Tablas Creek 2019 Bourboulenc
The bourboulenc we tasted was from the first vintage of this variety at Tablas Creek Vineyard in the Adelaida District AVA of Paso Robles California. It is full of pineapple notes, so we ran with that on our pairing.
Honey Roasted Pineapple, pineapple curd filled meringue cups with toasted coconut, pistachios, and yogurt
Yep, there’s a lot going on here. I kinda did some pineapple overkill. But this dessert was delicious!
Honey Roasted Pineapple (for 2)
Ingredients
2 spears of pineapple
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon of honey
¼ cup of pineapple juice
¼ cup of dark brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
- Stir the honey, pineapple juice and dark brown sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the pineapple spears and toss to coat them.
- Allow this to marinate for 10 minutes
- Put the pineapple spears on the baking sheet (reserve the rest of the marinade)
- Roast the pineapple for 15 minutes.
- Flip the spears and brush with the marinade.
- Roast for another 10 minutes (they should caramelize)
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining marinade.
Meringue cups
Ingredients
3 egg whites (save the yolks for the curd)
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup powdered sugar (+ 1 tbs)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Put your silicone dome molds on a baking sheet bottom side up. Spray lightly with nonstick spray (and maybe NOT the baking spray, it has flour in it and you don’t need that. Unlike what I did).
- Get your stand mixer out with the whisk attachment.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time.
- Turn the mixer to high and beat until there are stiff peaks and the mixture is glossy
- Sift in the powdered sugar and fold carefully to incorporate
- Put the mixture in a pastry bag with a round tip (the size will depend on the size of your domes, the smaller the dome the smaller the tip to give you control)
- Pipe the mixture in a circular motion around each dome, starting at the bottom and being careful not to leave gaps.
- Bake in the bottom rack of the oven for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the size). (The meringues should not change color, like mine did!)
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the oven.
- Remove from the oven and gently remove the meringues from the mold.
Pineapple curd
Ingredients
4 egg yolks (yes I know you will have to use another egg)
1 egg (a whole one, yolk and white)
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbs butter, cut into pieces
Directions
- In a large bowl combine the egg yolks and the additional egg. Set aside
- In a 2 quart saucepan heat the pineapple juice, salt and sugar over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. This will take about 5 minutes and it should just come to a simmer. (not too hot or you will scramble the eggs when you add this!)
- Let this cool for several minutes.
- While whisking the eggs, slowly add this mixture. Do this carefully so that you don’t scramble the eggs. (if you do, don’t panic, I have a fix at the end)
- Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, put it back in the saucepan (get out your instant read thermometer here) and heat, whisking constantly over low heat until the mixture reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point the curd should thicken. (If it gets too hot it will become gritty. Again, don’t panic there is a fix at the end)
- Remove the curd from the heat and whisk in the butter until combined.
- Let the curd cool before using.
*Fixes! The immersion blender is your friend as well as a strainer. If you scramble your eggs, use the immersion blender to smooth the mixture back out. Likewise if your curd overheats and becomes gritty. If you notice the mixture does not look smooth at the end, you can push it through a sieve before cooling it down.*
Assembling
Additional Ingredients
¼ cup of yogurt
¼ cup pistachios
1 tablespoon of mint leaves (chopped)
½ cup toasted coconut
Directions
- Place the pineapple spear on the plate at an angle
- In a corner make a pile of toasted coconut
- Spoon the pineapple curd into one of the meringue cups until about ½ full
- Place the filled meringue cup on the pile of toasted coconut on an angle, allowing some of the curd to roll out (add more if needed)
- Drizzle the pineapple spear with the yogurt and garnish with the pistachios and mint.
Watch our quick video for the highlights.

Roasted Pineapple with honey and pistachios, pineapple curd filled meringue cups with toasted coconut
I went a little nuts with dessert. Too many cooking shows I guess. Today, I thought, is the day I will learn how to make Meringues! Hmmm… Then I will tackle a fancy plating! Hmmm… Well, it came out delicious if not photogenic.
We made meringue cups with our new silicone molds, then, oh yeah I made pineapple curd. (1st time making a curd too!). Spears of pineapple were roasted in a sauce of pineapple juice, dark brown sugar, and honey.
To plate it, the roasted pineapple got a drizzle of yogurt, a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, and a bit of fresh mint. The meringue cups sat tilted on a bed of toasted coconut and were filled with the pineapple curd spilling out.
This dessert pulled up all the Pineapple notes in the wine.
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Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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