From Stalrose with Style

From Stalrose with Style is a culinary text discovered in the study of Otto's Opulent Observatorium.

## Description

One amongst thousands of books contained with the library of the extraplanar manor, From Stalrose with Style caught the eye of the Atral spellslinger Anivia Reman. Detailed within is a small account of the history of the Stalrose Vineyard, as well as the tasting notes and pairing suggestions of a number of their products.

## Reading

#### Completed by Anivia Reman

The tale of the Stalrose Vineyard is a long and storied one, hailing back to the moments just after Aita's Second Gift. Accounts state that it was by the waters of the gorge that Buwello, the Sweet-Kiss Prince, first made landfall after the turmoils that came before the Second Gift, and from there started to pace the lands, teaching the newly created peoples of the ways of cultivation and horticultural. Nonetheless, the lands of what would become the Province of Pervou are amongst the most favourable for the growth of grape vines of all kinds, although it of three cultivars that the region is particularly famed for - Allizeaux, Nimante and Thestogeac. Depending on their terroir, level of tending and other closely guarded secrets, these varietals produce the wide range of different wines. Sommeliers travel from across the continent to receive training from the masters at Stalrose, but given the significance of wine in Atral day to day life, it is prudent for all to have some passing knowledge of the topic.

#### Allizeaux Wines

*Plumrose Vigour*

* Description: A bold red with a deep mauve hue.
* Style: Blend of several red and purple subcultivars grown in direct sunlight.
* Tasting Notes: Velvety red, with a firm and tightly knit ripeness akin to that of drupe fruits, particularly so of plum, damson and prune.
* Pairing Ideas: Hard cheeses such as locally-made Ortiox, Kalallono from Kingbourne or Codorne, or those spiced with Giadoese peppers, likewise oily fish served on a bed of wilted bitter leaves are a common pairing choice.
* Typical Asking Price: 15gp per bottle.

*Evrard's Encantatoir*

* Description: Faintly pearlescent, compared in colour to that of satin.
* Style: A single Allizeaux subcultivar, typically grown in the vicinity of wild flowers upon more shaded, cooler slopes.
* Tasting Notes: A heavy woody wine with a firm backbone, ripe tannins and an excellent structure comprised of cedar heartwood spice, cracked black pepper and sloe headiness.
* Pairing Ideas: Meats slow roasted on the bone, particularly that of lamb and venison. Side dishes based around the nightshade family, namely that of tomatoes, aubergine and bell peppers also form congruent pairings with this wine.
* Typical Asking Price: 18gp per bottle.

*Garnet of Goldlor*

* Description: A dark toned red with some slight purple tints, similar to that of the gemstone of which it is named.
* Style: A blend of Allizeaux subcultivars grown amongst brambles and other hedgerows.
* Tasting Notes: A fresh young-looking wine with a sweeter attack than many other Allizeaux varieties, though composed of a cherry-like fruit flavour in combination with a touch of bitter almond on the palate, with hints of blackberry and redcurrants on the finish.
* Pairing Ideas: Smoked cheeses and starches such as husked grains, white rice and breads, particularly so if enjoyed alongside alliums such as shallots, garlics and onions.
* Typical Asking Price: 12gp per bottle.

#### Nimante Wines

*Castex's Pride*

* Description: A light-bodied white sometimes processed to include bubbles.
* Style: A heritage Nimante produced from grapes grown in sheltered trails not in direct sunlight.
* Tasting Notes: A clean, limpid yellow with a hint of green while maintaining a richness of new wood upon the nose, and expressive melony fruit following close. Notable notes of green plum and pear on the palate with a good citrus acidity.
* Pairing Ideas: Exceptionally complementary to river fish or shellfish, particularly if poached or steamed in court-bouillon flavoured with garden thyme, bay laurel and root parsley.
* Typical Asking Price: 20gp per bottle.

