Chardonnay, Elephant Hill, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, New Zealand Wines, New Zealand wines, white wines, Wine and Dine, Wine and Food
Linguine with Seafood, White Wine Sauce, and Bottarga
Aug
New Zealand Wine Meets the Sea: Why the Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay Takes This Pasta Dish to a Whole New Level
Wine from New Zealand and Linguine ai Frutti di Mare—that’s a pairing worth remembering. Linguine ai Frutti di Mare is one of the great dishes of Italian cuisine: fresh seafood, a rich white wine sauce, the saltiness of bottarga, and the creaminess of butter that ties it all together. A dish with this depth doesn’t need a light summer wine—it needs a Chardonnay with real body, creaminess, and the complexity that comes only from barrel aging. The 2016 Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, is exactly that wine. Fermented with wild yeasts, aged for 12 months in small French oak barrels, and featuring notes of yellow stone fruit, hazelnut, vanilla, and a creamy richness, it’s a worthy partner for everything the sea has to offer.
Ideal wine pairing: Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay (Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand)
This exceptional Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay reveals its class right from the nose: seductive aromas of yellow stone fruit, peach, and nectarine, accompanied by hazelnut, vanilla, and spicy oak notes—exactly the aromas that create a harmonious blend with the bottarga and the butter-white wine sauce. Eighty percent of the grapes come from the coastal Te Awanga vineyard, which is widely recognized as one of the best sites for Chardonnay in Hawke’s Bay. Fermentation with wild, native yeasts and subsequent aging for 12 months in small French oak barrels—about 26 percent of which are new—give the wine its exceptional texture: a creamy, velvety mouthfeel, full-bodied and finely concentrated, with subtle mineral notes that reflect the grapes’ coastal terroir. This minerality is the key to pairing with seafood—it complements the saltiness of the mussels and bottarga and elegantly prolongs the finish. Bob Campbell MW awarded it 95 points and highlighted its ethereal texture and purity—when enjoyed with linguine, you’ll immediately understand why.
The recipe:
Linguine with Seafood, White Wine Sauce, and Bottarga
Equipment
- Großer Topf für die Pasta
- Große tiefe Pfanne oder Sauteuse (mind. 28 cm)
- Zange zum Schwenken der Pasta
- Schneidebrett und scharfes Messer
- Feine Reibe für die Bottarga
Ingredients
FOR THE SEAFOOD:
- 400 g Mussels fresh, cleaned
- 150 g Shrimp raw, peeled, size 16/20
- 150 g Squid Rings fresh or thawed
- 3 garlic cloves finely diced
- 2 shallots finely diced
- 150 ml dry white wine Elephant Hill Chardonnay or another dry white wine
- 2 Tablespoon of olive oil extra virgin
- 1 1 tbsp cold butter
- Salt white pepper
FOR THE PASTA:
- 250 g Linguine De Cecco or similar quality
- Plenty of salt water
FOR COMPLETION:
- 30 g Bottarga Mullet roe, grated or shaved
- 1 A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 Organic lemon Juice and zest
- 2 EL High-Quality Olive Oil extra virgin, to finish
Instructions
PREPARATION:
- Scrub the clams under cold water and discard any that are open.
- Peel the shrimp and remove the veins.
- Cut the squid rings into bite-sized pieces.
- Finely dice the garlic and shallots.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Finely grate the bottarga or slice it into paper-thin slices.
COOKING STEPS:
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic for 2–3 minutes until translucent, without browning them.
- Deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes over high heat.
- Add the clams, cover, and cook for 3–4 minutes until they open.
- Remove any unopened clams.
- Add the shrimp and squid rings to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Cook the linguine al dente, reserving one cup of the cooking water.
- Add the linguine directly to the pan and toss with a little of the pasta water and butter until a creamy sauce forms.
- Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
SERVE:
- Use tongs to arrange the linguine in deep pasta bowls.
- Arrange the mussels, shrimp, and squid rings on top.
- Sprinkle the grated or shaved bottarga generously over the top.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley on top.
- Drizzle a thin stream of high-quality olive oil over it.
- Place a lemon wedge on the edge of the plate.
SIDE DISHES:
- Toasted Ciabatta with Garlic Oil
- Green Salad with Lemon Dressing
- A glass of Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay poured right alongside it
Nutrition
