One Pot, Vegetarian, French Cooking, Red Wine, Pinot Noir, Mushroom, Comte

Spätburgunder is Germany's take on Pinot Noir, and if you haven't had it yet, you're missing a trick. Forget heavy reds and loads of oak. These wines are all about bright cherry fruit, a bit of spice, plenty of freshness. Whether you're already a Pinot Noir fan or just fancy trying something a little different, Spätburgunder is a great place to start.


If you're curious about German Pinot Noir, start here. The Andres brothers have built a bit of a reputation for making wines that punch well above their price, and this is a pretty convincing argument. It's all the things we look for in a good Spätburgunder. Bright fruit, plenty of freshness and enough savoury character to keep you interested right to the bottom of the bottle. We'd happily drink this on a Tuesday with a takeaway just as much as we'd open it for Sunday lunch

Mushroom & Comté Bread Pudding

Ingredients

  • 250g sourdough, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 400g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, oyster, shiitake)
  • 2 shallots, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • 120g Comté, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 100ml double cream
  • Dijon mustard (1 tsp)
  • Salt & black pepper
  • Small handful parsley, or, if the shop is out of stock like it was for me, chive.

Method

1. Crisp the bread

Toast the sourdough in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.

You want it dry rather than crunchy.

2. Cook the mushrooms

Slice the mushrooms.

Cook them in a little olive oil and butter over a fairly high heat.

I like to add a small amount of water and salt once they're cooking to draw out their moisture.

Once they've taken on some colour add:

  • shallots
  • garlic
  • thyme

Cook until everything is soft and smelling amazing.

Season well.

3. Make the custard

Whisk together:

  • eggs
  • milk
  • cream
  • Dijon
  • half the Comté
  • black pepper

4. Assemble

Mix together:

  • toasted bread
  • mushroom mixture
  • remaining Comté

Pour over the custard.

Leave it for 15 minutes so the bread absorbs everything.

5. Bake

Bake at 180°C for around 35–40 minutes.

It should be golden on top and just set in the middle.

Finish with chive (parsley) and another little grating of Comté.

Why It Worked

Good Pinot Noir loves earthy flavours more than big flavours. The mushrooms bring out the savoury side of the wine, while the Comté adds just enough richness without stealing the show. Toasted sourdough gives the whole thing a bit of crunch, and the bright cherry and bramble fruit in the wine keeps every mouthful feeling fresh. Before you know it, you're scraping the baking dish clean and wondering where the bottle went.

Weingut Andres Pfalz Spätburgunder vom Kalkmergel Bio at The Beerhive, Edinburgh. Free UK shipping.

Weingut Andres Pfalz Spätburgunder vom Kalkmergel Bio

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