*Prosper's Pledge*

* Description: A yellow-white typically used as a dessert wine due to its sweetness.
* Style: A particular subvariety of the Nimante cultivar known as the Nimante Sacchaeux famed for its sugar content.
* Tasting Notes: Pure gold in colour, with hints of amber. Floral, honeyed with apricot and peach with an impression of great sweetness but not over-heady. Palate is balanced between barley sugars with a strong botrytis and a long lanolin-inspired finish.
* Pairing Ideas: Baked goods spiced with cinnamon, allspice, clove and mace, or pungent cheeses such as Bluecrown or Gamy Orchard.
* Typical Asking Price: 12gp per bottle.

*Sprigtrail Gold*

* Description: An exceptionally fine white wine, favourably compared to that of Ambis 1002.
* Style: Exact production details kept secret, rumoured to use standard Nimante varietals nonetheless.
* Tasting Notes: Rich ripeness at rest, with an expressive bouquet of warming spice on the nose, stylish and bold. Fine and rounded palate, with hints of melon and citrus, a buttery tone yet good lemon acidity. Excellent balance, oak and fruit well blended in, the epitome of a white grape variety defined by terroir and great presence.
* Pairing Ideas: Dishes centred around use of poultry and/or mushrooms, may be used in goose fat duxelles for this reason. Complementary pairings with soft cheeses such Fesson, especially served alongside toasted nuts and seeds.
* Typical Asking Price: 32gp per bottle.

#### Thestogaec Wines

*Alderstaff's Aromatique*

* Description: A medium red famed for its heat and spice.
* Style: Created using black-skinned subvarieties of the Thestogaec grape, typically grown in sun-rich plots with clay-rich soils.
* Tasting Notes: Robust with a great heritage, tannins and berry fruits balance on the ascending attack. Blackberry and strawberry notes bring a tart sweetness, dancing on the palate above a foundation of of cinnamon, vanilla and eucalyptus.
* Pairing Ideas: Smoked and cured meats, as well as hot peppers, dried tomatoes and roasted root vegetables that provide texture and foundations for the high alcohol content of Alderstaff's Aromatique.
* Typical Asking Price: 15gp per bottle.

*Ringbound Regal*

* Description: A light-red often used as a cooking wine.
* Style: Bottled young, using Thestogaec grapes grown in cool groves, typically planted specifically for the purpose and featuring ash, cedar and willow.
* Tasting Notes: A high bouquet reminiscent of berry groves without clumsiness or a barnyard twinge, bringing a generous palate characterised by cherry-like forefront, with a short but rounded finish soft in tannin.
* Pairing Ideas: Highly versatile, but commonly used with grilled or sautéed lean red meats, starch-heavy dishes, or for use to create sweet vinegars for dressings and further culinary interests.
* Typical Asking Price: 10gp per bottle.

*Sprigtrail Venerable*

* Description: The chosen wine of Royalty, famously cited as "surely being blessed by the Sweet-Kiss Prince themselves".
* Style: Aged for 'a generation', typically taken to mean somewhere between twenty and thirty years.
* Tasting Notes: Wide rimmed with fade between a mellowed orange and a transparent scarlet, with distinguished backbone, ripe tannins and superb structure. Close bound fruit with a wonderful ripeness on the palate, with a chasing finish of anise and liquorice.
* Pairing Ideas: Bold enough to compete in a congruent manner with food flavoured with exotic spices such as saffron, fennel, turmeric and ginger, while often also enjoyed with smoked pork products, Sprigtrail Venerable is best enjoyed unpaired, delighting in itself standing proud.
* Typical Asking Price: 100gp per bottle.

*Stalrose Rouge*

* Description: A full-bodied red that dominates the production efforts of Stalrose Vineyard.
* Style: Made of a blend of different subvarieties of Thestograc grown in a variety of terroirs to increase the complexity of flavour.
* Tasting Notes: Deep and smooth in its maturity, with bold tones balanced between beefy and vegetal, a smoky palate with developed tannins lacking in astringency forging an excellent backbone. Robust, smooth and nutty, it coats the tongue for a lingering finish.
* Pairing Ideas: Fatty cuts of meat charred or roasted are the most typical pairing, with usage of pepper sauces and wheat flour or suet dumplings traditionally served alongside.
* Typical Asking Price: 25gp per bottle.