Spring-Inspired Citrus Salad & Rosé Pairing

By Laina Carter of McGrail Vineyards

If you’re anything like me, you live for spring and summer. Not only do these seasons bless us with incredible fresh fruits and veggies, the warmer weather just makes me feel alive. Still, the best part of spring and summer is that I can finally sip on chilled wine comfortably.

There’s truly nothing like that first sunny, 75˚F day of the year. You inexplicably begin to feel relaxed, allowing the sunshine to warm your skin and taking in as much vitamin D as your body will allow. The sweet smell of blooming jasmine sailing through the air subconsciously tells you that springtime is here.

Unfortunately for those who live in California, it’s sometimes difficult to pinpoint exactly what season it actually is. According to “the Twelve Seasons of California,” we are just at the beginning of our second winter. Our recent fool’s spring was the inspiration for this sunny pairing.

Aside from the deceptive seasons, living in California is fabulous! We have access to the freshest produce in the country, and obviously, the finest wine as well. I combined the best of each of these things to create this lovely pairing!

The first notes you get from our delightful 2019 Kylie Ryan Rosé are gorgeous notes of bright grapefruit, which is why I began with citrus as the main star of this dish. Right now, you can find all sorts of exquisite citrus fruits at the grocery store–mandarin oranges, Cara Cara oranges, blood oranges, grapefruits, navel oranges, and more. I decided on a nutty, peppery baby arugula and creamy avocado and burrata as the secondary attraction to the salad, to complement the citrus and to sort of balance out one another. Since these ingredients are all so light and refreshing, I thought pistachios would add a nice crunch and make a great additional source of protein. I love the little bit of kick you get from chives and green onions, which is why it was a no-brainer for me to choose them to spice this plate up. I decided to go with a lighter-bodied dressing, so as to not overpower the main ingredients. Lastly, I threw in some deliciously spicy shallots and fresh-cracked rainbow pepper to add a nice bite to the finish and balance out the slightly creamy finish on the Rosé.

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 7 oz. organic baby arugula
• 2 pink grapefruits
• 3 Cara Cara oranges
• 3 blood oranges
• 4 mandarin oranges
• 2 navel oranges
• 2 avocados
• 8 oz. burrata cheese (2 pieces)
• ⅛ oz. chives, minced
• 3 green onion stems, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup roasted, unsalted pistachios, chopped into small pieces

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup white Modena vinegar
• ⅓ cup pasteurized orange juice
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt
• ¼ tsp. fresh cracked rainbow pepper

Optional:

Enjoy with a bit of garlic sourdough bread or ciabatta toast on the side.

Directions:

1. Using a small, sharp knife, peel and remove skins from grapefruits, navel oranges, cara cara oranges, blood oranges, and mandarin oranges. Cut into ⅓” thick round slices.
2. Evenly divide the baby arugula onto 4 plates to create a bed on each. Evenly divide the citrus fruit between four plates.
3. Slice the avocados and add ¼ to ½ of each onto each plate. Cut each piece of burrata in half and add one half to each plate. 
4. In a small dish, combine the shallot slices, white Modena vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to create the vinaigrette dressing. 
5. Drizzle a bit of the vinaigrette over each plate.
6. Sprinkle the minced chives, green onion slices, and pistachio pieces over each salad. 
7. Enjoy with a glass of our 2019 Kylie Ryan Rosé!

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Please let us know if you end up making this pairing and if you have any feedback! We’d love to hear it.

Cheers and enjoy!