If you know us, you’ll know there’s nothing we love more than entertaining with good food and wine. We're lucky that Emily does too, and so we found little excuse to host a pre-vintage get-together with friends and beautiful local fare matched to Blank Canvas wines.

One of the wine and food pairings relished the most was our Abstract Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc matched with a delicious grilled mussel dish by local Mills Bay Mussels, which can be found on their website here and below. You can grill it on the barbeque, or over a wood-fired grill, which is Matt's favourite way of cooking.

We’re sure you’ll absolutely wow family & friends with this pairing!

This incredibly simple, yet delicious, dish is the perfect pairing for our Abstract Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc. The delicate citrus and savoury grilled breadcrumb topping on  the salty, fresh mussels pair beautifully with this full-bodied, vibrant and complex Sauvignon Blanc. 

We call this wine our ‘Savoury Blanc’ as texture and aromatic complexity bedazzle, and where vineyard and winemaking contribute equally. There’s an intense and seductive perfume of blackcurrant and white florals resulting in a wine with elegance and beautiful balance. 

The Abstract parcel was hand-picked from the Holdaway family vineyard in Dillons Point here in Marlborough. This vineyard is dry-farmed and 100% sustainably managed with a passionate regenerative viticulture mentality. 

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH LEMON, PARMESAN & GARLIC BUTTER

INGREDIENTS

• 1 dozen fresh live mussels (preferably NZ Green Lip!) 
• 100 g butter, softened
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 1 Tbs parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (GF if preferred) 
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

METHOD

1. Prepare your cooking fire or heat your grill to approx 230°C 
2. Raw shuck the mussels using a blunt, flexible knife.
3. Discard the top shell and place the half-shell mussels onto an oven tray.
4. Combine the butter, lemon zest & juice, parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the butter mixture onto the mussels and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs.
6. Place under the hot grill or BBQ grill for 4 – 5 min or until the topping turns golden brown.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with a slice of lemon, pour a chilled glass of Abstract, sip and savour!