when they will sell out?
Nut Wine Cboerenport Recipe
- 16 raw walnuts, without dents
- 8 cups quality wine (try Halter Ranch’s aromatic and elegant 2011 Syrah that was just released Jan 1, 2014)
- 2 cups Cognac
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
Quarter the nuts. Combine with the other ingredients in a sealable bucket or clean preserving jars. Leave to stand at least 3 months. Then pour through a strainer and then through a coffee filter. Pour into clean bottles ready for use.
If you are not up for making you own port you will be pleased to know that Halter Ranch has a lovely El Pecado (A port style dessert wine) that is made with Syrah. You can shop online or visit their winery which is only about a 10 minute drive from the walnut farm stand. For mapping and directions on your cell phone, tablet or desktop go to “Geo.to/HalterRanch”.
Hope to see you in Paso Robles…let us know how your Cboerenport turns out!
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