Pairing Abracadabra Rosé with Baby Beet and Strawberry Salad

Spring on a plate, paired with a wine made for it.

Abracadabra Rosé is a Sangiovese-driven blend that takes a portion of its juice from the saignée technique we describe in our rosé production post. That saignée fraction is what gives the wine its body and structure, while the pick-and-press fraction keeps it bright and aromatic. The result is a wine that smells like ripe strawberries with notes of pear, peach, and orange blossom, and that has the acidity and weight to handle real food.

Chef Nicholas Ames' baby beet and strawberry salad is what we serve with the wine at the spring release. The wine's strawberry aromatic mirrors the strawberries on the plate. The crisp acidity enhances the sweetness of the fruit and balances the earthiness of the baby beets and the peppery bite of the arugula. It is a pairing where everything on the plate has a corresponding note in the glass.

Baby Beet and Strawberry Salad with Arugula

Recipe by Chef Nicholas Ames at Brian Carter Cellars. Reach out to the tasting room for the printable card.

Serves 4 as a starter.

For the beets

• 1 bunch (about 8 to 10) baby beets, mixed colors if possible, scrubbed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

• 1 cup ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese or soft chèvre, crumbled
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts or pistachios, roughly chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves torn

For the citrus vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of kosher salt

Method

1. Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the baby beets on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil, tuck in the thyme sprig, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap loosely. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife. Cool slightly. Slip the skins off with a paper towel. Cut into halves or quarters depending on size.
2. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, honey, Dijon, and salt in a small bowl until emulsified.
3. Dress the arugula. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with just enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves lightly.
4. Build the salad. Spread the dressed arugula across a wide platter or four individual plates. Scatter the roasted beets and strawberries over the top. Drizzle with another spoonful of vinaigrette.
5. Finish. Crumble the goat cheese across the salad. Scatter with the toasted nuts and torn mint. Season with a final pinch of flaky salt and a few turns of pepper.
6. Serve immediately, while the arugula is fresh and the beets are still slightly warm.

Tasting Notes for Abracadabra Rosé

The current vintage of Abracadabra Rosé shows ripe strawberry, peach, pear, and orange blossom on the nose, with the dry, structured finish that comes from the saignée fraction. The wine is built on Sangiovese (63 percent) with small percentages of nearly every other red varietal we work with.

Pour cool, around 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a tulip-shaped glass to focus the aromatics.

Spring on a plate, in a glass.

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